Ross Owens
Chief of Police
Why I CARE
I CARE because I think there is always a place for respect and empathy in the workplace.
How do you show CARE in your day-to-day work at UIS?
As Chief of Police, one instance that reflects CARE in practice is my ongoing participation in the UIS Safety Walk, an initiative launched by the Student Government Association. Each semester, I join student leaders and other university officials on a walk across campus after dark, specifically to hear where students feel unsafe. This could be a dim pathway, a stairwell without adequate lighting or a door that doesn't latch properly.
I'm not reviewing a summarized report; I'm on the ground, asking questions, and listening to students describe their experience of campus in their own words. It's also an act of Respect. Showing up in person signals that student concerns are worth a police chief's time and attention, not just a form to fill out. And it requires Empathy, it's about how a student feels walking to their car at 10 p.m., which is a very different lens than the one I default to professionally, relying on statistics.
During one walk, students Communicated there was a poorly lit parking lot. As an interim measure while logistics and funding was acquired, I took Action and coordinated with Facilities leadership (who was also present) to repair lighting. I also directed additional patrols around those lots during evening hours.
For students, this experience reinforces that their voice carries real weight with campus leadership, including the police department itself. It shifts the relationship from one of authority to one of partnership, which is central to a student (or community) centered safety culture.
What is CARE?
CARE, our foundation for working with others, guides UIS employees to foster a student-centered experience where every individual feels valued, supported and connected. This framework reinforces our Prairie Star commitment to academic and community excellence through integrity, respect and empathy, embedded into daily interactions.