For people to feel freedom and peace where they belong and pursue their dreams, essential elements for law and order, safety and maintaining order, along with management of the living environment, are necessary for enjoyment at UW-Whitewater. And these are not things campus students can take for granted.

They are the result of the dedicated efforts, investment and service of the campus support staff. First, police officers prioritize preventive patrols as their most important duty. They patrol to prevent problems before they occur. They respond swiftly to emergencies upon notification and ensure a safe, welcoming environment by building positive relationships with students, visitors and staff.

Their contributions allow everyone to feel secure reporting concerns to officers, and all these activities collectively provide an environment for the entire UW-W community. Ultimately, this fosters stronger trust in the officers serving the community.

They are as essential to the area as they are to any city. Therefore, officers prioritize ongoing training in law enforcement, crime prevention, and maintaining safety. They also consistently collaborate with key campus stakeholders to review whether necessary safety measures and changes are being implemented to ensure campus-wide security. They don’t stop at merely considering what’s happening on campus. They review events occurring nationwide to ensure they are well-prepared for any situation that could arise at UW-Whitewater. In other words, officers are continuously training to keep pace with the needs and current trends of modern policing.

Housing maintenance also contributes to campus cleanliness. And if problems arise in the dormitories, they are typically resolved within 24 hours. Additionally, students are encouraged to contact their Resident Assistant, Complex Directory and Assistant Complex Director for help with any issues they encounter.

Mark Butry, facilities technician in the Housing Department, states that student participation is also needed for campus cleanliness and convenience. One example Butry pointed out is that “DUDE Wipes and other female products should not be flushed in the toilet, which is causing a lot of issues with the plumbing around campus. These products say they are flushable but they are not. Even the city of Whitewater says do not flush them.”

Furthermore, dining hall staff constantly wipe down and sanitize the dining areas, responding quickly to messes to maintain cleanliness. Do Bach Bao Quyen, who works at Drumlin, stated that campus dining halls strive to provide nutrition to students, and the jobs themselves offer employment opportunities.

“Please be considerate, clean up after yourselves, and help us keep the space welcoming for everyone,” Quyen said.

Regarding campus cleanliness and safety, UW-Whitewater junior Sarah Arndt mentioned that while daytime and dorm rooms are relatively safe, dorm building access is relatively easy. She suggested increasing keycard access points in dorms and cleaning classroom chairs could address these issues.                                                                                                                                                Students thus hold diverse opinions on cleanliness and safety, and they can communicate these views to staff.

“The police department does a lot of community outreach in the form of presentations and sending out important information to students as needed via email or other forms of communication,” K9 officer Justin Stuppy said. “If students wish to report something that occurred on campus, they can call our non-emergency number at any time, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. We always have an officer working at all times.”