As homecoming season approaches, several Historically Black Colleges and Universities across the nation plan to implement new protocols to ensure safe campus celebrations.
Many HBCUs have stated that these changes are in response to a series of violent incidents during recent homecomings. That includes universities in North Carolina.
Last year, four people were shot and injured at an off-campus North Carolina Central University homecoming celebration.
In an effort to prevent a repeat incident, university officials announced that they plan to enforce a campus curfew on October 25, their homecoming game day.
The curfew will begin at 7 p.m. However, the university asks that loud music be stopped by 6:30 p.m. After 7, all campus buildings will be safeguarded and closed to visitors.
Similarly, Winston-Salem State University is ending campus operations earlier during its homecoming weekend, October 16 and 17. According to the university’s website, campus will close by 8 p.m. through the duration of the weekend.
“We can’t prevent everything but I do think we can put forth our best foot to show that we’re committed to doing everything we can to keep the campus safe,” said WSSU’s chancellor, Bonita J. Brown in an August alumni town hall meeting.
Safety officials at North Carolina A&T State University say the campus will not officially close at a set time, however, other safety measures will be put into place on Saturday, the university’s homecoming game day.
In 2022, two people died and four people were injured after a shooting at a N.C. A&T homecoming party. Since the incident, N.C. A&T safety officials have tried to be extra precautious when creating homecoming safety plans.
“We have looked at all our homecomings for the last few years. We made very detailed, very comprehensive plans as it relates to safety,” said Robert Hassell, the university police chief.
Hassell said N.C. A&T plans to seriously expand law enforcement presence on the campus and surrounding areas during campus activities.
“We'll have anywhere from fifteen to twenty plus outside agencies assisting us with our staffing needs,” said Hassell.
“You know, we're expecting crowds, you know, fifty, sixty, seventy thousand plus. That's a lot of individuals that'll be here on campus so we need to make sure that we have enough personnel to be spread out throughout all the campus, throughout all the activities so that we can be able to cover that safely.”
The university plans to partner with the Greensboro Police Department, Guilford County Sheriff’s Department, and other security agencies from neighboring areas like Durham, High Point, and Apex.
