PhotoVoice, an innovative, student-driven initiative, is putting safety into sharp focus at West Virginia University.

The program, implemented by WVU s Student Government Association and with support from the Presidents Office, uses photos taken by students to illustrate positive and negative safety aspects around the Downtown and Evansdale campuses.

Ive talked to thousands of students and hundreds of parents, and campus safety is a concern we all share,said WVU President Mike Garrison.Students walk around our campus and buildings every day, and the great thing about this project is that it gives us more eyes in identifying places where there is a problem or an improvement is needed.

Student government leaders started SGA PhotoVoice three years ago as part of their annual comprehensive safety audit. Since then, the program has won the Universitys Safety Achievement Award of Excellence. But more importantly, it has enhanced safety for students, faculty, staff and visitors to campus.

This year, a team of about 15 student volunteers was charged with documenting areas of safety concern and satisfaction. Participants fanned out around campus, using disposable cameras to take pictures of everything from landscaping and lighting to sidewalks and stairs. Another safety initiative the students participated in was to walk the Downtown and Evansdale campus with administrators and staff at night to identify lighting deficiencies.

In the end, the students compiled 50-plus photos, along with notes about suggested improvements, into a report, which they presented to the University administration in January. Some of the issues identified were located on city property and the University will work with the students to share those concerns with the appropriate officials.

Its a hands-on safety project where students make a difference by helping the University, and it is great to see some of the concerns fixed just weeks later,said Kristen Thomaselli, SGA PhotoVoice and Safety Committee chair.

The administration has taken great strides to place work orders for many of the problems and committed to helping fix all of the concerns listed in the report,she said.SGA has been very fortunate to work with administrators who genuinely care about seeing WVU being the safest campus that it can be.

Added Garrison,WVUs recent ranking in Readers Digest18th among 135 U.S. colleges and universities that participated in the Readers Digest surveyis a recognition of the spirit of cooperation that we have developed on safety issuesinvolving our students, our public safety officers, our staff and our faculty in identifying problem areas and taking steps to address them. WVU is a very safe campus, but we cannot stop looking for ways to make it safer.

Among the studentsrequests last year was better lighting in key traffic areas. In response, the University earmarked $250,000 for new campus lighting.

Brighter, more energy-efficient lighting fixtures have been installed in places where students often walk at night, including outside the Mountainlair, to improve visibility and security. New lighting will also be added near Elizabeth Moore Hall, Purinton House, Wise Library and other University buildings.

The safety of the students, faculty, staff and community members visiting our campus is an utmost concern,said Joe Fisher, associate vice president of facilities and services.By improving the lighting conditions, we can help prevent injuries and the possibility of crime while improving the beauty of our facilities.

Concerns cited in this years PhotoVoice report include missing or bent parking signs, a damaged railing outside a building, a leaking window on the Personal Rapid Transit (PRT), an uneven sidewalk, a pothole, worn speed bumps and a wall that needs patching. All have been addressed or are in the process of being fixed, Thomaselli said.

I am happy to see all of the positive steps being taken to ensure that our students continue to be fostered in a safe learning environment,she said.Next year, I hope that more people will become involved in the program so that a broader variety of concerns may be addressed. By working together, I have seen first-hand that we can truly make this campus a great place for any Mountaineer to call home.

Thomaselli, who was recently re-elected to SGA , plans to add an interactive feature to the PhotoVoice program that will allow all students to submit their own digital photos via the SGA Web site.

PhotoVoice is one of several safety initiatives launched at WVU . This past fall, SGA President Jason Parsons joined Garrison in announcing thePartners for Safetyprogram and WVU Alert text-message notification systemboth in partnership with the Office of the President and WVU Police Department.

Partners for Safety was the result of students voicing their concerns for new safety initiatives, Parsons said, and SGA has since made safety its top priority over the last few months.

I am pleased with the safety report that SGA has put together and the reception that it has gotten from the WVU administration,he said.My thanks go to Kristen for her great work and leadership and the administration for its fast response. I look forward to continuing our partnership with the administration in order to make our campus safer for students, faculty and staff.