September 25, 2007

Dear students, faculty and staff:

Kutztown University is strongly committed to the safety of its students, faculty and staff. We consider this to be one of our highest priorities.  With the recent incidents involving several of our students, we feel it is important to remind you of the ongoing efforts of the University and the local community to ensure your safety both on and off campus.  We hope that these points help you in discussing this important issue with your friends and family.

The Borough of Kutztown and the University have always had open, ongoing discussions about safety matters and other issues that impact university-community relationships.  Our Student Government Board remains active with campus and community law enforcement officials, and recently held a meeting to discuss and evaluate student safety matters.  In addition, we are forming a joint neighborhood crime watch to monitor the downtown area and the campus community.

Kutztown University recently hosted a meeting with state and local officials, including State Senator Michael O’Pake, State Representative Carl Mantz and Kutztown Mayor Sandy Green, to evaluate our joint safety efforts.  The discussion outlined a number of priorities that, in addition to the existing safety measures, will further promote safety throughout the community.  Once these elected officials and government agencies have helped us finalize these goals, we will share them with you.

In the meantime, there are several upcoming meetings scheduled to address many of these issues.  A regular Town Gown meeting, which includes University and Borough officials, is scheduled for Thursday, October 4 at 7 p.m. in the Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, 357 W. Main St., Kutztown.  In addition, Kutztown University’s Student Government Board will host a Public Safety Forum on Tuesday, October 16 at 11 a.m. at the Academic Forum room 102.  We encourage you to attend and share your concerns, or contact our Dean of Student Services Office directly at 610-683-1396.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
F. Javier Cevallos
President