When the halls fill again at the University of Saint Mary in August, the students will be a little safer.

The Board of Trustees at the university recently approved the addition of a new public safety and compliance director, as well as other additional security measures.

Matt Boos started work Monday, taking the reins on a seven-member security force at Saint Mary from facilities director Mark Gieseman. Boos said he was looking forward to the new job.

“It’s the first time I’ve been excited to go back to school in a long time,” he said.

Boos served as a police officer in both Kansas and Missouri for 10 years, leaving the force to pursue a career as environmental health safety and quality director at Oldcastle-Miller Materials.

Having a background in both law enforcement and safety compliance, Boos said he thinks he is uniquely qualified for the position.

The job also presents its challenges, he said.

“It’s not overwhelming, but it’s a lot of responsibility,” he said in reference to heading the security force and making sure the university is in compliance with health regulations.

However, Boos said he is looking forward to working with Leavenworth County law enforcement officials when and if necessary, as well as his neighbors at Saint John Hospital.

The new position will allow for a public safety officer to be on duty at all times, according to Bob Uhlar, public information officer for Saint Mary.

“There was a feeling that we needed somebody who could concentrate on safety and compliance full-time,” he said.

In addition to Boos’ position, Uhlar said the university will also add several new safety measures, including new surveillance cameras and an emergency alert system.

The new cameras will supplement the existing system on campus. Uhlar said the administration wished to remain “vague” on the number and location of the cameras. The number should be sufficient for security, he said.

“They want to make sure every corner’s covered,” he said.

An emergency alert system will also be in place and ready soon, according to Uhlar.
He said the new system is a precaution in response to school shootings at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University.

Instead of using modern technology like cell phones and text messaging, Uhlar said the system will rely on the loudspeakers already on campus to alert students.

Uhlar said additional loudspeakers will be installed to include every residence hall.
Though Uhlar admitted that the system “may sound a little old tech,” he said there are advantages to using the loudspeakers instead of newer forms of digital communication.
Messages sent through voice or text messages can be held up by a delay for up to 20 minutes, he said.

In an emergency where time is critical, he said the loudspeakers could notify students immediately and regardless of whether they had access to a cell phone or text messaging technologies.

Classes at Saint Mary start on Aug. 21. Uhlar said the administration is hoping to have the new security measures done by that time. However, he said no dates have been set in stone.