Public Safety Strategic Plan Executive Summary
Public Safety Strategic Plan Executive Summary
The Virginia Tech Public Safety Division is committed to fostering a safe and secure environment for all members of our university community. We strive to maintain the safety and well-being of students, faculty, staff, and visitors through proactive emergency planning, effective law enforcement, responsive emergency services, and education; promoting a culture of safety, collaboration, and respect. Our vision is to be a leading model of campus safety, security, preparedness and community engagement, where members of the university community feel connected in a secure and welcoming environment. We are committed to furthering our university safety culture with proactive measures, education, empowerment and preparedness through programs that are built upon a foundation of respect and shared responsibility. Through thoughtful planning, innovation, and collaboration, we are building lasting partnerships that enhance the well-being of our university community.
The division comprises the Office of the Associate Vice President (AVP) for Public Safety and five operational units: Police Department, Emergency Management, Environmental Health and Safety, Rescue Squad and the Office of Youth Protection (dotted line oversight). The Division of Public Safety works to further the university’s academic and research mission by providing a safe campus where our students, faculty and staff can excel academically and professionally. Virginia Tech’s motto, Ut Prosim [That I May Serve] is at the core of Public Safety and the service-oriented, operationally focused group of individuals that comprise a division dedicated to maintaining the safety and security of the university community and promoting a culture of safety, preparedness, and resiliency.
The AVP for Public Safety 2025 – 2029 Strategic Plan includes five core initiatives and associated goals, building upon the vision and goals of each operational unit as well as supporting The Virginia Tech Difference: Advancing Beyond Boundaries and the University Operations focus areas of Improving Business Processes, Stewarding Resources, Building Research Resiliency/Capacity, Driving Data-informed Decisions and Fostering a Thriving Community through strategic initiatives that reach across the enterprise.
The first strategic initiative is to further Enhance University Safety and Security, to develop and support enterprise-wide safety and security initiatives through collaboration and coordination of resources. This initiative includes project-driven goals such as the ongoing efforts to continually review, upgrade and enhance safety and security measures on campus. Collaboration with the Division of Facilities to establish an integrated infrastructure work group, to assess life safety systems and recommend strategies for systems improvement where warranted, is another multi-year project in progress. Developing a central repository of research infrastructure, capabilities and project information is a key undertaking designed to support the growth of research at Virginia Tech in a secure and resilient research environment. The remaining goal of this initiative is to develop and implement a centrally managed enterprise-wide automated external defibrillator (AED) program.
The second strategic initiative is to Expand Communication and Community Engagement, increasing the Public Safety Division’s engagement with the university community through communication mediums and face-to-face interactions. To be successful in this initiative a top priority is increasing the opportunities for collaboration and engagement between Public Safety Division operating units. Other communication goals include continuous improvement and updates to division websites, more effective utilization of social media to develop engaging content for the diverse university population, and improvement and promotion of the university safety app (Hokie Ready).
The third strategic initiative is to Promote Organizational Excellence, creating a workplace environment that provides for personal and professional growth in support of the division’s overall mission. Offering additional opportunities for public safety division and programmatic team members to participate in professional development and administratively supporting public safety departments through strategic planning and fiscal management are goals towards achieving organizational excellence.
The fourth strategic initiative revolves around Collaboration and Partnerships, working with internal and external organizations and stakeholders to develop and implement safety initiatives. In order to provide a holistic approach to campus safety and foster a thriving community, it is not only necessary to succeed in the goal of identifying and engaging new stakeholder groups across the university but also to strengthen the collaborative partnerships already in place, both within the division and university and external to Virginia Tech.
The fifth and final initiative of this strategic plan is to Support the Office of Youth Protection, with the primary goal of evaluating the advantages of a stronger and more definitive relationship with the Division of Public Safety.
In order to continuously improve service within the division, across the university, and to community stakeholders, the 2025 – 2029 Public Safety Strategic Plan includes strategic initiatives centered around maintaining and enhancing the safety and security of the university through collaborative ventures, professional development, community engagement, relationship building and communication.
