#The Broken Hiring Process

Appointed Interim Director 2014 Nov 01

Hired as Permanent Director 2015 April 15

Who failed to vet Skipworth’s Background?

• Claremont Colleges Shared Services (TCCS) CEO Stig Lanesskog (twice)

• HK Employment (Glen Kraemer)

• Campus Search Committee

• TCCS HR

• 3-time LOSER - Lanesskog wrote in an email to The Student Life (TSL) that the search [for a new campus safety director] was delayed because of his appointment as the new CEO, who began his role Aug. 1, made finding a director of Campus Safety his top long-term goal, along with preparing a financial system for CUC and the colleges. [definitely LONG-Term–10 years and still NOT got a descent hire]

Campus Safety Picks Interim Director | TSL

By Pablo Ordonez

October 24, 2014 10:15 pm

Stan Skipworth has been appointed as the Interim Director of Campus Safety, effective Nov. 1. Though the Claremont University Consortium (CUC) is searching for a permanent director of campus safety, a position vacant since February 2014, a search committee decided to first hire an interim director due to the extensive amount of time it takes to find a permanent replacement.

The position of Director of Campus Safety became vacant when Shahram Ariane resigned in February to rejoin the Los Angeles Dodgers as the team’s head of security. 

Since then, Dean Manship, CUC’s Emergency Preparedness Planning Manager, has been taking on the mantle of interim director. The committee looked for a more long-term interim director to allow Manship to focus on his main responsibilities for emergency preparedness, according to the consortium’s CEO, Stig Lanesskog. Skipworth works at the University of La Verne as Senior Director of Campus Safety and Transportation. 

A graduate of La Salle University with a B.S. in Criminal Justice Management, Skipworth has over 20 years of experience in public safety. 

Cooked up Crime Stats

He worked as Assistant Chief and then Chief of Police for the California State University, Long Beach, Police Department from 2000 to 2011. Under his leadership, the department reported the lowest crime rate of all 23 CSU campuses from 2007-2011.

Grateful & Unqualified

Skipworth wrote in an email to TSL that he is grateful for the opportunity to join the Claremont Colleges community.

 “Each of my visits and meetings with members from many areas across the Claremont campuses have genuinely impressed me,” Skipwroth wrote. “I am excited … to add my energy and experience to the team of safety professionals.”

As interim director, he will have full responsibility for CUC’s Campus Safety under the direction of Lanesskog. Skipworth’s term will last through this academic year.

“As an Interim Director, I am committed to establishing relationships with each of the constituencies of our campuses, to work diligently with our partners and to advance existing or new forms of safety programming that all students, staff and faculty will hold in high confidence,” Skipworth wrote.

Ricardo Morales PO ’15, the vice president for campus activities for the Associated Students of Pomona College, said that he has heard student complaints in the past about Campus Safety officers exerting too much control over the party scene. Morales hopes that Skipworth will bring a positive change. [NOPE, didn’t work out! Mr. Party Pooper esp for hip-hop, NO hurray for dat]

“I’m hoping we have a really good relationship because we need them at the parties. They’re important people to have there,” Morales said. “So I’m really hoping for a positive experience and relationship but also for them to realize that Pomona is not like every other school. We’re very unique in our culture and what we deem safety.”

HK Employment Failed to do due diligence on Skipworth

• To assist with the search, the consortium hired a search firm and formed a campus-wide search committee. The committee’s 11 members represent most of the seven colleges in the CUC. 

• Lanesskog wrote in an email to TSL that the search was delayed because of his appointment as the new CEO, who began his role Aug. 1, made finding a director of Campus Safety his top long-term goal, along with preparing a financial system for CUC and the colleges.

Looking forward, the same committee will work together again with the contracted firm to find the best candidate for the permanent position. “

Although it is too soon for specifics, any initiatives that are undertaken will be done in consultation with the presidents, student deans and other campus administrators,” Lanesskog wrote in an email to TSL.

Lanesskog emphasized community participation in the ongoing search process.

“As that search proceeds, we will be happy to keep the campus communities informed, especially as we schedule on-campus interviews,” Lanesskog wrote.

From <https://tsl.news/news4314/> 

2013oct03 CUC Hires Stig Lanesskog as New CEO TSL

By Sean Gunther 3 Oct 2013  https://tsl.news/news4189/

After a nearly six-month-long search, the Claremont University Consortium (CUC) has hired Stig Lanesskog as its new Chief Executive Officer. Before accepting the position, Lanesskog worked as a professional consultant and, most recently, as the Associate Provost for Strategic Planning and Assessment at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

The selection process for a new CEO began last December after former CEO Robert Walton left to become the Vice President of Finance and Administration at Vassar College. The independent search committee was made up of various at-large overseers, as well as Pitzer College President Laura Trombley, Claremont McKenna College President Hiram Chodosh and Scripps College President Lori Bettison-Varga. The committee hired consultants from Korn Ferry, who met extensively with administrators from each of the colleges as well as the CUC Board of Overseers to define expectations for the next CEO.

Bettison-Varga, who served as a co-chair of the panel, said that the new CEO of the CUC has a “very complicated structure” to become acquainted with. 

“Imagine coming as the CEO of the CUC, which is the eighth independent entity in the consortium, but serving the seven institutions and having the reporting structure that works with the presence of seven institutions as well as the board of overseers,” she said. 

An independent entity, the CUC is the bridge between all seven schools. The CUC supports and oversees a wide variety of resources and services shared across all campuses, including:

• the Black Student Affairs and Chicano/Latino Student Affairs offices, 

• the Chaplains,

• Student Health Services,

• Health Education Outreach,

• Monsour Counseling and Psychological Services (MCAPS),

• the Student Disability Resources Center and

• Campus Safety.

In an email to TSL, Lanesskog wrote that he is responsible for “the effective management of staffing and monetary resources” for these services, which are funded by the colleges.

“I will be working with these groups and others to develop a long-range strategic plan that furthers the mission of CUC to promote collaboration and to provide innovative, high quality and cost effective customer-oriented services that integrates fully with the missions of the institutions we serve,” he wrote. 

Some CUC resources have undergone changes recently—MCAPS, for example, hired several new staff members due to increasing demand. Additionally, on-campus programs at each college, such as the Teal Dot Bystander intervention program at Pomona College and the Project Sister initiative for all colleges, have been successful in creating internal systems of oversight and advocacy, slightly mitigating the need for these shared services. Still, Lanesskog stressed the importance of the services offered by CUC.

“Collaboration and communication among CUC and the campuses is critical,” he wrote. 

“For the short-term, I am learning as much as possible about CUC and the colleges. For the long-term, I will be working on changes at Campus Safety and on the implementation of a new financial system for all the colleges. For the broader set of services, we will be focusing on assessment and how their service offerings relate to and support the campus communities.”

Bettison-Varga said that one of Lanesskog’s greatest strengths is his experience with “organizational structures and efficiencies” and “helping to put in place processes and systems that will help advance the work of an office or of a group.”

From <CUC Hires Stig Lanesskog as New CEO - The Student Life>

Adam Starr (Stanford grad student / AI expert) - See discussion of Skipworth’s Clery Act Violations

Adam Starr writes about camera surveillance on campus, deficiencies in Clery Act Reporting by Campus Public Safety, and Policy recommendations

Link to Paper

2017Sep16#(data) Uncovering Campus Safety’s Lack of Transparency TSL

By Adam Starr Link | September 16, 2017 2:22 pm

From <https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=AWNB&t=state%3ACA%21USA%2B-%2BCalifornia&sort=YMD_date%3AD&page=1&fld-base-0=alltext&maxresults=20&val-base-0=%22stan%20skipworth%22&docref=news/166F6ED49BC4FA70>

In 1990, the United States Congress unanimously passed the Jeane Clery Act, requiring universities to disclose statistics about crime on and around campus so students could properly evaluate their school’s safety.

The intent of the law is clear: colleges ought to make information about crime on and around campus publicly available. Safety requires transparency.

In the spirit of the Clery Act, many colleges publish online logs with brief descriptions of incidents. However, the Claremont University Consortium fails to embrace the intent of the law by limiting access to information and improperly maintaining records.

Why is the Consortium’s default mode secrecy and not openness?

The Consortium must create practices in the spirit of the Clery Act. Limiting access to information goes against the core mission of academe and places our community at risk.

Some manifestations of the Clery Act include timely warnings and the annual Safety and Security Reports. Another requirement of the Act is that institutions maintain a complete and accurate daily log of all known campus crime. Once an log entry is added, it may not be deleted.

The 2016 Clery Act Handbook requires that institutions “let students and employees know that the log is available, what it contains, and where it is” and suggests information be in student handbooks and “anywhere else it’s likely to be seen.”

The daily crime logs are not referenced in any 7C student handbook nor any 7C Title IX or Sexual Misconduct Policy – they are also not referenced in the section entitled “The College’s External Reporting Obligations.”

As I was researching Pomona College bike thefts for a class project, I requested Pomona College crime logs from Campus Safety. While I was not looking to find failures in their system, I was shocked by my experiences.

To access records, I was required to submit identification, being that the Campus Safety representative stated that the department is obligated to maintain a record of who accesses the log. Requiring personal information for log access suggests a violation of Clery Act, as the Clery Handbook prohibits institutions from requiring written requests for the sixty day log.

To get better context about bike theft, I requested previous years’ logs as well, and Campus Safety directed me to the annual security report which covered three years of aggregate data. With this, I became suspicious.

I reiterated my request for previous logs with the support of Pomona College, and Campus Safety informed me that photographing the logs or possessing a digital copy would be illegal.

Campus Safety Director Stan Skipworth claimed that neither he nor Pomona College “possesses the statutory authority” to release digital copies of the logs. He further claimed to be unable to find “a colleague that supports this much broader interpretation” of the Clery Act as to allow such access.

Ultimately, Skipworth authorized the release of digital logs as “a one time courtesy” without a guarantee of “accuracy, completeness, timeliness or correct sequencing of the information.”

What is the purpose of the log if not an accurate, complete, and timely record of crime on campus? If Skipworth supports the release of digital records, why does he continue to limit access?

Evidence suggests that the logs are not properly managed. One example of this is that not all entries are properly recorded. Consider the April 23, 2017 trespassing arrest of Michael London. As of June 15, 2017, the logs did not indicate that arrest was made.

Additionally, entries of known reports seem to be missing from the logs. Campus Safety provided me with a list of reported bike thefts on Pomona’s campus. Some of these thefts were not indicated in the logs.

Campus Safety preemptively suggested that the discrepancy may be due to reclassification, but reclassifications are not justifications to remove entries from the logs. Have other reports been removed from – or never been added to – the logs?

The consortium must reexamine its policies surrounding crime log maintenance, access, and publicity. Students must be made aware of and provided easy and timely access to an accurate daily crime log.

Safety requires transparency. The consortium needs to go beyond the minimum reporting requirements of the Clery Act. In a recent conversation, Campus Safety indicated that they are further restricting access to the logs and that upcoming reports will reflect their “actual” policies.

Skipworth claimed that work on a website to provide online logs will begin in a matter of “weeks.” [ that’s a lie, it did NOT happen until I personally forced the issue in 2021/2022–it’s a Clery ACT violation to not make public the data]

The crime logs should include descriptions of the events, and if a member of our community asks about an incident, Campus Safety should be informative without placing the victim at risk.

Campus Safety often plays the obstructionist in response to inquiries about crime on campus. Skipworth claims to support openness while simultaneously limiting college supported student access. Campus Safety must increase access to these public records.

