Campus Safety and Security

The primary responsibility of the Safety and Security Department is to ensure the safety and security of the students, faculty, staff, and visitors to The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art. Cooper Union provides a 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-per-year security presence on campus. The Cooper Union has been fortunate in maintaining an atmosphere where serious criminal activities have not occurred. Our goal remains to encourage the integrity, honesty, and responsibility of each individual student to maintain an atmosphere of harmony and mutual respect.

Every incident of behavior that seems inconsistent with our philosophy and principles of safety and security should be reported to appropriate campus authorities. The security officers in the lobby of each building should be notified immediately of any emergencies and depending on the circumstances, it may also be appropriate to call the police at 911.

Students and staff should also file an incident report by contacting any security officer. Such reports help The Cooper Union respond to breaches in security. The Director of Safety and Security maintains a daily log of such incidents. This log is available for inspection in room 111, 41 Cooper Square. Prompt reporting will ensure timely warning notices on-campus and timely disclosure of crime statistics.

The Campus Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990 requires colleges and universities to make available statistics concerning the prevalence of certain types of crime on campus and in the neighborhood to all current students, employees, and applicants for enrollment or employment. 

See the 2024-2025 Safety, Security, and Fire Safety Report.

The Health and Safety Committee

Chair:   Toni Torres

 

Lizelle Ocfemia

Laela Baker

Joanna Kim

Julia Penchaszadeh Robert  

Ruben Savizky

Jennifer Weiser

Mary Ann Nissen

Grace Kendall

Brian Cusack

Cara DiEdwardo

Avra Spector

Thomas Tresselt

 

  • Founded by inventor, industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper in 1859, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art offers education in art, architecture and engineering, as well as courses in the humanities and social sciences.

  • “My feelings, my desires, my hopes, embrace humanity throughout the world,” Peter Cooper proclaimed in a speech in 1853. He looked forward to a time when, “knowledge shall cover the earth as waters cover the great deep.”

  • From its beginnings, Cooper Union was a unique institution, dedicated to founder Peter Cooper's proposition that education is the key not only to personal prosperity but to civic virtue and harmony.

  • Peter Cooper wanted his graduates to acquire the technical mastery and entrepreneurial skills, enrich their intellects and spark their creativity, and develop a sense of social justice that would translate into action.