Security response under scrutiny at Mount Saint Vincent University

A Halifax university says they are “committed to doing better” after a student complained that a security guard dismissed their concerns of feeling unsafe on campus.

“We will do better,” said Paula Barry Mercer, the associate vice president of student experience at Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU), in a statement.

According to a Facebook post by the Mount Saint Vincent University Students’ Union (MSVUSU), a student was approached on campus near Evairstus Hall on Tuesday.

There are few details on the incident but it left the student feeling unsafe.

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As a result, the student reached out to the campus security at MSVU.

“She was asking about sort of what options were available to her if she were travelling alone on campus in the evening,” Mercer told Global news on Thursday.

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But when she contacted mount security her concerns were disregarded.

“The security guard did not respond to their description of the interaction, they were advised to have a friend wait with them, and told to call 911 if they felt threatened,” the statement by the student union reads.

“This response to a students’ concern is disappointing.”

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It’s a sentiment echoed by Mercer, who wrote that the response from mount security “did not adequately address her concerns.”

The MSVUSU said Tuesday’s incident did not happen in isolation and that a number of students have expressed experiencing similar incidents.

Gemma Green, an MSVU student, said she too, was disappointed with the reaction from security.

“I think the fact that she approached security about this issue speaks to how uncomfortable she did feel. I think it’s pretty telling of security to kind of dismiss it in the way that they did,” said Green.

Writing that “Students should not be made to feel unsafe on their own campus,” the student union called on the university to prioritize student’s safety.

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The university’s administration says that their leadership team has met and identified areas for improvement in their security protocols and training.

“We take any concern of this nature very seriously and are committed to following up to ensure the safety and security of the MSVU community,” said Mercer.

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They also planned a dialogue for 4 p.m. Thursday to allow students to voice their concerns.

The MSVUSU encouraged students to attend the dialogue, adding that students are organizing a protest Friday at 11 a.m.

This is not the first time that safety issues have been raised by students and faculty. MSVU said that Halifax Regional Police conducted a campus safety audit in 2015.

“That resulted in some recommendations from them to improve our signage, specifically to the security office, improvements with lighting, improvements with tree trimming and such on campus,” said Mercer.

With files from Alexa MacLean