Uncovering Campus Safety's Lack of Transparency - The Student Life

2016oct14#(data) Clery Report Shows Decrease in Reported Sexual Assault Incidents at Pomona TSL

October 14, 2016 1:38 pm By Elinor Aspegren | Link to Article

On Oct. 1, 2016, the Claremont Colleges released their 2015 Clery Reports on crime at each college, which indicated, among other statistics, that Pomona College was the only school that experienced a decline in the number of rapes reported from 2014 to 2015. However, some Pomona administrators worry that this statistic may project an incomplete and inaccurate picture.

Questioning Statistics

Each college in the United States that receives federal financial aid is mandated by the Clery Act to compile and release an annual campus security report detailing the numbers of certain types of crimes reported to the college during each calendar year, according to Pomona Associate Dean and Title IX Coordinator Daren Mooko.

• The number of reported rapes at Pomona declined from the 2014 Clery Report to the 2015 report, from 15 incidents in 2014 to six in 2015. However, Mooko expressed concerns regarding the reason the number of reported incidents decreased.

“I think we need to look at that number very critically and not jump to the conclusion that the actual number of assaults went down on campus, but rather that the number of people who’ve come forward to make a report went down,” Mooko said. “It’s that latter dynamic that’s concerning to us.”

Reporting Issue

According to Mooko, in spring 2015, Pomona experienced significant student critique of the administration’s response to and handling of reports of sexual assault on campus. Mooko believes that it may have been decreased confidence in the administration, rather than a decrease in the number of assaults on campus, that led to fewer reports of rape on Pomona’s campus in 2015.

“One of the things that I worry about when I look at the decline in reporting is what effect, if any, did that controversy have on our students’ confidence in the college in making reports,” Mooko said.

According to Mooko, Pomona worked throughout 2015 to revise and improve its policies on sexual assault to restore student confidence in the college, including replacing faculty and staff adjudication panels with external adjudicators unaffiliated with Pomona and outlining clearer penalties for sexual assault.

In August 2015, Pomona also launched the online Callisto program, which gives students a variety of tools to anonymously report sexual assaults, as part of a pilot program planned before the spring 2015 controversy.

“I think we made good decisions” in the revision of Pomona’s sexual assault policies, Mooko said. Mooko said that he hopes the revision of Pomona’s sexual assault policies will help restore student confidence.

Campus Safety - Stan Skipworth

Sexual assault is a problem across the 5Cs, with a total of 39 reported rapes and 17 reported incidents of “fondling” at the 5Cs in 2015. In response, Campus Safety has instituted a variety of new programs and initiatives to help prevent and handle reports of sexual assault.

“Over the course of the summer, we provided some excellent additional training to our staff that included additional skills for dealing with relationship-based violence, sexual assault reporting, expanding our investigations and interviewing, among other key elements,” Director of Campus Safety Stan Skipworth wrote in an email to TSL.

Campus Safety has also revised its patrol programming and worked to increase the options for sexual assault reporting for Claremont Consortium students, including a new online reporting platform.

“[The new online platform] is important, because the success of the program, and the courage of those willing to report these events either through a confidential [campus security authority] interview, or with us or in reporting the crime to the police, are all indicative of the larger set of resources and options campus community members have to report these incidents in a manner that is most comfortable for them,” Skipworth wrote in an email to TSL.

Rape is not the only crime statistic reported in the Clery Reports. The reports also indicate that there were: 

• 17 incidents of “fondling”, 

• 63 burglaries, 

• 20 motor vehicle thefts, 

• seven instances of dating violence, 

• two incidents of domestic violence, 

• two incidents of stalking, and 

• one hate crime reported at the 5Cs in 2015.

To address crime at the 5Cs, Campus Safety has introduced: 

• two new cars, 

• an electric scooter,

• and three patrol bicycles to is fleet,

• an iPad program for officers, 

• and additional cameras and alarms across the 5Cs, 

• as well as additional training for officers, according to Skipworth.

What kind of Dignitaries came to CSU-Long Beach? Snoop Dogg?

“Over the summer we added extensive training courses on the subjects of relationship violence investigations, dignitary protection support, and social justice issues and safety. Most importantly, we’ve shared these training courses and others with our colleagues across the campuses,” Skipworth wrote in an email to TSL.

The full Clery Reports for each of the 5Cs, as well as Claremont Graduate University and Keck Graduate Institute, can be found at http://www.cuc.claremont.edu/campussafety/reports.asp.

Marc Rod

Marc Rod PO ’20 is from Rye Brook, New York. He previously served as TSL’s managing editor, news editor, news associate and news writer.

2016mar28# Surveillance At The Claremont Colleges | Odyssey

What's considered over the line?

Halle Zander   Pitzer College     Article Link  Mar 28, 2016 

Recent news coverage about the federal lawsuit between the FBI and Apple Inc. has raised questions of government surveillance and overreach. To what scale can we expect our governments to survey our personal information in the name of safety? How much surveillance is too much? This has become a point of contention across the United States ever since Edward Snowden released 'Wikileaks' on May 20, 2013.

Throughout the five Claremont Colleges, students also experience a certain type of unique surveillance. Because the Claremont Police Department typically defers to the college’s Campus Safety Department to enforce certain regulations, students live under what’s commonly referred to as a “bubble” where students must adhere to a set of rules set up by the colleges.

Social Media

Ernie Didier, the lieutenant and second in command for the Claremont College’s Campus Safety department, described their relationship with social media. Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter are the most popular online platforms where students interact. However, one of the most controversial ones is Yik Yak, which is a website that allows users to post anonymously to people in their direct vicinity. Consequently, most of the people posting on Yik Yak in Claremont are students at the colleges.

Yik Yak Death Threats - 2015

Unfortunately, this has become a common place for hate speech and threats. Following one of the “CMCers of Color” protests in the fall of 2015, there were multiple death threats reported to the school, one of which occurred on an anonymous online platform. YikYak statement

Campus Safety Ignores Specific Threat on Named Student!

Alex Jasienowski, a student at Pitzer College, recounted on the incident. Jasienowski said that the students only have limited information on this incident because the school did not release most of the details. Students are now aware that an anonymous Google form for Claremont Mckenna Alumni of color was made for previous students to discuss their experiences at the college. Someone logged on and made a threat claiming that they would kill all the students who were involved in the protests. The offender even mentioned an individual’s name in the post. The school did not report this threat and did not even tell that student until weeks later.

Campus Safety, No clue, No tracking. Non-white Students on Wrong side of‘Thin Blue Line 

Even with such a steady stream of hate coming out of these sites which makes students feel unsafe, the Campus Safety department is not doing anything to track them. Didier claimed it was a line they did not want to cross. This strident use of boundaries around monitoring student behavior online aligns with Snowden’s principles for privacy, but how does it affect students, predominantly students of color, at the colleges?

White Supremacy, No Problem

The school’s priorities when it comes to surveillance and preventative action are in a much different vein than most police departments and security agencies investigating terrorism. The intelligence collected on vast groups of people who have ever been considered suspicious is logged. Anything resembling a connection to a potential thought related to terrorism is flagged. This behavior is justified by the “you never know” logic. This simple phrase is used to justify all types of surveillance and spending. The Campus Safety department does not adhere to this reasoning. Didier claimed that if no one feels threatened by a post, no crime has technically been committed, resulting in a lack of defensive measures.

While some may consider it an invasion of privacy, how might students benefit if the Campus Safety office was more proactive online? Would they be able to identify certain students committing hate crimes and making death threats when the campus climate towards certain student groups is hostile? At what point would it be justifiable to cross this line? Does our freedom to speech and privacy protect those using hate speech?

And what technologies does the college currently deem acceptable to use? Security cameras and bait bikes are installed to help monitor the campus. Bait bikes are owned by the school and contain tracking devices to crack down on bike theft. Bait backpacks and computers have also been used around campus hot spots like basketball courts and eateries.

There is more technology used to protect property than to protect the people whose lives are threatened by other students on the internet. Is online surveillance the same as security cameras? Each monitors potentially threatening behavior, but only one is considered to be “over the line."

In a community where student presence online is growing, Campus Safety may have to question what their priorities are, how they intend to prevent the crimes, and how invasive their tactics are to student privacy.

Report this Content

This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.

https://www.theodysseyonline.com/surveillance-claremont-colleges  

Stan's political skills in using rhetorical devices like "the veil of verbiage"

Stan's responses below are classic "veil of verbiage" where he ejects verbal vomit to obfuscate his ulterior motive---which is to NOT monitor social media threats to students and faculty because UNLESS an incident is reported, there is the statistical 'appearance' of greater safety than reality, as well as less work for himself and his campus safety department. Stan's  nonsense about 'liability' is a cop-out for NOT performing his professional duties. 

2016Jan22(Cheat-Negligence) Tackling Social Media Monitoring’s Liability, Clery Compliance Questions | Campus Safety

The practice of gathering social media data could bring added risks that schools don’t consider right away

January 22, 2016 Zach Winn | CampusSafety Article Link

As more and more schools and universities begin to monitor the social media activity of their students, policies and regulations must emerge to keep schools in compliance with the Clery Act and out of legal trouble.

RELATED: Countering Potential Threats with Social Media Monitoring

Some campus protection professionals, especially those working for colleges and universities, are concerned that social media monitoring could expose their institutions or districts to additional liability and possible Clery Act violations. The Clery Act requires colleges receiving federal funding to keep crime statistics of any incidents reported to the school’s public safety department or crimes “of which they are made aware.” The act also requires schools to issue timely warnings to all students about crimes that represent a threat to the campus.

My Numbers are Better when I’m Not Aware

“I do think, under the most extreme circumstances, any school that has invested a significant amount of resources into that part of its security platform does take on an additional level of liability,” Director of Campus Safety for the Claremont Colleges Stan Skipworth says. “And I think this is where the stepping off point exists between K-12 and campuses of higher education, because many K-12 schools have campuses designed to be locked down or evacuated and have well-defined boundaries. College campuses are much more open and their climates are more free-flowing.”

Reporting Sucks, I’m not the ADL trying to Increase Crime as my business model–I get Rewarded by LOWER numbers

There is concern that an increase in the number of potential leads on incidents or other problematic behavior could overwhelm campus public safety departments, most of which don’t have enough staff or resources to respond.

“When something does come up, we have a communications challenge,” Skipworth adds. “How do we let families know? How do we let students know? How do we let the local community know? Because once we find something out, we have a responsibility to manage the scenario, so we need the necessary resources.”

2019oct06(Force) Students Handcuffed, Event Shut Down, Campus Security “Punched” at Campus Concert | CI

Did Campus Safety react this way because it was a Hip-hop event?

Oct 6, 2019 | Claremont Independent

Late Saturday night, at an on-campus Travis Porter concert hosted by the Pomona Events Committee—a part of Pomona College’s student government—two Pomona students were handcuffed by campus security after allegedly punching campus security officers. However, after the incident, the event was shut down by campus security for students trying to enter. 

The event, which consisted of both student artists and hip-hop trio Travis Porter, was organized by the Associated Students of Pomona College’s (ASPC) events subcommittee.

According to the event description on Facebook, the organizers call Pomona College students, and those attending other institutions of the Claremont Colleges Consortium—including Harvey Mudd, Claremont McKenna, Pitzer, and Scripps Colleges—to “[j]oin us for a crazy night and see TRAVIS PORTER perform LIVE!! On Saturday October 5th at 9:30pm, prepare yourself for some amazing student artist performances, with Travis Porter coming on at 11:30pm to close the night! Open to all 5C’s [Claremont Colleges]!!! We will have KEGS for any students that are 21+ with a valid ID!!”

