Grand Canyon University has roughly a 300+ acre campus and an enrollment of over 100,000 students across its online and in-person programs and continues to experience unprecedented growth. Teresa Bohman is the Health and Safety Manager at GCU and part of a 12-person team that oversees 145 buildings across campus.
How long have you been in the position and how did you end up in campus safety?
I have been the Health and Safety Manager at GCU for almost three years. I started at GCU ten years before that, where I supported the teaching labs by the creation of safety content and the completion of safety checks. I found I had a passion for keeping both employees and students safe.
What’s the most challenging part of your role?Â
The ever-changing and growing campus means that solutions that worked for some things no longer work in the same way. With a university, we really work on safety from all angles, from traffic safety to worker safety which keeps the job both challenging and interesting.
What’s the most rewarding part of your role?
The reason I love working at a university is the students. I have been able to hire former student workers, mentor them, and then send them on to careers or graduate school. The focus on learning and growing extends to the staff and being a part of someone’s journey to their purpose is very fulfilling.
Why is campus safety so important?
Campus safety is so important because the campus is really a small to medium-sized town. Making sure the right resources are available so that everyone can work, learn, and live safely is critical to providing an environment where everyone can be successful.
How has CampusOptics helped you to improve safety at Grand Canyon University?
CampusOptics has helped us improve safety by helping us collect data on all aspects of the work we do. From tracking incidents and issues to helping us get department buy-in on chemical tracking and inspections, it has been a very valuable tool that has helped us better understand how to keep people safe.
