2023 UPPS Community Survey

Penn State University Police and Public Safety (UPPS) launched its third confidential University-wide survey on Wednesday, October 4, 2023, to gain a better understanding of attitudes and opinions related to policing, public safety, programs and services, and overall campus safety at Penn State. 

The third survey of its kind for UPPS, administered to students and employees by the Penn State Office of Planning, Assessment and Institutional Research (OPAIR), focused on the department’s policing unit, and is intended to be used as a platform for organizational learning and asks specific questions about the quality of policing on campus. The survey is conducted every two years as a standard part of the police unit’s accreditation process through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA).  

2019, 2021, and 2023 Survey Results

Select members of the Penn State community received the survey by email from the Office of Planning, Assessment and Institutional Research (OPAIR) across the 22 campuses where University Police provides services. A random sample of students and employees at Penn State’s University Park, Abington, Altoona, Berks, Behrend and Harrisburg campuses, as well as all students and employees at smaller Penn State campuses, will be invited to complete the survey.  

The survey, which took about 15 minutes to complete, asked participants questions about University Police regarding: overall performance, overall competency of agency employees, citizens’ perception of officers’ attitudes and behavior, community concern over safety and security within University Police’s jurisdiction, and citizens’ recommendations and suggestions for improvements. 

University Police will release the results of the survey in spring 2024. A team, led by Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Director Iris Richardson and East Region Commander Dale Osenbach, actively work to incorporate this important community feedback into policies, procedures, training, educational programming and more. The next survey will be distributed in 2025.