Just a question on the Care Team issue, and that sounds like certainly a great idea and your proactive approach that you talk about. When the police officials were up here earlier, they talked about some -- the acts. I forget what they were.
Have you found that as a problem? 155 10/17/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - BILL 070275, ETC.
Part of our education is going to be relative to FERPA. FERPA protects educational records. That's the basis of FERPA. It doesn't prevent us from reaching out to a parent if there's a student in crisis. If we have a student that we feel is in crisis, there is no issue with us contacting the parent for that support.
So you have not found that to be a problem. I wasn't real clear on what they were talking about.
Frankly, there is a lot of misunderstanding across the country on FERPA. But we're making a concerted effort to make sure that all our faculty, staff and administration are aware of the parameters and the restrictions on it.
At this point, no. 156 10/17/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - BILL 070275, ETC.
I too want to say that I think Temple surely gives you the perception of being safe. I mean, you have those booths everywhere. And actually, I think you're the first school that I really noticed had so many booths and phones.
They just seem like they're everywhere. I used to go to the gym. I still should, but I haven't been in a while at --
Right there at 15th and Cecil B. Moore, and I just feel safe whenever I'm there. University of Penn in their testimony said they have about 52,000. That includes students, faculty, 157 10/17/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - BILL 070275, ETC. everybody. How many people are on Temple's main campus?
I would say in the area of 44,000 to 46,000. There's about 34,000 students on main. It's about 36,000 if you add all the campuses. Actually, I'm sorry. Actually, 34,000 would include the main and Health Science Center.
Somewhere in the mid 40's, 45,000 students, faculty, staff.
Thank you, Madam Chair. First of all, I want to thank you and commend you for your testimony today, and also for your patience. It's been a long, long day and you were very, very, I think, patient for waiting this 158 10/17/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - BILL 070275, ETC. out. I just want to get to one point, and that's bad behavior with students when you identify them as such. Could you tell me, if they continue this pattern or if they continue bad behavior or whatnot, what's the final disposition?
Well, there's a judicial code of conduct, and students that have conduct issues are referred through the judicial process. Students have due process as well. And then there are sanctions, anywhere from probation to expulsion. And what you do is, though, you base it -- it's based on a student's conduct. It's not based on their mental health condition.
Out of that, could you give me a ballpark figure of how many students were actually expelled 159 10/17/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - BILL 070275, ETC. over the last year or so?
Last year I think through the judicial process, I would say somewhere around a half a dozen or so.
But there's expelled and then you'll have suspension of a semester or two.
Yeah. I'm not interested in that. I'm talking about the real rotten apple there. And there's not too many of them, thank God. So, again, I want to commend you for your testimony and for, I guess, the programs that you put in. I think that all of us here feel much better about the safety and security of all our students in our colleges and universities in Philadelphia. Again, thank you.
You're welcome. 160 10/17/07 - PUBLIC SAFETY - BILL 070275, ETC.
I just want to say one more thing before we close. I think it is important to include the siren in on your notification, because everyone doesn't know how to access a text message or may not have a cell phone, and sirens are just so simple and easy and hopefully everybody can hear them. So don't forget the good old-fashioned people that don't walk around with these cell phones. I have a cell phone that someone tried to -- someone told me they sent me a text message. I told them, I don't do text. And I don't. But somebody like me, I need a siren. I just want to thank you for coming in today. This Resolution 070330 is being held to the call of the Chair. Thank you.
Thank you. (Committee on Public Safety adjourned at 3:50 p.m.) - - - 161 CERTIFICATE I HEREBY CERTIFY that the proceedings, evidence and objections are contained fully and accurately in the stenographic notes taken by me upon the foregoing matter on October 17, 2007, and that this is a true and correct transcript of same. ______________________________ MICHELE L. MURPHY RPR-Notary Public (The foregoing certification of this transcript does not apply to any reproduction of the same by any means, unless under the direct control and/or supervision of the certifying reporter.)