Reader's Digest ranked AU as the 28th safest campus out of 285 U.S. colleges and universities analyzed for the effectiveness of their public safety programs.
The magazine determined campus safety based on U.S. Department of Education crime rate statistics from 2004 and 2005 and a general survey that 135 institutions agreed to participate in, according to Reader's Digest Web site.
AU ranked 76th by the Department of Education's statistics for crime rates despite its reported 29 burglaries in 2004 and 41 in 2005, according to the Department of Education's Web site. Because of the positive responses from campus surveys about AU's Public Safety department, the university finished 28th overall.
Georgetown University ranked 193rd for crime rates, though it declined to answer the magazine's survey, according to Reader's Digest.
The University of Virginia and Butler University ranked as the campuses with the highest crime rates, while Sweet Briar College and the University of Wisconsin ranked with the lowest crime rates.
The Department of Education drew its statistics based on crimes committed in 2004 and 2005, including manslaughter, forcible sex offenses, non-forcible sex offenses, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and motor vehicle theft and arson, according to the department's Web site.
Because Reader's Digest did not consider the surrounding neighborhood, it's difficult to see how effective security is on campus, said Michael Byc, a freshman in the School of Public Affairs.
The area surrounding AU definitely plays a factor in students feeling safe on campus, according to Josh Cahan, a junior in the School of Public Affairs and the School of Communication.
"I feel safe on campus, generally, walking from one side of the campus to the other late at night," Cahan said. "We are in a safe area of D.C., so I think that helps as well."
The survey 135 colleges filled out included questions about emergency lockdown programs, security cameras to monitor parking lots, showing identification while entering the library and the percentage of the campus protected by blue light phones.
AU's safety depends on the cooperation and involvement of students and other members of the community, Public Safety said in its 2007 annual report.
"The department's mission is to create and maintain a safe and secure environment," according to the report.
Greg Proulx, a freshman in the School of International Service, said he is confident that he is safe at AU.
"I think it's safe [here]," he said. "I've never been on campus and not felt safe. You can always see campus security cars around."
Public Safety also provides other forms of protection that Reader's Digest did not take into consideration, including safety escorts that people can use at night or by special request, according to the annual report.
