With over 16,000 undergraduate students, a robust nightlife, a bar within walking distance for most students, and an expanding campus, Rowan University’s Department of Public Safety has its work cut out for them. To get more eyes on the ground and give eligible students the opportunity to learn, the Student Patrol Program gives 16 law and justice students a semester the responsibility to monitor the campus. 

Rowan University’s Student Patrol Program officially began in 2008 with 12 law and justice students who were carefully selected and trained to work closely with the Department of Public Safety. 16 years later, the Student Patrol Program remains an integral part of the ever-expanding university. 

Ryan Corblies, a junior at Rowan, pursued this opportunity so he could gain hands-on experience in the field and network with others. 

“You can really learn a lot from the people working within the department. The people within the department have experiences in a lot of different areas so it is always interesting to talk with them and have the opportunity to learn,” said Corblies. 

Student Patrol Officers work from 9:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. as they conduct walkthroughs, escorts, and secure buildings. Corblies also explained that he is an extra set of eyes for the campus community. 

While these may seem like strange hours for a full-time student to work, the student officers find the program relatively easy to balance with their coursework and other jobs. 

Adam Ackiewicz, a senior, has a full-time job on top of his school work and position as a Student Patrol Officer. 

“I balance this program, a full-time job at Applebee’s, and my classes all at the same time by properly maintaining a clear-cut weekly schedule. Things always come up, but communication is always important too. It helps to not procrastinate,” said Ackiewicz. 

Corblies expressed that he feels like students do not fully understand what it is that he and his fellow officers do and that students frequently ask him while he is on shift. Ackiewicz shared a similar sentiment.

“Students may not understand that this position requires full heightened attention. Any moments spent not paying close attention can result in someone getting hurt or something being damaged or stolen,” said Ackiewicz. 

When Ackiewicz is on shift, he starts his night at Holly Pointe and then ventures through various parts of campus. He patrols Engineering Hall, Rowan Hall, and the Rowan Boulevard apartments. 

“Tasks pop up nightly where I can be called to complete, and I am always keeping my head on a swivel,” said Ackiewicz. 

As the university expands, welcoming its largest freshman class this fall, there are more students on campus than ever that the patrol officers have to stay vigilant of and protect. Corblies believes the expansion of the university will result in more personnel for the Department of Public Safety, while Ackiewicz sees it as an area of concern.

“The more that Rowan expands, the more area there is to cover, and more people are needed to maintain a safe environment. The task becomes more concerning with a higher population of students to protect as well,” said Ackiewicz. 

Skyler Kummer, a junior, wanted to join the program because he felt his studies lacked the police side of the criminal justice system. 

“I think it is also one of the more difficult areas in criminal justice to learn about in university, as many of my professors are lawyers and researchers and I am not able to hear the same amount of anecdotal experience about police as I am for those positions,” said Kummer. 

While his fellow officers feel there may be a lack of understanding between students and themselves, Kummer thinks it can be helpful for students to have someone their own age to go to if in trouble. 

“We are the same age as most students and even know some of them, so it can be less intimidating to come up to us and we are able to pass it on to security or police if necessary,” said Kummer. 

In a similar vein, Kummer said his goal is not to get students in trouble with the university but simply to ensure safety. 

“I’m not there just to get students in trouble. We are all also students and understand what it is like to be a student, so I am just looking to make sure that everyone is safe,” said Kummer. 

Kummer believes the biggest challenge for Public Safety will be having the staff cover the number of students on campus as Rowan continues to grow. 

“There are a lot of students on Rowan’s campus and being able to manage the increasing number of incidents that come up will be critical to handling Rowan’s growing population,” said Kummer.

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