Because the event was terminated for those not already in attendance shortly after the arrival of Travis Porter, students trying to enter were not treated to the hip-hop artist’s set, with students barred from entering.

According to a campus safety officer, one of the students “punched” another campus safety officer, and was subsequently handcuffed. It is unclear why the second student was handcuffed.

The student who struck at the campus safety officer was later handed over to the Claremont Police Department. According to photographic evidence, both students were kept on the ground while in handcuffs.

Note: All facial features have been blurred to protect individual privacy

This incident is not the first time the Claremont College’s Campus Security has been involved in physical confrontation with students; last year, during the “Yule Ball” at Pomona College, campus security physically confronted students trying to enter an overcrowded venue.
Campus safety at the Claremont Colleges started wearing body cameras since August 1, prompting condemnation from student groups.

This story is developing and will be updated as more information becomes available.

 Update: This article has been updated to specify that two students were involved.

Correction: This article has been corrected to specify that the event was only ended for students not already in attendance at the time of the incident.

#claremont#harveymuddcollege#pomonacollege#ClaremontMcKennaCollege#CampusSecurity#TheClaremontColleges#ScrippsCollege#CampusSafety#Arrest#PitzerCollege#Party#TravisPorter

From <Students Handcuffed, Event Shut Down, Campus Security “Punched” at Campus Concert>

https://www.facebook.com/events/299018867627819/

Student contacts

Katherine Pelz
From <https://www.facebook.com/pelz4>


Immacula Celestin
From <https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001358821375>

Kylie Thompson
591 friends

From <https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008767034145>

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2019oct09 Pomona student arrested after late-night scuffle with Campus Safety curtails campus concert TSL 

Link October 9, 2019 3:54 pm   By Kellen Browning

A late-night physical altercation between several 5C students and Campus Safety officers at a Pomona College concert Saturday ended with one student arrested for battery and at least one other handcuffed.

Around 11 p.m., a confrontation broke out between two to three students and at least one Campus Safety officer at the event, called SUGAR 2019, in Edmunds Ballroom, according to Elli Stogiannou PO ’22, ASPC’s vice president of campus events. 

At least two of the students were handcuffed and removed from the event, she said. 

The Claremont Police Department responded to assist Campus Safety, arrested one of the two students — a Pomona student — and charged them with battery, according to CPD crime logs. TSL decided not to release the student’s name.

• The arrested student struggled against the officers and appeared to thrash around when they were removing them from the event. One of the officers grabbed the student’s neck and appeared to force their head down while two others directed them towards the door, according to videos a witness provided to TSL.

• In another video, the student can be seen lying on their stomach while officers restrain them before they removed them from the scene.

• The student later posted their $500 bail, according to CPD logs, and was subsequently released, according to Danny Hernandez PO ’22, who was also handcuffed, but not arrested. He said he intervened when he saw his friend being restrained by Campus Safety. 

“I didn’t witness any of the events leading to my friend being pinned down and handcuffed, so naturally I was pretty freaked and surprised when I looked over and saw that,” Hernandez said in a message to TSL. 

Don’s Ask Questions or We’ll Cuff U LatinX

“I went up to [Campus Safety] and demanded to know what was going on and why they were arresting my friend,” he added. “They weren’t answering my questions and instead repeatedly told me to ‘back off.’ I didn’t, as I wanted these questions answered. They then proceeded to handcuff me and sat me on the floor. I was allowed to go free after they took my friend away.”

Campus Safety director Stan Skipworth did not respond to a request for comment.

ASPC found the officers’ treatment of the students concerning.

“One of our challenges and our issues with the incident was how it was handled, because the students were handcuffed for a long time,” Stogiannou said. “There was some physicality that we did not feel comfortable with — one of the students was lying on the floor.”

ASPC is still hoping to learn more details about the cause of the incident, which was first reported by The Claremont Independent. Contrary to The Independent’s report, though, Stogiannou said the concert did not end after the altercation.

Party Poopers-No Hip Hop Hurray!

The scuffle prompted Campus Safety to ask the Pomona administration to shut down the party, Stogiannou said. But the event planners negotiated to keep it open because concert headliner Travis Porter hadn’t yet performed. 

Officers agreed to keep the party going. But no one else was allowed in, leading to long lines and “a lot of tension for the people waiting to come inside,” Stogiannou said.

 
From <Pomona student arrested after late-night scuffle with Campus Safety curtails campus concert - The Student Life>

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2019oct11 College student arrested after police scuffle during party

October 11, 2019 | Claremont Courier (CA)

Section: News

145 Words | Readability: Lexile: 1410, grade level(s): >12

Read News Document

On Friday, October 30 a Claremont Colleges student was arrested after allegedly getting into a scuffle with Campus Safety during a party at the Smith Campus Center at 170 E. Sixth Street.

According to Stan Skipworth, assistant vice president for campus safety, officers were assisting a "severely intoxicated patient" at the location just after 11 p.m. when a friend tried to lead him away from medical care. When Campus Safety followed, the friend turned and "forcefully pushed" one of the officers, and then tried to "strike the officer with a clenched fist," Mr. Skipworth said.

Claremont officers arrived to the area in response to a "physical altercation" between two people at the location, Lt. Walters said. They arrested Carlos Rodriguez-Calderon, 24 of Palo Alto, on suspicion of battery and public intoxication and took him to CPD jail. The friend was taken to a local hospital for further treatment, Mr. Skipworth said.

From <https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=AWNB&t=&sort=YMD_date%3AD&fld-base-0=alltext&maxresults=20&val-base-0=%22stan%20skipworth%22&docref=news/17685AB74741DD48> 

2018feb23# Can Campus Safety Use Force On Students? TSL

February 23, 2018 2:30 am   By Samantha Norrito


Graphic by Jordan Wong

As the Yule Ball descended into chaos last semester and students forced their way past Campus Safety officers, the officers remained generally calm and tried to use their bodies to block the students. However, Campus Safety policy would have permitted them to use force against the students if they felt threatened, according to Director of Campus Safety Stan Skipworth.

“It is important to remember that threats and security concerns are a very real part of the ongoing work that we do,” Skipworth wrote in an email to TSL.

According to Skipworth, in addition to investigating suspicious activity, officers must also be prepared to defend themselves and others. Although officers are trained to de-escalate situations whenever possible, situations in which danger is immediate have to be handled differently, he wrote.

In such instances, Campus Safety also requests back up from the Claremont Police Department, Skipworth added. Although Campus Safety has the ability to apprehend criminals, according to its website, it is not a law enforcement agency.

For example, Skipworth cited an instance where Campus Safety officers were required to chase a subject 200 yards after he struck another officer. During the incident, the CPD assisted Campus Safety.

“The Campus Safety officer required medical attention for his injuries,” Skipworth wrote.

“The subject was charged with battery.”

Sam Horowitz PZ ’20 said he supports the policy.

“I think that they should be able to use force if a person is posing a threat to someone else, or the officer,” Horowitz wrote in a message to TSL. “That being said, I think it should be a last resort.”

However, according to Skipworth, Campus Safety is not a force-focused organization, and officers are trained in a variety of other methods for handling situations. Officers are also trained to incorporate customer service and community-based policing methods.

“Community policing promotes a collaboration, with a goal of working together with the community to proactively identify and solve problems and to develop strategies for reducing the opportunity for crime,” Skipworth wrote.

Campus Safety also works to develop customized security plans for each college. Sergeants in the department are assigned to work one-on-one with the colleges and rotate to a different college every year.

“It provides an opportunity to become more familiar with the college’s culture, as well as with the students, staff, and faculty,” Skipworth wrote.

Officers complete a several-week field training program and the department participates in weekly, monthly, and semi-annual reviews.

Although Horowitz said he believes Campus Safety successfully uses force sparingly, he thinks the department could be more transparent about its policy regarding force.

“I was not aware of [the policy] beforehand, and couldn’t find it online,” Horowitz wrote. “This is something that should change.”

He suggested that Campus Safety publish their policy online and share it more openly.

According to Skipworth, pre-preparation is a critical part of Campus Safety’s work.

“I believe it is … important to assess and review our activities on a daily basis because waiting for significant events is too late,” Skipworth wrote. 

2018apr06# CMC Hires Private Security, Drawing Mixed Reactions TSL

April 6, 2018  By Kellen Browning

(We’re NOT Happy with Campus Safety!)

Graphic by Molly Antell

Claremont McKenna College is contracting with a private security group to employ a director of public safety and several CMC-only security officers who will promote safety on campus, assist with event planning, and investigate thefts, among other responsibilities.

Brian Weir, the incoming director of public safety, works at private security firm Allied Universal and is a former Air Force commander. Weir will start later this month and work during the days. He will hire two or three other security officers to trade off night shifts starting next academic year, said Sharon Basso, CMC’s vice president of student affairs.

The CMC-only security will not replace Campus Safety officers, Basso said. Instead, the public safety officers will “amplify and enhance what Campus Safety is already doing.”

Basso, who announced Weir’s hiring in an email Thursday, said she and other deans have been on-call most nights to respond to student concerns or emergencies, but “we can’t do that, continually.” The new officers will fill a similar role.

Basso hopes having several CMC-only officers will contribute to a “campus environment where our students get to know the folks that are trying to help keep us safe.”
She said dozens of CMC students were involved in determining whether there was a need for a greater security presence on campus, including resident assistants and members of ASCMC.

Discussions started nearly two years ago and students expressed consistent support for such a role, Basso said. Last year, Allied Universal visited campus and spent hours talking with Campus Safety and CMC students, she added.

“This is not something we would have pursued if students weren’t supportive of it,” Basso said.

Former ASCMC President Sami Malas CM ’19, who was involved in many of the discussions, said he thinks CMC-specific officers will be helpful.

CMC-specific officers might be more well-versed in the college’s policies than Campus Safety, Malas said, “because [Campus Safety has] to manage the five policies at all five campus and understand that they are different.”

Nicholas Mendez CM ’21 said he’d heard of the program in the past but doesn’t know much about it. He doesn’t think Campus Safety or the new officers will be utilized much at night, but thinks additional security could be beneficial.

“Just having more eyes around at night could help people feel safer walking around and help prevent abuse of CMC’s alcohol policy,” he wrote in a message to TSL. “The only concern that I have is that it may change the atmosphere of the campus, but I hope and believe that it most likely won’t,” he added.

Julie Tran CM ’20 was unaware of the plan to hire additional security officers, and believes CMC could find better ways to spend its money, but thinks more security couldn’t hurt.
“I also think because we have a ‘wet’ campus, the school is more liable for what happens to students,” Tran wrote in a message to TSL. “With the increased security, [CMC] can better cover its tracks.”

Tess van Hulsen CM ’19 hadn’t heard about hiring more security until Thursday, but thinks having closer relationships with campus security officers is a good idea.

“Sometimes [Campus Safety] feels too impersonal, as I’ve never really encountered the same officers more than once [or] know their names,” she wrote in a message to TSL. “I think there is a sense of security/safety in having officers you know by name.”But Ben Culberson CM ’20, who also learned about the initiative for the first time Thursday, has some qualms.

“It does concern me a little bit that they’re private security,” he wrote in a message to TSL. “I just generally don’t feel comfortable with more security than we maybe need.”

