McKenzie, Tenn.–Back in January, Bethel University was notified by the State of Tennessee and the Office of Criminal Justice Programs that the university was being awarded a safety grant in the amount of approximately $306,000.
The grant is part of a state-wide program known as the Tennessee Higher Education Safety Grant which was approved in the fall of 2023 for colleges and universities to invest in various safety and security improvements. The state legislature allocated approximately $30 million for the grant and has awarded funding to numerous institutions across the state.
Projects being worked on this summer at Bethel include upgrades and enhancements to the security camera systems across campus, including the Vera Low Student Center and Nursing Department, and upgrading the electronic access control systems in the dormitories.
Another major project started this morning, which is the upgrading of the parking lot lights and many of the building security lights to brand-new LED fixtures. Additional parking light poles are expected to be installed on Bethel Court in front of the Dickey Fine Arts Center as well as at the Dr. Deborah Thompson Tennis Complex as part of the safety improvements. This is expected to take several weeks to complete and we hope to have it finished by the first of August.