±«Óătvallup to host Campus Safety Week in September

±«Óătvallup to host Campus Safety Week in September


Categories: Students   Faculty   Staff   Community  


Activities aimed at making the branch campus a safer, healthier place

By Richard Reyes, Wednesday, August 21, 2024

GALLUP, N.M. — The University of New Mexico-Gallup will host a week of activities in September in observance of National Campus Safety Awareness Month to focus on making the branch campus a safer and healthier place.

±«Óătvallup’s Campus Safety Week is scheduled Monday, Sept. 16, through Friday, Sept. 20. Events throughout the week are designed to bring more awareness and education to safety- and security-related topics that affect ±«Óătvallup students, faculty and staff, as well as the larger community that ±«Óătvallup is a part of.

“It’s an effort to have open discussions and educate our campus community about safety procedures and protocols while also creating an opportunity or forum to voice any concerns or share any information,” ±«Óătvallup Student Affairs Director Jayme McMahon said.

This is the second annual Campus Safety Week at ±«Óătvallup. It is organized by the Safety Week Subcommittee, which operates under the ±«Óătvallup Safety Committee.

The agenda for the week includes a Campus Safety Fair on Thursday, Sept. 19, which will feature organizations from the Gallup-McKinley County community doing outreach about their services and resources.

Organizations with a mission related to safety, health and security are invited to register for a booth in the Campus Safety Fair. Interested organizations should contact Sr. Public Relations Specialist Richard Reyes at 505-863-7542 or richardreyes12@unm.edu.

“It’s a great opportunity to bring the Gallup community together to revisit the safety concerns for ±«Óătvallup specifically and to start that conversation,” ±«Óătvallup emergency medical services instructor Jacob LaCroix said.

Another highlight of the week is the Campus Safety Walk. Members of the ±«Óătvallup community are invited to go on a group walk around the campus to identify safety issues or concerns, such as the need for better lighting or pruning.

The Campus Safety Walk is a great opportunity for participants to get some steps in after dark with other Lobos while providing valuable input.

“We want our campus to be a safe, healthy space where people belong and feel like they belong,” McMahon said. “We want our students and employees to flourish, so we need to ensure we’re providing a safe environment for them to do so.”

Other events throughout the week include:

  • A meet and greet plus forum with first responders from the community.

  • Training on personal safety, hands only CPR, and how to use Narcan in the case of an overdose.

  • Important meetings and training opportunities for campus building coordinators.

The meet and greet will be similar to a Coffee with a Cop event where students, faculty and staff will get the chance to connect with ±«Óătvallup’s Campus Police officers and other officers from local police agencies.

“We have Coffee with a Cop so people just don’t see them as a uniform,” ±«Óătvallup Campus Police Sgt. Richard Perez said. “People can actually go and talk to them and ask questions and see that all the officers are humans too. A lot of victims are afraid to report things. If they get to know the officers as people, it’s easier for them to speak up.”

The full Campus Safety Week agenda will be available soon.


Campus Safety Week Agenda

Monday, Sept. 16

Personal Safety Training

Noon – 1:30 p.m., Location: Gymnasium

Join ±«Óătvallup martial arts instructor Frank Sanchez to learn how to defend yourself.

Tuesday, Sept. 17

First Responders Meet & Greet

9 a.m. – 10 a.m., Location: SSTC-200

Come grab a cup of coffee and chat with local first responders and law enforcement representatives.

Campus Safety Forum

10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., Location: SSTC-200

Join us for a moderated, panel discussion with campus police and local law and fire agencies to discuss emergency response and safety topics as it pertains to the campus.

The following agencies will have representation: ±«Óătvallup Police, City of Gallup Police & Fire, McKinley County Sheriff & Fire, Metro Dispatch, McKinley County Emergency Management, and New Mexico State Police.

Campus Safety Walk

6:30 p.m., Location: Campus Police in Gurley Hall Commons

Join your fellow Lobos for the Campus Safety Walk to help make ±«Óătvallup a safer, healthier place. This is a great opportunity to get some steps in after dark and provide valuable input.

Wednesday, Sept. 18

Personal Safety on Campus

10 a.m. – Noon, Location: SSTC-200

Office safety will be explored starting with configuration of office spaces to make the space safer. There will be a focus on situational awareness on campus and understanding how to look at options they present. Interactive session with discussions.

Thursday, Sept. 19

Narcan Training

9 a.m. – 9:45 a.m., Location: SSTC-200

Learn how to administer this simple nasal spray to help a person experiencing a drug overdose with training led by ±«Óătvallup EMS instructor Jacob LaCroix.

Safety Fair

10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Location: Gurley Hall Commons

Connect with local public safety agencies and learn about the resources they have to offer.

Friday, Sept. 20

Building Coordinator Training & Meeting

10 a.m. – Noon, Location: SSTC-200

Mandatory, annual training for Building Coordinators who are campus employees that work in regularly occupied campus buildings and serve to perform essential activities for the purpose of minimizing injury to campus students, staff, and faculty in the event of an emergency.

Hands Only CPR/AED Training

Noon – 1 p.m., Location: SSTC-200

Learn how to administer hands-only CPR and utilize campus AED machines with training led by ±«Óătvallup EMS instructor Jacob LaCroix. This event is open to all who wish to attend.


Download the schedule here.

Download the event flyer here.

Latest News



The University of New Mexico - Gallup
705 Gurley Ave.
Gallup, NM 87301
(505) 863-7500