#seesafety: CATS Survey Needs Every Student's Voice

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LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 2, 2015) — The University of Kentucky is one of the safer college campuses in the nation — and aims to keep it that way. That's why, starting today, all students are being asked to give feedback to help the university assess the safety climate of campus.

"Campus safety is our top priority at UK," said UK President Eli Capilouto. "But safety means many things. In addition to lights, security cameras, safety officers and technology, we need students, faculty and staff who place safety and inclusion first. All of these things speak to the kind of environment we all want as part of the UK community."

[IMAGE3]One of the ways UK is seeking to sustain and strengthen a safe environment is through the Campus Attitudes Toward Safety (CATS) Survey.  CATS will be available to students online through their myUK portal from March 2 through the end of priority registration April 21.  As part of the class registration process, all students (undergraduate, graduate and professional) will take the confidential survey that will measure the social and cultural environments at UK. The survey consists of several sections that ask questions about students' beliefs, opinions, and knowledge of various topics. The development of these sections occurred through partnerships with the President's Office, UK Police, University Health Services (UHS), Student Affairs, Legal counsel, and the office of Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP).

"A safe, welcoming and inclusive campus must be everyone's priority," said Capilouto. "CATS, in an important sense, is part of our students' investment in creating that campus."

To encourage early completion of CATS before priority registration begins, the university will offer students chances to win prizes such as UK Dining meal cards, cash and even UK parking permits if they complete it before their priority registration window opens.

Although there will be incentives for completion of the survey, the greatest reward is that the results will inform students, faculty and other stakeholders on issues of campus safety. The hope is that each student will take the time to complete CATS truthfully, so the results can be used to improve campus safety as well as the overall campus experience for all students.

For questions about CATS, email CATSseesafety@uky.edu.

MEDIA CONTACT: Jenny Wells, 859-257-5343; jenny.wells@uky.edu