TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The University of Arizona fall semester kicks off in a few weeks. This marks just under eight months since UA Professor Thomas Meixner was shot and killed by a former student in his office.
The university, in partnership with PAX Group – a security consultant company – released a report in March outlining new threat response policies it would implement going forward.
The report found that incidents like the Oct. 5 shooting were "not unforeseeable," and while the university was a relatively and comparatively safe environment, it still saw crime rates rise steadily since 2018.
International graduate student Moyeen Uddin said his classmates remain uneasy since the shooting.
"I know that I was pretty calm when it happened," Uddin recalled. "But many friends and people I knew had it really bad. They had a mental breakdown.”
In 2022, the violent crime and property crime reported on UA campus was similar to rates seen at Arizona State University which has approximately 15,000 more students.
To address these concerns, UA says they are working on improving communication between departments, updating safety training modules, and replacing old security cameras around campus - among others.
Second-year student Asal Jumaboeva said although she hasn't completed any of the online trainings, she's kept an eye on her email and submitted survey responses prompted by the school.
Overall, she's happy with UA's efforts.
“I feel more confident and comfortable here. And I feel the safety is good now, better. It was good but it’s now better.”
In fact, Jumaboeva says friends who go to colleges out-of-state are considering transferring to UA because their campuses feel less safe than in Tucson.
The PAX report acknowledges that other universities struggle with managing a safe environment, as open-campus challenges are more "nuanced."
Uddin said that despite these promises from UA, he is still not satisfied.
"The authority of the university [should come] forward and make the students feel more safe. Not only the students—everyone. We are all here," he said. "I’d really like to see some visible and impactful changes.”