Students aren’t the only ones with misgivings. A person employed by CMC, who asked to remain anonymous out of concern for job safety, is worried that “an additional security presence on campus will add to a sense of campus militarization and is likely to make some students feel unsafe.”

Basso said discussions about additional security were “not a response to the Athenaeum scenario,” during which student protesters blocked access to a talk by conservative commentator Heather Mac Donald last April. But the anonymous employee is skeptical.
“The planning may have begun before the Heather Mac Donald incident, but I find it hard to believe that the incident is not a significant factor in how the plans have been developed,” the employee said.

Jaimie Ding contributed reporting.

Kellen Browning PO ’20 is a politics major from Davis, California. He’s currently TSL’s editor-at-large and previously served as the paper’s editor-in-chief, managing editor and news editor.

From <CMC Hires Private Security, Drawing Mixed Reactions - The Student Life>

Related

News Bites — Week of Nov. 25

Claremont McKenna College address appears in FBI investigation   Vice President of Student Affairs Sharon Basso forwarded an email Nov. 16 to Claremont McKenna College students concerning the appearance of one of CMC’s addresses in a FBI investigation of Cesar Sayoc. In late October, Sayoc was arrested and accused of… 

2018feb02# Pomona’s Yule Ball Turns Into Yule Brawl TSL

By Sophia Sun February 2, 2018 1:57 am  

https://tsl.news/news7208/

VIDEO LINK - to be added…

Pomona College’s annual Yule Ball party turned violent last December when physical conflict erupted between students [not between students, but between public safety and students–who can’t handle their business] trying to enter Frary Dining Hall and Campus Safety officers blocking the entrance to keep the event from going over capacity.

According to Virginia Pascal PO ’21, who was close to Frary’s entrance when the brawl took place, the incident was triggered by a group of line cutters.

“A bunch of seemingly drunk … guys saw this happening and decided they would join too, so they stumbled up the stairs breaking even more glasses,” Pascal said. “When they were at the top by the entrance of Frary that was already very crowded, they [started] pushing people in so that they could get through the door. When the people at the bottom of the stairs saw this, they thought they were going to be let in, so even more people stormed the front level of Frary.”

The situation quickly grew dangerous, she said.

“The entire time I couldn’t even move my body because people were squished so close to me,” Pascal said.

During the scuffle, which bystanders captured on video, students took down a decorative wooden archway at the entry and tried to use it to push past Campus Safety officers. Others shattered glass decorations on the Frary steps.

According to a statement by the Pomona Events Committee, which held Yule Ball, Campus Safety officers feared for their safety as the incident became violent. Officers were unable to block the crowds with their bodies, but the staff at the Yule Ball eventually managed to close the Frary doors.

“I first heard a loud noise and we looked outside; we were nervous and confused because we weren’t quite sure what was happening,” Kristine Chang PO ’21 said. “We saw the archway was being carried away by the crowd. Then the door was shut and we were told that no one was allowed to go inside.”

Emma Li PO ’21 also witnessed and filmed the incident from inside Frary.

“Two of my friends were stuck in the front and the crowd pushed them through security,” she said. “I wanted to show people who couldn’t see how crazy it got.”

To prevent injuries, organizers shut down the event, and had Frary cleared before midnight. No injuries were reported during the incident, Director of Campus Safety Stan Skipworth said.

“When crowd safety became an issue due to people rushing and pushing against the door, Pomona College officials decided to clear the event,” Skipworth wrote in an email to TSL.

Some students who attended Yule Ball, or hoped to attend, were disappointed with the outcome.

“I was quite annoyed …  especially because we [had] only been inside for 30 minutes and had waited for such a long time outside,” Sei-kashe M’pfunya PO ’21 said.

However, M’pfunya said she believes Campus Safety acted properly. “[They] did what they should have done and ensured our safety,” she said.

In its statement, PEC criticized students’ behavior.

“We’re disappointed at the level of entitlement that was on display within our 5C community last night, and upset that individuals would turn to violence that ended up reflecting poorly on all of us,” the statement posted on Facebook read. “Events like Yule Ball should be spaces that represent us at our best and allow for a night of respite from all the stress on our campuses and in our country, and it’s concerning that the actions of a few took that away from the rest of us.”

The incident was partly caused by a miscommunication between Campus Safety and the organizers about the maximum number of people they could allow inside, said ASPC Vice President Andy Pelos, who helped organize the event. Without the miscommunication, Pelos said, Campus Safety could have allowed 100 more students inside.

“We were actually in the process of communicating with Campus Safety. If we [had had] five more minutes, the event [wouldn’t have had] to be shut down,” Pelos said.

The day before the event, student organizers and Campus Safety staff met to discuss the number of Campus Safety officers needed for Yule Ball and finally agreed on using six officers, Pelos said. Taking into account the fact that Yule Ball was open to all 5Cs, ASPC requested security based on a plan called “Pomona Plus Guests.”

However, according to Pelos, an “unprecedented number of students” attended, perhaps because “Yule Ball was held at the end of the semester when everyone wants to relax.”

https://tsl.news/news7208/  

2017sep29 7C Demonstration Policy Review Committee Met Once, Incompletely TSL

September 29, 2017 | Student Life, The: Pomona College (Claremont, CA)

Author/Byline: Leah Kelly | Section: news

734 Words | Readability: Lexile: 1420, grade level(s): >12

Read News Document

The Claremont University Consortium established a second Demonstration Policy Review Committee in the spring of 2017 with the hopes of re-addressing the flaws in its 2001 policy.

The primary goal of the meeting was to look at similar institutions nationwide as models for CUC, were it to potentially change its demonstration policy, according to Jacquelyn Aguilera PZ '19, the only student representative on the committee. In the end, she doesn’t think any action was actually taken and that the committee lacked student input.

The committee met only once - last spring - and consisted of Pomona College Vice President and Dean of the College Audrey Bilger, Scripps College Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students Charlotte Johnson, CUC Campus Safety Director Stan Skipworth, CUC CEO Stig Lanesskog, and Aguilera. It was chaired by President of Claremont McKenna College Hiram Chodosh, who was unable to attend the meeting. There was no representative from Harvey Mudd College.

The committee was founded after CUC made revisions to existing policy regarding on-campus student demonstrations in 2015 - adding more specific examples of what is considered “disruptive or non-peaceable” actions - and students immediately protested.

The Associated Students of Pomona College passed a resolution on Nov. 2, 2015, criticizing the policy revision because it “gives officials the ability to shut down almost any demonstration.” In addition, ASPC wrote “participation in ‘disruptive’ demonstrations is prohibited, despite the fact that effective demonstrations are, by definition, disruptive.” CUC quickly withdrew the changes following numerous student complaints.

CUC explored possibilities for revisions by creating a 7C Demonstration Policy Review Committee in March 2016 that would collaborate with the Student Deans Council in an effort to include more student voices.

The committee, which included student representation from each college, was supposed to collect and synthesize student feedback, but students on the committee were disappointed that the SDC was “unreceptive” and did not take the committee’s suggestions seriously enough.

After the committee stopped meeting, the 2001 policy remained in place.

“The demonstration policy, approved in 2001, remains in effect,” CUC spokeswoman Kim Lane wrote in an email to TSL. “There was an effort … to revise the policy, but based on feedback, a decision was made to retain the 2001 version and to further consider how best to incorporate the input received on the suggested revisions.”

When Aguilera arrived at this new committee meeting this spring, she was surprised to find she was the only student representative there, finding it "intimidating" to be alone among administrators. Aguilera was concerned because she said the committee lacked transparency. She doesn’t think anyone took notes and said students were not notified that the committee was meeting.

Concern over the policy resurfaced this past semester after several students at Claremont McKenna were suspended for protesting and blockading the visit of anti-Black Lives Matter speaker Heather Mac Donald on April 6.

“I think a lot of students looked into what was actually being done and were concerned that there was only one student on the committee,” Aguilera said. “I’m concerned about the dangerous precedent that is set by having these types of meetings behind closed doors.”

Looking back, she said that while the committee was a good idea in theory, it failed to integrate student voices and has yet to take any definitive action.

“I think that it almost seemed like they were just trying to say that the committee had been formed, not as much creating change,” Aguilera said. “I’m hoping that the project will be continued but I’m a little worried…. It does seem like they’re waiting for students to fizzle out and not really know about the demonstration policy.”

The faculty and staff on the committee declined to answer any questions about the committee, including whether they feel it has lived up to student expectations, and whether CUC intends to revise the policy in the future.

Aguilera wants to keep fighting to improve transparency, increase student representation, and make the demonstration policy more geared toward respecting students’ right to protest. Overall, she said, students should have more say in the policies implemented on the Claremont Colleges campuses.

“I think the colleges and the CUC as a whole could make a big step by holding a town hall among all campuses to discuss this policy,” she said. “I would encourage students to challenge their administration, or ask more questions about why the policy that is currently implemented and that is actively affecting students do not have their input.”

From <https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=AWNB&t=state%3ACA%21USA%2B-%2BCalifornia&sort=YMD_date%3AD&page=1&fld-base-0=alltext&maxresults=20&val-base-0=%22stan%20skipworth%22&docref=news/16739F4D945AC120> 

2015oct16 Revision of 7C Demonstration Policy Prompts Strong Student Backlash TSL

October 16, 2015 | Student Life, The: Pomona College (Claremont, CA)

Author/Byline: Diane Lee | Section: news

941 Words

 Read News Document

The Claremont Colleges Council of Presidents approved a revision of the 7C demonstration policy on Oct. 6. But after a significant student backlash to the revised policy, administrations across the colleges announced that there will be a re-evaluation of the demonstration policy with student, faculty, and staff input.

The existing policy was last revised in November 2001 and lists the steps the colleges can take to respond to protests that become “disruptive or non-peaceable, and infringes upon the rights of others, threatens property or public safety, or impedes the business of the member Colleges or CUC.”

According to Campus Safety Director Stan Skipworth, who chaired the review committee, only minor changes were made. The most substantial revision and the clause that has been receiving heavy student criticism is the addition of specific examples of what are deemed “disruptive or non-peaceable.”

The policy states: “Examples of demonstrations, assemblies or actions that may be in violation of this Policy include, without limitation, those that involve: fighting or other aggressive behaviors or actions; amplified sound that can be heard inside of classrooms or other TCC or CUC buildings during times of use; unreasonably impeding the ingress and egress of any facility; or the stationary positioning of demonstrators upon any roadway on or adjacent to any of the colleges that blocks passage.”

Students were first notified of the revised policy when Pomona College Dean of Students Miriam Feldblum emailed the Pomona student body on Oct. 10 informing students that the Council of Presidents had approved a revision of the demonstration policy. Feldblum also wrote that even though she welcomes comments, there will not be formal 30-day comment period because the revision was not made by a Pomona internal committee.

At 9 a.m. the next morning, Feldblum sent another email to Pomona students, writing that some students had expressed concerns about the revised policy and invited students to meet her at 1:30 p.m. in Walker Lounge if they had questions or concerns.

About 50 students showed up, with many students upset at the lack of student input and ability to pursue legal action against protesters. In response to Feldblum’s explanation that no substantive changes had been made to the existing policy, many students criticized the policy for directly responding to the Black Lives Matter protest that had occurred on May 7.

“This policy happened in a very, very tumultuous year ... We got an email from Deans last semester saying 'we encourage Claremont students to participate in the Black Lives Matter movement,' and now we’re getting a policy that endangers the very students who participated in that movement on this campus,” said Beshouy Botros PO ’17, who attended the meeting in Walker Lounge. “They didn’t think to include students when they were revising it—that rhetoric is deeply unnerving to me on many levels.”

