What’s New with Public Safety? A Conversation with Chief Chad Carnegie

by Shannon Kelly ’26 on February 12, 2026

News

On Friday, Feb. 6, I interviewed chief of public safety Chad Carnegie. We discussed the new renovations to the Public Safety office and initiatives that are being worked on, and I got a tour of the new building, which is now located on the St. Joseph’s side of Raymond Hall. The Chief explained that their facility includes a roll call room, emergency operations center, kitchen, and separate men’s and women’s locker rooms. Chief Carnegie previously worked at Georgetown University for 11 years at the college police department. He came to Providence College in 2022 and, “likes a challenge to not be stagnant.” We discussed his upbringing and the Chief told me that he was raised in Florida, where he also worked as a police officer.

We discussed the difference in pace in comparison to being a police officer and working on a college campus. Chief Carnegie explained that the college campus atmosphere is slower compared to being a police officer. When asked about community initiatives, Chief Carnegie explained that the Office of Public Safety prioritizes caring for the students. He said that the office seeks to show that they do not just care about students when they’re at their worst, but wants to be a supporting presence in their everyday lives too. He said that recently, Public Safety handed out 150 pizzas to students on and off campus to foster connections. In November, Public Safety hosted an event with donuts and coffee in hopes to engage in conversation with students, as well as faculty.

Afterwards, I asked Chief Carnegie about any changes in Public Safety that he has noticed during his time here. He said that he has amazing officers and a deep appreciation for the department as a whole. He emphasized that he is “striving to make it the best it can be” and that working towards greatness has become the culture at Public Safety during his time here. He explained that he was proud of the work that is being done and that it is not just him, it’s everybody else in the department. Chief Carnegie also divulged that he just presented on emergency management to Student Congress, the Board of Trustees, and parents on the leadership board.

The tragic Brown University shooting was also mentioned during our conversation, and Chief Carnegie told me that as many students have now noticed, the doors to main buildings are now closed on the weekends. He said that there is a lot going on behind the scenes right now following the shooting at Brown to ensure that our campus is prepared and can respond effectively to an emergency. He told me that the 900+ cameras on campus are being audited, the gate entrances are being looked at, and policies regarding locking doors in classrooms are also a topic of discussion.

The last question I asked Chief Carnegie had to do with any advice pertaining to safety that he might offer to Providence College community members. The Chief told me that situational awareness is key and we must be thinking about what is going on around us. He emphasized that Public Safety is here 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and that they are a resource for all. Chief Carnegie ended with expressing his gratitude to Father Sicard, O.P. ’78, ’82G, Dean of Students Steven Sears, and John Sweeney for their efforts in support of the new Public Safety building. He encouraged people to reach out, have fun, enjoy their time here, and always remember that “we’re all Friars.”

Celebrating Women and Feminism for 110 Years: PC Holds Events to Honor International Women’s Day

by The Cowl Editor on March 18, 2021

News

by Katherine Morrissey ’22

News Staff

Over the duration of March, the Providence College community has been simultaneously celebrating women’s achievements and raising awareness of women’s and gender issues in light of International Women’s Day.

International Women’s Day takes place annually on March 8. According to the International Women’s Day website, it is a global holiday dedicated to “celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.” It also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality.

International Women’s Day has been celebrated ever since 1911 and has continued to gain support and attention over the years. This year, IWD celebrated its 110-year anniversary.

PC students were quick to become involved with IWD by dedicating a whole week to celebrating the holiday. This was evident through a variety of clubs on campus organizing in-person and virtual events, all of which had to do with the empowerment and celebration of women.

PC Democrats, alongside Student Congress, Campus Ministry, and the Board of Programmers staged events open to all students and faculty. Their goal was to stimulate discussion surrounding the aforementioned topics. One event that was particularly successful was the panel titled “What It’s Like to Be a Woman at PC.”

One notable panelist from the night was Tess Jacobson ’22, an economics major and German minor. On top of her studies, Jacobson is vice-president of Women Will, where she has dedicated time and effort to the feminist cause on and off-campus, as she demonstrated by participating in the panel.

When asked about what motivated her involvement at the College, Jacobson stated, “While I have always been a feminist, I decided to become more involved to better understand what feminism means at PC.” She continued, “I’ve met people at PC who agree and disagree with feminism and heard/seen some events that seemed anti-feminist, so I decided to get involved myself.” Jacobson’s involvement shows how students can be proactive in getting involved and educated about issues they are passionate about on campus. Women’s Week served as an opportunity for both involvement and education.

Regarding the event, Jacobson stated, “I think the event definitely raised awareness about the issues and discrimination women can face on campus. Especially when it comes to hookup culture, sexual harassment, and sexual assault.”

Jacobson’s sentiments show how events like “What It’s Like to Be a Woman at PC” have the potential to provide awareness of and education on even the most challenging subjects. Topics like sexual harassment and sexual assault are sometimes difficult to discuss, especially in front of faculty and other students, but are nevertheless integral in raising awareness and creating solutions for students on campus. These are real and relevant issues, especially considering the correlation between occurrences of harassment or assault and the prevalence of hookup and drinking culture on college campuses.

Concerning the success of the event, Jacobson remained optimistic but truthful, stating, “There was a good number of students and faculty that attended the event, which was encouraging to see. However, the problem with events like these is it seems to always be the same people that attend. While all attendees are always appreciated, without new faces, events can tend to be an echo chamber.”

While events are gaining more student attention, there is always room for more students to attend and get involved, and especially individuals who know less about women’s issues.

Jacobson also commented on what misconceptions or changes she thinks might benefit the PC community to support gender equality. “I think first and foremost it’s helpful to stop the stigma that’s sometimes associated with feminism, that it’s a bad word or only a women’s issue. Feminism on a basic level simply means you believe men and women should be equal.”

While stigmas about feminism and its meaning continue to be problematic, events and campus efforts like those associated with Women’s Week promote further awareness and understanding for students. However, some question if these efforts are enough and if change to the campus climate is needed for long-term solutions.

Jacobson mentioned a potential curriculum change when asked about beneficial changes that could be made. “I think encouraging more students to take WGS [women’s and gender studies], or Black studies courses, or any course that promotes diversity is always helpful.”

Although there are many issues facing students on college campuses in our world today, the efforts made by students like Jacobson during Women’s Week demonstrate the ways in which the College is starting to have the important conversations needed to not only raise awareness, but ultimately to reduce the prevalence of gender-related issues on campus going forward.