CONWAY, S.C. -- The South Carolina Commission on Higher Education (CHE), in partnership with the South Carolina Higher Education Foundation, hosted the 2025 Dalton and Linda Floyd Campus Safety Conference this week at Coastal Carolina University — marking the first return of the event in over a decade.

The two-day conference brought together campus leaders, law enforcement professionals, and higher education stakeholders to address critical safety concerns facing colleges and universities today. Key focus areas included behavioral threat assessment, active shooter training, mental health, and campus reunification strategies.

CHE President and Executive Director Dr. Jeff Perez opened the event by highlighting the evolving role of campus safety professionals. 

“People on campus routinely think of campus police for one thing — parking,” Perez said. “Rapid response is a core function of yours but so is deescalating the situation, so it doesn’t become a threat. So is showing compassion to those most traumatized, and empowering individuals to reduce the chances of putting themselves at risk. Thank you for sharing your skills and strategies that keep us all safe.”

The conference is named in honor of Dalton and Linda Floyd, founders of the conference and long-time advocates for campus safety and higher education. Mr. Ben Satcher, chair of the South Carolina Higher Education Foundation, acknowledged their foundational role. 

“It’s safe to say the foundation would not be here today if it weren’t for you and Dalton,” Satcher said to Linda Floyd in his remarks at the event. “It’s great to revitalize this program again.”

Linda Floyd said that an unfortunate tragedy initially sparked the conference. 

“Back in 1999, we had a student who was severely attacked. For all practical purposes, he shouldn’t be here today,” she said. “Dalton said to me many times, 'Wouldn’t it be great if they were able to have the Campus Safety Conference again?’ I’m honored to be here continuing that mission.”

Participants received expert-led training, including from Kimberly Clamp, a senior special agent and certified criminal profiler with South Carolina Law Enforcement Division’s (SLED) Behavioral Science Unit. 

“It’s very important to educate not only college and university staff, but also students,” Clamp said. “This way, we can find out if there is a concern and a true threat of harm how we would potentially mitigate it from becoming a violent attack.”

Matthew Hammett, executive director of the South Carolina Institute on the Prevention of Sexual Violence on College Campuses, emphasized the power of collaboration. 

“This conference allows professionals and colleagues to get together, network, collaborate, partner, and think holistically about how we keep our campuses safe in South Carolina.”

Through shared knowledge, practical tools, and meaningful collaboration, the conference supported South Carolina’s higher education community's ability to build safer, more prepared campuses for all.