Students particularly pointed to the new addition in the policy that prohibited blocking of roadways and amplified sound that can be heard inside of classrooms as being direct responses to the May 7 Black Lives Matter protest. The protest included students walking to each 5C president’s office and handing a letter to the president, as well as students blocking the intersection at Foothill Boulevard and Claremont Boulevard.

A day after the meeting in Walker Lounge, Feldblum emailed the student body that the Council of Presidents has temporarily suspended the implementation of the revised policy and has asked the Student Deans Committee to collect student, staff, and faculty feedback. In an interview with TSL, Feldblum also said that the Claremont University Consortium asked her how Pomona organizes its review period.

"My biggest concerns are one, that the demonstration policy as it existed before was very vague. Still a lot of ambiguity in it, but that ambiguity has become more dangerous now in that it uses examples of things that have happened in the last few years to call those things against the policy,” Isaac Tucker-Rasbury PO ’18 said. "I'd much rather prefer it be very specific … I want to know what is and is not allowed before I start taking action. But they're allowing themselves so much flexibility that it's more difficult to plan around legalities and policies."

When asked why student input was not sought during the revision of the policy, Pomona President David Oxtoby wrote in an email to TSL, “This was a mistake. There should have been student input.”

Since then, students at all five undergraduate colleges have been informed by their administrations of the revised demonstration policy and the formation of a committee to re-evaluate the policy.

Student governments are also taking action in response to the revised policy. Associated Students of Pomona College is forming a committee to address the issue. Scripps Associated Students sent an email to the senior staff of Scripps’ administration on Oct. 11 criticizing the approval of the revised Demonstration Policy and held a BeHeard Forum with Dean of Students Charlotte Johnson on Oct. 13.

Skipworth said that he suggested the review of the policy shortly after he became the Campus Safety Director in November 2014 "to ensure it was up to date."

"We regularly review policies and this one seemed well overdue," he said.

According to Skipworth, the review committee consisted of assistant deans from Pitzer College, Scripps College, Claremont Graduate University, Pomona and Claremont McKenna College. Skipworth also claimed that the Black Lives Matter protest did not affect the outcome of the review.

“Our approach to protest and demonstrations will, as always, focus on ensuring the safety of all, while also respecting our student’s rights of free speech and peaceable assembly. Our work with Claremont Police will continue to emphasize the role we have in helping to maintain a safe environment," Skipworth said. [AGAIN, CAMPUS SAFETY CAN’T HANDLE STUDENT PROTEST W/O REAL COPS W/GUNS]

Lauren Ison PO '18 contributed reporting.

From <https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=AWNB&t=state%3ACA%21USA%2B-%2BCalifornia&sort=YMD_date%3AD&page=2&fld-base-0=alltext&maxresults=20&val-base-0=%22stan%20skipworth%22&docref=news/15885E536C72A598> 

2015sep28 ASCMC Weekly Beat: September 28, 2015 | CMC

ASCMC’s Executive Board met for their fourth meeting of the year last night. First, two new ASCMC board members were introduced. Angel Zhou '19 will take the role of Chief Financial Officer, and Autumn Khym '18 will be the fourth Event Commissioner (EC) on ASCMC.

In Senate, members of the Personal and Social Responsibility (PSR) committees have been selected, with the exception of two freshman positions. Elections for the two positions will occur this Wednesday along with Freshmen Class President elections.

EC Cole Mora '17 had the opportunity to meet with the Director of Campus Safety, Stan Skipworth, last Friday morning to discuss issues with Toga Party as well as Campus Safety’s role and relationship with ASCMC. With these meetings, they hope to clarify the responsibilities for Campus Security in relation to Student Security, and a general understanding of the new policies.

On the topic of new event policies, Dorm Affairs Chair (DAC) Nicky Blum '17 is currently working to meet with the Deans and Dorm Presidents to establish clear rules on what events they are permitted to host.

Executive VP Iris Liu '16 reported the success of the first roundtable for the new Diversity and Inclusion Chair on ASCMC. About 15 students, representing all years and many organizations, showed up last Monday to discuss the role. Though a clear consensus was not reached, the group is scheduled to hold future meetings.

Clubs and Organizations Chair Melissa Muller '18 is meeting with a CMC student to talk about creating CMC apparel with more reasonable prices than the Huntley Bookstore. The board discussed some problems that they might face, such as competing for business with the bookstore or the Hub.

Finally, RA Liaison Ben Turner '16 had a proposal for a scanner since there aren’t many scanner machines available for use to students. The group debated whether or not the idea should be a task for ASCMC, if Senate’s technology committee should be involved, and if the investment would be worth it.

Malea MartinSeptember 28, 2015

From <https://cmcforum.com/2015/news/09282015-ascmc-weekly-beat-september-28-2015?rq=skipworth>

Key points:

• Idiot Claremont Cops don’t know the Code!

• Talk tough, Look Stupid in front of smart students and alum

• Distressed Cops Invoke their Cartman's Author-it-teh!

2015feb01 Claremont Police Department Break Up North Quad Party | CMC

Feb 01 2015

Last night, January 31, multiple SUVs from the Claremont Police Department (CPD) and more than ten CPD officers arrived in North Quad as students and alumni were gathered in North Quad partying, primarily around Green lounge. The registered ASCMC event Saturday night was located at the Bauer steps. Alumni of various athletic teams were on campus for various alumni-student games; one alum from the class of 2009 claimed to be on campus for a 2009 five-year reunion, but there was no such reunion officially taking place. The police arrived between 11pm and midnight and proceeded to order students to disperse or they would be arrested. The police announced multiple times that the order was on behalf of "Dean Spellman and the school," and that anyone who did not comply and return to their rooms would be arrested and taken to jail.

In one video of the scene from a CMC student who wishes to remain anonymous, the police cite California Penal Codes 415 and 408:

The codes that the CPD officers cited pertain to "unlawful assembly" and various forms of conduct that are prohibited on college campuses and amount to misdemeanors when committed by persons who are not "registered student[s] of the school." The codes read as follows:

408. Every person who participates in any rout or unlawful assembly is guilty of a misdemeanor.

415.5. (a) Any person who (1) unlawfully fights within any building or upon the grounds of any school, community college, university, or state university or challenges another person within any building or upon the grounds to fight, or (2) maliciously and willfully disturbs another person within any of these buildings or upon the grounds by loud and unreasonable noise, or (3) uses offensive words within any of these buildings or upon the grounds which are inherently likely to provoke an immediate violent reaction is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not exceeding four hundred dollars ($400) or by imprisonment in the county jail for a period of not more than 90 days, or both. (b) If the defendant has been previously convicted once of a violation of this section or of any offense defined in Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 626) of Title 15 of Part 1, the defendant shall be sentenced to imprisonment in the county jail for a period of not less than 10 days or more than six months, or by both that imprisonment and a fine of not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000), and shall not be released on probation, parole, or any other basis until not less than 10 days of imprisonment has been served. (c) If the defendant has been previously convicted two or more times of a violation of this section or of any offense defined in Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 626) of Title 15 of Part 1, the defendant shall be sentenced to imprisonment in the county jail for a period of not less than 90 days or more than six months, or by both that imprisonment and a fine of not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000), and shall not be released on probation, parole, or any other basis until not less than 90 days of imprisonment has been served. (d) For the purpose of determining the penalty to be imposed pursuant to this section, the court may consider a written report from the Department of Justice containing information from its records showing prior convictions; and the communication is prima facie evidence of such convictions, if the defendant admits them, regardless of whether or not the complaint commencing the proceedings has alleged prior convictions. (e) As used in this section "state university," "university," "community college," and "school" have the same meaning as these terms are given in Section 626. (f) This section shall not apply to any person who is a registered student of the school, or to any person who is engaged in any otherwise lawful employee concerted activity.

Dean of Students Mary Spellman and Assistant Director of Residential Activities Kari Rood were both in North Quad monitoring the party with Campus Safety prior to the CPD's arrival. The Forum is gathering further information about the events that occurred last night. If you have photos, videos, or firsthand accounts to share, contact us at thecmcforum@gmail.com.

From <https://cmcforum.com/2015/news/02012015-claremont-police-department-break-up-north-quad-party?rq=police> 

2015feb06 Interview: Deans Spellman, Huang on Saturday's Events | CMC

Feb 6 2015 CMC Forum

In light of the events of last Saturday evening, when Dean Spellman called the Claremont Police Department to help break up an unregistered event in North Quad with around 300 people present, The Forum sat down with Dean of Students Mary Spellman and Vice President for Admissions and Financial Aid Jeff Huang on Thursday morning to discuss what happened on Saturday and raise students' lingering questions and concerns. The interview transcript has been edited for length and clarity. If you would like to read the interview in its entirety, you can find the full text here. The "interim guidelines" referenced throughout the interview, which the Dean of Students office has sent to students, can be found here.

The Forum: To start out, I was wondering if you could walk through what your thought process was in terms of step by step decisions and the point at which you thought, we need to call the CPD.

Mary Spellman: On Saturday night, we had a Bauer steps ASCMC party that was planned, and as a result we happened to have a staff member on campus. The RAs had been monitoring a gathering outside of Green and inside the Green lounge, and initially, it was in compliance with the guidelines, and they allowed that to continue because it was in compliance. As it began to grow, they were trying to keep it in compliance with the guidelines and they were having difficulty doing that. At that point, one of them contacted Kari [Rood] because she was on campus, and people were like, ‘Why is no one at the party?’ People were gathered on North Quad, so she went to assist.

We continued to try to engage both with the Campus Safety that was on campus as well as RAs to get the party within the guidelines, and students and alums and others were refusing to comply. The group just kept growing and growing, and all of the issues that were listed in the letter [from Dean Huang and President Chodosh] were occurring; there was disruptive behavior, outright defiance and noncompliance with requests to disperse; there was a lot of glass and hard alcohol present, and as we began to watch, it was continuing to grow. No compliance with our requests.

[Kari] asked that I come to campus. I was on-call, so I came. At that point, it was over two hundred people. We had begun to tell students that we would be calling CPD if they didn’t comply. There was continued noncompliance, and at that point we decided that we would call the police.

We were hoping that the initial presence of the police would cause students to disperse, but in fact, students continued to come and the event grew to about 300 students. That’s when we decided, along with the police, that we would ask them to engage a little more than just being present to assist us.

Q:I’ve talked to a few students who said they read through the interim guidelines and it wasn’t clear to them that the CPD were the enforcer of last resort. Is that something that students should always assume?

Jeff Huang: Yes. We don’t say that if we have a fire in the residence halls, we’ll call the fire department. We’ll use the tools that we have or need to do what we gotta do. Way before the interim guidelines ever existed, I’ve called the Claremont Police Department and asked them for help in situations, and invited them to come to campus, and they arrested students.

Q:How recently?

JH: I’ve been in this job for a while, and it’s been a while. Those were exceptional situations when people were really out of control and would not respond to the staff, Campus Safety, even the on-call deans. I’ve been here 20 years, I was on the front line for about 11 of those, and I called the police a lot.

Q:Some have wondered that maybe the issue was that RAs and Campus Safety have jurisdiction over students, but not necessarily alums.

MS: Are there alums sometimes on campus during that, and were there some alums that were particularly problematic on Saturday night? Certainly, but that was not the reason the police were called.

JH: You mentioned that the RAs and Campus Safety don’t have jurisdiction over alumni and visitors — they actually do, in terms of just the protection of the whole campus.

