When 农夫导航 had to make the difficult decision to ask students to leave
the residence halls as a precaution against the threat of coronavirus, Debbie Fox,
director of Bellarmine鈥檚 Office of Public Safety, had an immediate idea.
鈥淲e can help get those students home,鈥� she said.
Fox鈥檚 department announced that any student who needed a ride to their permanent residence
anywhere in a two-hour radius could hop aboard one of the three shuttles that usually
transports students around campus. Bellarmine鈥檚 public safety team also offered to
take anyone who remained in residence halls last week to Kroger or the pharmacy.
The service was an example of the countless ways the university has met the coronavirus
crisis with a sense of service. Nearly every unit has stepped up in its own way. The
School of Continuing and Professional Studies offered shopping services to itsVeritas group, which consists of learners over age 54 in the Louisville area. Bellarmine's
collected messages of encouragement from alumni to current students. The College of Health Professions donated an inventory of personal protective equipment to front-line healthcare workers.
鈥淎t Bellarmine there really is a community, family spirit here,鈥� Fox said. 鈥淵ou have
amazing people here who step up and say 鈥業鈥檝e got that.鈥欌�� It鈥檚 the Bellarmine way.鈥�
Public Safety ended up fielding several requests for trips home in the Louisville
area, plus two students who asked for rides to the airport before flying back home
to California. The students, a junior and a sophomore, were on the same flight. Sharon
Oster, the transport supervisor, drove them.
鈥淪he wanted to do that,鈥� Fox said. 鈥淭hey were very grateful. We said 鈥榯ake care of
each other and call us when you get there,鈥� you know, just like a mom would.鈥�
Fox said they set up each shuttle, which have several benches, for social distancing
with students sitting six feet apart.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been intentional about what we鈥檙e doing,鈥� she said.
Fox said the offer to give rides home is indicative of the relationship Public Safety
has with the campus community on a regular basis. The unit covers general functions
of campus security and transportation but also goes above and beyond for individuals,
as they need it.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not sworn officers, so we鈥檙e not police,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e more like ambassadors
for the university. We do all kinds of things. 鈥� We鈥檙e always looking for ways to
step up to serve the community.鈥�
That includes giving students escorts or rides on campus past 10:30 p.m., when the
shuttle service ends, whenever they鈥檙e requested. In the past, they鈥檝e made pickups
at the airport for students moving to campus.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the Bellarmine environment; it鈥檚 all about hospitality,鈥� Fox said. 鈥淎nd we
balance between hospitality and safety.鈥�
This Saturday, Public Safety was on hand once again to help Residence Life move the
final batch of students off-campus as the university transitions to online classes
only for the rest of the semester.
鈥淚 wanted to make it easy as possible for everyone,鈥� she said.