OA FALL 2024 MAGAZINE

“This job is not about writing

parking tickets, but it is about helping students feel safe and secure on campus. It allows students to thrive.” — Greg Ewing

EWING LEADS SAFETY INITIATIVES AT SMWC

By BJ Riley ’16, ’23 MLD, ’24 MBA - Associate Vice President for Strategic Marketing and Community Relations

Before arriving at Saint Mary-of the-Woods College in 2019, Director of Public Safety, Greg Ewing, spent 28 years in the Vigo County Sheriff’s Office. He served the last eight years of those as sheriff, first elected in 2010, then again in 2014. “When I retired, I knew I had to do something.” Several months after retiring, Ewing was notified that the College was looking for a new safety director. As sheriff, he had done a threat assessment at SMWC regarding the campus’ safety and decided to apply. “I had worked with school kids in the sheriff’s office as a school liaison, so I was excited to talk more about the opportunity to work with college students.” His task was not easy – building a department from the ground up. The College had previously contracted security before hiring Ewing and managing it internally. He began by finding the right people to build his team. Today, the staff consists of six full-time and four part-time officers and is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. “All of the staff have had first responder training and worked as first responders before coming to the College,” Ewing noted. In less than five years, he has

more than doubled the number of security cameras on campus and implemented a numbering system on exterior building doors used by all first responders. Ewing worked with the Sisters of Providence to develop campus road names that enhanced 911 functions with the county. “You can’t have duplicated road names in the county, so we had to find names that were not in use anywhere else in Vigo County.” He also implemented safety training for students, faculty and staff. Ewing’s connections within the law enforcement and first responder communities enabled him to complete things quickly. He has worked closely with the criminology and nursing programs in performing mock disaster drills to allow students to experience first-hand what working with real first responders is like. Many of these drills are coordinated with the nursing departments of Indiana State University and Ivy Tech – Terre Haute, along with the Vigo County Sheriff’s Office, EMS within Vigo County and the Emergency Management Agency in Vigo County. He and the public safety officers have increased their awareness about mental health challenges that face today’s college students. The

Office of Public Safety works closely with the SMWC Student Counseling and Wellness Center to get students assistance quickly when needed. “Additionally, the increased enrollment of international students has presented the opportunity for the staff to understand their cultural differences and help those students blend with our culture,” Ewing said. The hard work pays off for him and his team when they see how students have grown through their four years, cross the stage and receive their diplomas. “When their parents come to you and thank you, it just warms your heart. Putting their daughter or son in our care is a huge part of their comfort. This job is not about writing parking tickets, but it is about helping students feel safe and secure on campus. Our job is to enable students to thrive.” Ewing keeps his office door open, encouraging students, faculty and staff to say hi as they wander past his office. Likely, he has helped each of them in one way or another. His smile is always present, and it is evident that he loves the job and the College. “We are creating good, positive relationships with students, which is a great reward in working at SMWC.”

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