Q:Right. What I meant by that was there was a perception among some people that they didn’t have authority over alums or visitors.

MS: I mean, that certainly was the reaction of many of the alums — ‘You don’t have any authority over me, so I can do whatever I want,’ which is concerning, that some of those alums were peers last year and are saying this to their colleagues, their future fellow alums, their friends. That is very concerning. But the same kind of attitude was coming from some of our students, and that is also concerning.

Through ASCMC and others, we have heard that multiple students of color are very concerned by the way that they were treated by police, and described being harassed or racially profiled. Along with the general course of events, is that being investigated by the school?

MS: ASCMC has shared that those complaints were raised. We have asked that anyone who has information, specific information that can be investigated, do so. What you just described, we can’t really investigate, because we don’t know who, we don’t know where.

We take it very seriously and we encourage those who have reported things to us to make sure that those students come forward, and we encourage any student who feels that they were mistreated to let us know so that we can investigate and respond. My experience that night — and I couldn’t see everything — was that the officers were literally in the middle of the quad, in the grass area, and the only contact that I observed were white students approaching our officers and the police to ask questions about what was going on.

It’s very important for us that if there is a student who’s experienced this that they come forward. Nyree Gray, our chief civil rights officer, is available and ready to hear from them so that we can fully investigate and take action. And the police want to hear that, too, if there was inappropriate action.

Q:How strictly will the interim guidelines always be enforced? If there were a gathering of 30 people instead of 25, but it was calm and didn’t seem to pose a problem, is it necessarily the fact that something is going against the guidelines that will make it automatically be disciplined, or is it more the character of the event?

JH: It’s the totality of the picture of what’s going on here. Is it growing? Is there alcohol? Is there unruly behavior? Is there noise? Unregistered? And actually, the guidelines do also say that the RAs and the staff have the right to assess, looking at those things, what is the general direction and picture of what’s going on here?

So I don’t see this as, we slap down a formula and say it’s strictly check-the-box; there is some discretion that’s allowed through that, but I don’t think it’s unreasonable, either, to look at the event and try to say, okay, where is this going? In the course of this one on Saturday, where it’s going from 100 to 300 people, and noise, and noncompliance, and hard alcohol, and unruly behavior, I think it fit pretty much all of them.

MS: The short answer is, the guidelines exist because when things start growing beyond 25, they’re hard to manage, and we saw that. We let something continue, we tried to keep it in control, and it grew. And this has been consistently an issue in the last year and a half, since the interim guidelines [were created], so yes, the college is looking at those guidelines. We put them in place for a very specific reason: to address these concerns. And the numbers matter. It’s not just a numbers issue — there may be times when we’ll allow something to go — but there’s a tipping point, and the tipping point happens very quickly, and it did on Saturday night.

The interesting part about this is, there was a fully-funded social event paid for by students, of which the hosts of that were present at the unregistered gathering, not at the event. So ASCMC has planned an event for the students that students aren’t attending, and in fact, they aren’t attending; the leadership of student government was at the unregistered event. So there was a venue for students to have exactly the social activity they wanted a few yards away.

School liability is another topic that’s been discussed a lot in the last few years. Students hear a lot about CMC having liability concerns, but most people don’t know exactly what that is. Could you describe what’s at stake for the school, legally?

JH: In my vision of this, there are liability concerns; they are serious. The college also has responsibilities that are beyond this.

There’s the federal law, the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act (DFSCA), that actually says that if we are going to take any federal financial aid money from the government, we are required to have a drug and alcohol policy that we enforce — that we put out to students, we let them know about it, and we enforce it. That’s over four million dollars a year in financial aid. If that were jeopardized, we’d have a serious problem.

There’s liability from federal law and California law. Those don’t matter to me as much as the student who I would see on Monday morning when I was over in Heggblade, crying on my couch about something that had happened to them that weekend. A physical assault, a sexual assault, vandalism, theft, a friend who got out of control; really ugly things do happen, and I don’t think the bulk of the student population sees this. The deans do.

MS: It is often that students have said to me, ‘All you really care about is liability.’ The liability only comes if I have not done my job. I’m only liable for something if I’ve failed to protect my students. So yeah, I care about liability, but not because I care about a lawsuit. I care about whether or not I have a student harmed or a group of students harmed or the campus harmed.

In the time the two of you have been here, has there ever been a moment when you felt like your demands as an administrator to protect the college from a lawsuit that could harm financial aid access, and your duties to protect the student body, have come into conflict?

MS: I don’t think about lawsuits when I do my job.

JH: I don’t think you can. You’ll get paralyzed.

MS: I think about, how am I best serving my students? Honestly, because if I was thinking about a lawsuit, I wouldn’t do the job, first of all. And I can do my job perfectly and I can be sued. I can do everything right and there can be a lawsuit. What I do, and what allows me to sleep at night — for the most part — is doing right by students. And my job, a small part of it is alcohol. The largest part of it is working with individual students who are going through all kinds of things and creating a positive, healthy overall experience for our students. The alcohol piece of that is actually pretty insignificant. It carries a lot of risks, but how much is that about the overall student experience? It’s a smaller piece.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

MS: I would just say that I think this is a moment in time for all of us to move to a positive place, and I think if we can stop focusing on the doom and gloom of, ‘Is Dean Spellman trying to create a dry campus?’ — if I was trying to create a dry campus, this is the worst possible way to do it, by the way; no — I think this is a critical moment for us as an institution to move forward and to come together to move forward, and I hope that we can do that through ASCMC, through the [Personal and Social Responsibility initiative], through [the College Programming Board]. There are a lot of us out there who are here because we care about students and want them to have a positive experience and hope that we can all come together.

From <https://cmcforum.com/2015/news/02062015-interview-deans-spellman-huang-on-saturdays-events?rq=police>

2015feb03 Administrators Address Police Presence in North Quad | CMC

3 Feb 2015 Article Link CMC Forum

Shortly after noon today, students received an email from President Hiram Chodosh and Dean Jeff Huang explaining the administration's rationale for calling the Claremont Police Department to North Quad to disperse students and alumni gathering in and around Green lounge on Saturday night. The Forum is in the process of gathering additional information about Saturday night's events and the deans' perspective on what occurred. We have made multiple attempts to interview Dean of Students Mary Spellman, which she has not granted us. We are continuing to request a meeting with administrators to learn more. The email from Huang and Chodosh did not mention the numerous reports from students of color that they experienced racially-biased harassment by police officers on Saturday night, nor did it address students' and alumni's concerns about the particular California penal codes that the CPD claimed to be enforcing.

We will continue to update this post as information becomes available.

For alumni and others who did not receive the email from Huang and Chodosh, we have reprinted the contents of their letter below.

Dear CMC Students:

We write to report the events of last Saturday evening and to express our deep concern.

As you know, our interim alcohol and event guidelines were developed last year by the RAs, ASCMC leadership, and the Dean of Students staff, and distributed in spring 2014, fall 2014, and then again just last Thursday. We expect students to comply, and the Resident Assistants, Dean of Students staff, and Campus Safety are responsible for monitoring and addressing non-compliance.

As we continue to conduct a thorough investigation of the events and hold specific individuals accountable, here is what we know so far:

On Saturday, several spring sports teams held their alumni games, and ASCMC also held a registered party on the Bauer steps.

At approximately 10:45pm, the RA’s and staff identified an unregistered event with alcohol in the Green Hall Lounge, which was hosted by a group composed of current student-athletes and alumni, and an additional gathering of well over 100 people in the outdoor area adjacent to the lounge, with glass bottles of hard alcohol and the projection of loud music, which are not permitted under the guidelines. The RA’s attempted to move and disperse people from the area to the ASCMC event, but most students did not comply. The RA’s asked Campus Safety to assist, but the people gathered failed to comply with Campus Safety’s directions.

Over the next 30-45 minutes, several belligerent and unsafe behaviors emerged. A male student physically pushed past a female RA to enter the lounge after she attempted to limit additional entry. Later, one alumnus took control of the PA system and profanely urged the crowd to disregard the RA’s instructions. Separately, we have also learned that a male alumnus belligerently attempted to force himself into the room of a female student.

As the event approached nearly 300 people in attendance, the RAs and Campus Safety faced increasing defiance. The staff on the scene asked each of us for guidance about next steps, and we both authorized Campus Safety to call the Claremont Police Department for help in dispersing the crowd. During this otherwise peaceful process, we observed the heckling of police and a can was thrown in the direction of the highest ranking police officer on the scene; this is considered a felony assault on an officer.

We are disturbed by this and recurring patterns and reports of unacceptable, embarrassing, and disrespectful behavior. Non-compliance with the guidelines and the defiant refusal to listen to RA’s, staff in the DoS, or Campus Safety are irresponsible, put our community at risk, and reflect poorly on all of us. We call on you to exercise greater responsibility to abide by the interim guidelines.

Going forward, we will continue to enforce the guidelines and request support, as needed, from the RAs, Dean of Students Staff, Campus Security, and if necessary, the Claremont Police Department.

We will complete our investigation and apply appropriate disciplinary action against culpable individuals. We will continue to evaluate our policies, reflect critically on these behaviors, account for where we are falling short, and address these challenges together in the context of the Personal and Social Responsibility Initiative.

As always, we need your help. Please send us your observations and ideas by email or talk to us in person about how we can best prevent and respond to this troubling behavior.

Very best,

Hiram and Jeff

UPDATED — 2:30pm, 2/3/15: For alumni and others who are not aware of the "Interim Guidelines Regarding Alcohol" to which Huang and Chodosh refer in their email, find below the relevant portions of the guidelines, which were emailed to students at the beginning of both the Fall '14 and Spring '15 semesters, pertaining to unregistered events outdoors:

Outside Events:

These are unregistered events that take place outside of a room or apartment.  The maximum capacity of a singular outside event that College staff can reasonably monitor is 25 people.  If the outside event exceeds this capacity or is determined to be unmanageable/unsafe in combination with the other factors referenced above, then the RAs will:

•     Intervene and communicate that the unregistered event does not comply with College policy. •     If the unregistered outside event takes place between Sunday – Wednesday, then the event will automatically be shut down. •     If the unregistered outside event takes place between Thursday – Saturday, then the RAs will work to ensure that the event reaches a manageable level in compliance with College policy or else the event will be shut down.  Specifically, the RAs will:             – Give a reasonable amount of time to the hosts for the event to reach compliance.             – Check back after the time given to ensure that the host(s) complied with the RAs’ directive to bring the event in compliance with College policy or else the event will be shut down. •     The RAs will use discretion in identifying the hosts of these events and the hosts will be held responsible.  Those responsible may include residents who are not present at the event. •     If these events converge to an unmanageable/unsafe level, along with other factors, then the RAs and Campus Safety will:             – Intervene and encourage people to move to the registered event.             – Address individual issues as they arise.             – Refer non-compliant students to face disciplinary action.

From <https://cmcforum.com/2015/news/02032015-administrators-address-police-presence-in-north-quad?rq=police>

2022may31 Calmatter- Private colleges want more power to police trespassers. Here's what you need to know.

Stan Supports Jail Time for Trespassers

May 31, 2022 | CALmatters (CA)

Author/Byline: Elina Lingappa | Section: College Beat

1511 Words | Readability: Lexile: 1400, grade level(s): >12

Read News Document

In summary

Private colleges want to change rules for how police respond to trespassing on campus. Students worry the proposal could lead to racial profiling.

Private colleges in California want more power to rein in trespassing on their campuses, particularly when people repeatedly enter to harass students.

Willful trespassing on the campuses of California's K-12 schools and public universities is considered a misdemeanor, and can result in jail time. But private colleges can only hand out warning letters.

The issue is at the center of a bill that is one chamber away from reaching Gov. Gavin Newsom's desk. Private colleges say that the current state hampers their ability to protect students — but some students worry that the proposed changes could make campuses feel cut off from surrounding neighborhoods and lead to racial profiling.

The no-trespassing letters are ineffective because there isn't a clear consequence for violating them, say the bill's supporters, which include policing associations and the 86-member Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities.

During the pandemic, the association has heard instances of people entering campuses to make racist comments toward Asian American and Pacific Islander students. The association has also heard of people coming on campuses to sexually harass female students, said Alex Graves, the association's vice president for government relations.

Still, the bill highlights a complicated dynamic.

Many private college campuses in California are open spaces, including the Claremont Colleges and Santa Clara University, which support the bill. Community members pass through often to walk their dogs or relax on the manicured lawns.

The open nature of campuses makes reining in trespassing "a very difficult line to walk," said Jessica Ramey Stender, policy director and deputy legal director of Equal Rights Advocates, a gender-justice nonprofit.

"I think it shows the difficult position that universities are in, in trying to ensure that they keep their students safe," she said.

Here's what you should know about Senate Bill 748.

What changes would the bill make?

The bill would rework a section of the state's criminal code that right now only applies to public colleges or universities and public and private K-12 schools.

For those schools, the law says that it's a misdemeanor for a person to "willfully and knowingly" enter a campus after having been banned. A person can be barred for disrupting a campus or facility's "orderly operation," according to the law.

The bill would expand the provision to include private colleges and universities. Punishment for a violation is either a fine of no more than $500 or imprisonment in county jail for no longer than six months, or both.

Authored by Sen. Anthony Portantino, a San Fernando Valley Democrat, the bill passed the state Senate 34-0 in January and is scheduled to be heard by the Assembly Public Safety Committee on Wednesday.

How do private campuses currently handle trespassing?

University of San Diego

Let's use the University of San Diego as an example.

[this is a for-profit, private-COP-HIGHER Education Racket online BS degrees for COPS] 

• The university supports the bill.And, it has the kind of idyllic campus that the general public regularly visits: 180 acres overlooking San Diego, Mission Bay, and the Pacific Ocean.

• It's fairly common for the university's officers to be summoned to disturbances involving people who have entered campus, said James Miyashiro, assistant vice president of safety.

• A recent example involved a homeless man. He had barricaded himself in a campus bathroom, wouldn't come out, and threatened to return again after officers told him to leave, said Miyashiro, who watched footage on an officer's body camera.

• Altercations with students also occur. People come to campus to play pick-up games and get in fights with students who have the space reserved. Or, people will make comments that offend students, who then report them to campus safety officers, Miyashiro said.

• When officers get such a report, they will ask the person to leave campus. If they continue to come back, officers will give them a letter barring them from campus.

• But "that doesn't have a lot of teeth behind it," Miyashiro said. And, city police are reluctant to respond to trespassing issues on campus, particularly during hours when the buildings are open, he said.

• Miyashiro contrasted the dynamic with his experience at two public universities where he previously worked: the University of California, Los Angeles and Riverside Community College District. There, campus police could tell a person causing a disturbance that if they returned within seven days, they could be arrested.

 Other Supporters

Several city police associations back the bill, including the Riverside Sheriff's Association and the Santa Ana Police Officers Association.

Equal Rights Advocates also decided to support the measure, Stender said, based on what it has heard from students who are victims of sexual assault or harrassment. Sometimes, the attacker will return to campus to continue harassing or even assault them again, she said.

The consequence of a misdemeanor charge brings clarity, said John Ojeisekhoba, the president-elect of a campus-policing association that supports the bill.

"It will give an officer a significant level of deterrence. That will be the difference. Right now, there's just no such thing, " he said.

[Does a Homeless person or Crazy person care about a misdemeanor?]

Could this bill lead to racial profiling?

Several students said they are concerned about this outcome.

Alessia Milstein, who graduated this spring from Pitzer College, said there should be other options for how people get help instead of defaulting to calling the police. Milstein was involved in the Claremont Colleges' Prison Abolition Collective, a club that educates students about prison and police abolition.

It's also important to remember that everyone is subject to having racial biases — and relying on campus safety officers to decide who belongs there is "allowing those to run freely," she said.

"I just feel like it's kind of the epitome, again, of why police don't work," Milstein said. "You're trying to solve every conflict with a catchall that is rooted in colonialism and white supremacy."

There are "more negatives than positives" with the bill, said Tess Gibbs, a rising senior at Scripps College, who is also part of the collective.

Specifically, Gibbs said she worries the bill could make campus into a sort of "fortress," cut off from the surrounding community.

"I just question how much this would actually significantly increase safety of students, which seems to be its intention," Gibbs said.

A movement to reduce police presence on California campuses has grown over the last several years, following a nationwide reckoning over the scope of police power.

At the University of California and California State University, some students have called for abolishing or increasing oversight of campus police departments, particularly because of concerns over aggressive policing of protests and racial profiling.

And, racism regularly leads to people of color being deemed suspicious. One such incident that garnered national attention: In 2018, a white student at Yale University called campus police after seeing a black student asleep in the dorm common room. Several police officers responded to the incident.

"We have to make sure it's applied in a way that makes sense," Portantino said of the bill.

When asked via email about concerns that the bill could lead to racial profiling or harassment of homeless people, he said that the measure isn't meant to be used for anything other than "fostering prudent student and campus safety."

How could campus police avoid over-policing, if the bill becomes law?

Several campus safety officials interviewed said they intended to use the bill's power just as needed, rather than overdo it. Of course, that's easier said than done.

Ojeisekhoba, of the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators, acknowledged that mistakes can happen. Still, he said he has seen a shift in how officers respond to reports of suspicious behavior on campuses. As an example, he pointed to the private university where he is chief of campus safety, Biola University in La Mirada.

Instead of immediately sending an officer to the scene after getting a call about suspicious behavior, dispatchers are trained to ask more questions in the hopes of figuring out if there is actually an issue. The approach is meant to "reduce potential mistakes or the appearance of racial profiling," he said.

Stan Skipworth, associate vice president of campus safety at the Claremont Colleges, also said in an email that jail time isn't necessary in all instances of trespassing — just the most egregious cases. [u think jail time for trespassing is appropriate? Nazi!]

Instead of relying on police, students should learn to count on community members when problems arise, said Alaia Zaki, a rising senior at the University of San Francisco. Zaki is part of the university's chapter of Alliance for Change, an organization that helps people transition from prison and re-enter communities.

Zaki highlighted pod-mapping as potential inspiration. The approach has been championed by the Bay Area Transformative Justice Collective, an Oakland-based group.

Pods are meant to be a way to deal with small harms by relying on a group of trusted friends or neighbors. For example, instead of calling the police, a person could reach out to their pod.

"To have a relationship founded on community would be kind of a game-changer because you would have people that you know, and hopefully respect and trust, coming to de-escalate your situations," Zaki said.

Lingappa is a fellow with the CalMatters College Journalism Network, a collaboration between CalMatters and student journalists from across California. This story and other higher education coverage are supported by the College Futures Foundation.

From <https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=AWNB&t=&sort=YMD_date%3AD&fld-base-0=alltext&maxresults=20&val-base-0=%22stan%20skipworth%22&docref=news/18A5CAE31D658340> 

#Campus Safety Promotion for Skipworth

robin.hattersley@emeraldx.com

Robin Hattersley, Editor-in-Chief

Robin has been covering the security and campus law enforcement industries since 1998 and is a specialist in school, university and hospital security, public safety and emergency management, as well as emerging technologies and systems integration. She joined CS in 2005 and has authored award-winning editorial on campus law enforcement and security funding, officer recruitment and retention, access control, IP video, network integration, event management, crime trends, the Clery Act, Title IX compliance, sexual assault, dating abuse, emergency communications, incident management software and more. Robin has been featured on national and local media outlets and was formerly associate editor for the trade publication Security Sales & Integration. She obtained her undergraduate degree in history from California State University, Long Beach [probably knows Skipworth quite well].

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2016Dec12 Promoting Campus Security 7 Schools at a Time

Zach Winn. December 12, 2016

Promoting Campus Security 7 Schools at a Time

campussafetymagazine.com

 Those who have worked in the higher education environment are familiar with the delicate and often lengthy process of making changes on a college campus.

Even the most trivial policy adjustment can require hours of meetings and negotiations. Fortunately, most members of the university community understand the importance of collaboration.

RELATED: 2016 Director of the Year Award Entries Due NOW!

But even as they praise teamwork, many campus officials admit it sometimes makes them pull their hair out. It can be difficult to implement new ideas at an institution of higher education. Now just imagine making changes across seven campuses at once.

This was the challenge facing Stan Skipworth, who is director of campus safety at the Claremont (Calif.) University Consortium, a coordinating and support organization for seven independent schools known collectively as the Claremont Colleges. Since accepting the position two years ago, Skipworth has proven adept at navigating the challenges that are inevitable when working with people from separate institutions, each with priorities, ideas and innumerable opinions.

Skipworth has achieved this not by ignoring dissenting opinions, but by seeking them out. He’s succeeded not despite bureaucracies, but because of them. That’s not to say that Skipworth loves all of the procedures and formalities that come with meeting with different department heads and organizations, but he understands they’re an essential part of improving his public safety department, and that’s always been what motivates him.

The Claremont Colleges Profile:

The undergraduate Claremont Colleges include Pomona College, Scripps College, Claremont McKenna College, Harvey Mudd College and Pitzer College. The consortium’s other institutions include Claremont Graduate University, Keck Graduate Institute and the Claremont University Consortium.

Each school has its own campus, students and faculty, and each also has its own mission statement.

In total, 7,700 students and 3,600 staff members are involved in the consortium.

Skipworth Sets the Tone Early, Encourages Honesty

In his short time with the Claremont University Consortium, Skipworth has impressed others with his determined efforts to improve his department and himself. Those efforts start in the form of constant self-reflection, which allows the people he works with to check their egos at the door.

“It’s all about being honest with ourselves about what we can improve,” Skipworth says. “Every chief, in my opinion, needs to be looking at their organization on a daily basis, asking questions to everyone they come in contact with. I ask a lot of open-ended questions so I can understand why someone thinks something is good or bad.” [LIE, CHEAT, STEAL, LIBEL, CALL FOR BACKUP]

That honesty has helped Skipworth develop professional relationships that are based on a level of mutual trust.

“Stan opens himself up for critical examination, and in turn feels confident enough to challenge other people’s paradigms,” says Ernie Didier, the supervisor of campus safety for the Consortium. “Everyone has come to respect Stan, and that’s really allowed him to bring the seven campuses under one umbrella, which was no small challenge.” [NOT TRUE]

Skipworth Learns A Different Language

It’s not hard to guess where Skipworth got his ability to level with others. Before joining the consortium, Skipworth had a successful career in California politics, first as a planning commissioner and later as a city council member and mayor of Corona.

During that time, Skipworth also served as the president of the California Association of Councils of Governments, or CALCOG, where members share their experiences pushing initiatives and agreements in the state.

“That was one of the pieces of my political experience that I look back on with fondness,” Skipworth says of his time with CALCOG. “It taught me so much about constituents and stakeholders, and it helped me understand the different communities that people were serving.”

Skipworth has used the insights he gained while in office to develop the type of versatility that’s helped him manage the divergent viewpoints at Claremont.

“My colleagues tease me, they say, ‘You’re bilingual – you speak politics and a little English, too,'” Skipworth says. “Being an elected official has helped me a lot in higher education. I really learned how to work well with people holding different perspectives and find a way to match those perspectives up with everyone’s goals.” [BULLSHIT AND LIES--BILINGUAL]

Skipworth also credits his time as California State University Long Beach’s police chief for his adaptability.

“Stan has such a wealth of professional experience, he’s like a chameleon,” Didier says. “He can change with the circumstances if he needs to.”

[DIDIER WAS PROBABLY A DRAFT-DODGER--10-YEAR RESUME GAP; TOTAL MORON, FIRED,THANKS TO ME!]

https://www.campussafetymagazine.com/profiles/promoting_campus_security_7_schools_at_a_time/  

2016jul25 Campus Safety Announces Director of the Year Winners

Directors from Claremont University Consortium, Rock Hill Schools (S.C.) and UNC Healthcare come out on top.

July 25, 2016  CS Staff

Campus Safety magazine (CS) is pleased to announce that Stan Skipworth, Claremont University Consortium’s director of campus safety; Lisa Terry, University of North Carolina Health Care’s director of hospital police and transportation; and Kevin Wren, Rock Hill (S.C.) Schools’ director of campus security systems have been names this year’s Directors of the Year.

Some of the accomplishments that lead to Skipworth winning the top spot in the higher education sector included his legislative activities with the California College and University Police Chiefs Association, as well as his launching of a student assistant program.

Terry started sending all of her department’s security officers to the Homeland Security Center for Domestic Preparedness. Additionally, her department now has the ability to view UNC’s more than 2,200 cameras from multiple sites, which has helped with investigations.

Wren executed more than $5 million in security-driven capital improvements involving structural upgrades for access control, visitor management, video surveillance, digital radios and fences. He also rolled out a district-wide online safety training system that led to an 18 percent decrease in accidents and crimes.

According to CS Executive Editor Robin Hattersley, the competition was tight, which made judging the entries difficult.

“I don’t envy the Director of the Year judges at all,” she says. “All of our finalists have so many excellent qualities and have achieved so much. They are all winners in my opinion. The judges’ jobs were tough.”

Runners up were Brian Gard, who is the manager of safety and health for National Heritage Academies Inc., High Point University Chief/Director, Security and Transportation Jeff Karpovich, University of Central Florida University of Central Florida Jeff Morgan, San Bernardino City Unified School District Chief of Police Joseph Paulino, and University of South Carolina Upstate Director of Public Safety/Chief of Police Klay Peterson.

Campus Safety would like to thank the program judges: Center for Security On Campus Associate Executive Director of Programs at Clery Abigail Boyer, Keene State College Director of Campus Safety Amanda Guthorn, Grand Rapids Public Schools Chief of Staff and Executive Director of Public Safety Larry D. Johnson, Safeguard Risk Solutions CEO and President Gary L. Sigrist Jr., and Hospital Security Consultant Thomas Smith.

CS would also like to thank all of this year’s program participants for their entries, and encourages readers to submit nominations for the 2016 program. Entry forms, instructions and judging criteria can be found at www.campussafetymagazine.com/DOY2016.

Full coverage of Skipworth’s, Terry’s and Wren’s accomplishments will be featured in the October and November/December issues of Campus Safety magazine as well as online at www.campussafetymagazine.com.

Congratulations to our winners and runners up!

https://www.campussafetymagazine.com/news/campus_safety_announces_this_years_director_of_the_year_winners/

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2015jun12 LA Campus Safety Conference Preview: Campus Police Investigation Tools

ARticle Link Robin Hattersley June 12, 2015 

https://youtu.be/HxMKa_8Q-54

In this video, Claremont University Director of Campus Safety Stan Skipworth discusses how the California College & University Police Chiefs Association (CCUPCA) is working to have California enhance penal code 633 to help campus police more effeciently conduct investigations by allowing them to have victims make a pre-contextual call to the suspect. Currently, Penal Code 633 requires campus police to rely on local police for that duty, which hampers investigations.

2015apr04 CUC Appoints New Campus Security Director| CMC

https://cmcforum.com/2015/news/04132015-cuc-appoints-new-campus-security-director

Stanley Skipworth, currently the Interim Director of Campus Security, has been hired for the permanent position of Campus Security Director. As announced by Bonnie Clemens, Secretary to the Board of Overseers/Assistant to the CEO of the Claremont University Consortium (CUC), Skipworth will be responsible for”

 “planning, organizing, coordinating, and evaluating the operational and financial functions in the Campus Safety Department and ensuring compliance with all applicable local, state and federal laws, as well as campus policies and procedures.”

Skipworth’s appointment becomes effective April 15; Clemens added that in the meantime Skipworth will continue to “work collaboratively with administrators and staff at The Claremont Colleges to provide campus safety services to the seven colleges and to promote safety and good mutual working relations.”

When asked about the decision, Stig Lanesskog, CEO of the CUC, said,“Stan has demonstrated that he can effectively partner with The Claremont Colleges and the local community to deliver and enhance campus safety services. I look forward to continuing to work with him [in] building on the efforts he has initiated over the last several months.”

Earlier last month, students, faculty and staff were given the opportunity to interview and question Skipworth, along with the other candidates, through a series of open-forum style meetings. Attendees later provided feedback, which Bonnie Clemens expressed was taken into account when making the final decision.

Two Incredibly Qualified finalists, One Unqualified Hired

Prevailing over two other incredibly qualified finalists, Skipworth boasts an impressive career track.  Describing himself as a “Public safety specialist with expertise in campus security, dignitary protection, organizational leadership and environmental design,” Skipworth holds an Associate of Science Degree in Socio-Behavioral Sciences from Mt. San Jacinto College, a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Management from La Salle University and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy Executive Development Program at the University of Virginia. 

Some of his past noteworthy positions including: Director of Campus Safety, Emergency Preparedness and Transportation at the University of La Verne, Chief of Police at California State University, Long Beach and Mayor of the City of Corona, CA.

 With regards to his appointment, Skipworth commented, “I am honored to be selected for this role and look forward to working closely with the students, faculty and staff of The Claremont Colleges and local law enforcement to deliver superior campus safety services.”

While Thomas Schalke ‘18, one of the students present at Skipworth’s interview, believes that “there is definitely room for improvement in terms of making the department more accessible, collaborating more closely with students in order to create trust, and finding the balance between securing social events and ruining the party itself,” he is excited about Skipworth’s appointment and has high hopes for the future.

Stan Skipworth could not be reached for comment by The Forum in time for publication.

Vera ArmusApril 13, 2015

From <https://cmcforum.com/2015/news/04132015-cuc-appoints-new-campus-security-direct 

2015apr28 Interview: Stan Skipworth, Director of Campus Safety | CMC

April 28 2015 Link CMC Forum

Effective since April 15, Stan Skipworth — the previous Interim Head of Security Director for the Claremont University Consortium (CUC) — has assumed his tenure as permanent director. Last Friday morning, I had the chance to sit down with Skipworth and discuss some of his plans, hopes and views regarding the Campus Safety Department. With regards to what the department has been doing well, Skipworth stated, 

“I think that the department has been particularly responsive to recent changes in request for services in how we’re being asked to patrol certain areas as well as work with different partners in all the different colleges.

 Specifically, I think we’ve effectively monitored all of the different offices, facilities, and general campuses, especially during special events and things like that. Additionally, I believe we’ve done a really good job of working with our partners to make sure to understand what the service needs, as well as what the requests are, and in turn, accurately deliver them.”

In terms of improvement, Skipworth pointed to increased community engagement as a goal to look forward to, saying that, “On a longer term basis, I want the department to become more fully engaged with the institution and would like everyone at Campus Safety more accessible and available to things going on.”

One of the steps he has taken in order to achieve this has been spearheading new programs, including the Campus Oriented Policing Program. Through this plan of action, “we [the department] will designate teams of officers to each distinct campus who are then responsible for serving their particular campuses, and working as liaisons to address the particular relevant service needs that may arise,” he said. He added that through this, these “campus leaders” would be able to provide an extra perspective and serve as facilitators for issues that might arise.

Another goal that Skipworth has is to increase the department’s involvement with on-campus media sources throughout the five campuses. He wants the department to be viewed as a: 

“trusted source on campus that provides accurate information.” He hopes to be an “effective partner to the colleges” and be a “strong support system” to the community, adding that he wants to “manage the finite resources available and use them in the best and most effective ways.”

Skipworth stated that currently, the most pressing issue the department is facing is understaffing. Although the problem has improved — he mentioned that when he first arrived in the fall, the department was significantly more understaffed — Skipworth says he wants to focus on:

 “being fully staffed and having a complete set of personnel,” and says that the department is currently “recruiting very heavily in order to get the positions filled.” 

He additionally noted that he wants to implement additional training in order to widen the skill set of employees.

Stan’s App, No longer Used (also discontinued at U.of La Verne, Stan introduced it)

One of the initiatives that Skipworth is very excited about is the launching of CUC’s LiveSafe App for smartphones. This app, which is designed to improve communication between the Claremont community and Campus Safety, allows for faster emergency response in distress situations and provides access to the latest safety information. It lets users send their location to Campus Safety in an emergency, report suspicious activity anonymously to Campus Safety, and invite friends or family to monitor their location as they walk home. 

Skipworth added that “the app itself is really very cool and provides a lot of information, allowing us to easily interact with people; it’ll allow people to send us audio and video files, explaining to us what they’re seeing and show us exactly what’s going on, whether it be a hazardous condition, or if someone’s not feeling good, or if someone smells smoke, etc.” He explained that the department will be able to more efficiently provide assistance as the department will have “a dashboard that our dispatchers will monitor, so when a message comes in, we’ll immediately respond with a call or a text to get in touch with that person and provide the necessary assistance.”

Stan, No Skills, No Education, All Leadership

Concerning his own administrative role, Skipworth stated that “leadership is something I’m very interested in and I believe that it is important and applicable in every realm.” 

He points to his tenure as Mayor of Corona, California as a very valuable and impactful experience, stating that: 

“I had the opportunity to work with a wide range of constituents, a large number of interest groups, neighborhoods, groups of faith, local businesses, the school system, recreational groups, etc., and engaging with all of these different elements and aspects gave me a broader perspective and greater understanding of how to go about working effectively with diverse groups, both groups with common goals as well as ones with diverse objectives to achieve those goals and understanding why they have different preferences.”

He believes that the experience and skillset he gained from his tenure:

 “also serve very useful to an institution like this where you have different colleges as part of an ensemble that are all trying to achieve similar missions, but from time to time, may have different preferences and subtle priorities that take the lead.” 

He added that through his role as mayor, he “understands a little bit better how I can personally use my knowledge and work with the groups of resources to help the colleges achieve those individual and distinct preferences.”

When I asked Skipworth if there was anything else he wanted to add, he said, 

“I’m really excited about being part of this great institution and being a partner to the colleges and interacting with members of the Claremont Community.” 

On a personal note, he also stated that he is a huge Beatles fan and loves to travel, having visited forty of the fifty states.

 [Note, Stan uses the word ‘partner’ as often as Ivanka used the word ‘architect’--throw-away cliche]

From <https://cmcforum.com/2015/news/04282015-interview-stan-skipworth-director-of-campus-safety?rq=skipworth>