Assessing the visibility, responsiveness, and empowerment of student marshals
Joy H. Abu, Morlan G. Pasia & Joseph G. Quizon
Abstract
While student marshal initiatives are increasingly used to support campus safety, limited empirical evidence exists on how such programs are perceived by key stakeholders in higher education institutions, particularly in the Philippine context. Hence, this study assessed the visibility, responsiveness, and empowerment of student marshals as a basis for developing an enhanced campus safety program. Using a mixed-methods research design, the study gathered quantitative data from 316 students and faculty members through a validated survey questionnaire and qualitative data from selected student marshals through interviews. Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed to analyze quantitative responses, while thematic analysis was used for qualitative data. Findings revealed that student marshals were generally perceived as visible, responsive, and empowered in performing their duties, indicating their positive contribution to maintaining campus order and safety. Significant differences in perceptions were observed when respondents were grouped according to role, gender, and department, while age showed no significant effect. Qualitative results identified key challenges related to balancing academic and patrol responsibilities, limited manpower and resources, inadequate training, and varying levels of cooperation from the campus community. The findings underscore the importance of systematic assessment, continuous training, institutional support, and recognition in sustaining effective student marshal programs. The results served as the basis for the development of an enhanced campus safety program that aims to strengthen marshal visibility, responsiveness, and empowerment, thereby promoting a safer, more participatory, and responsive campus safety system.
Keywords
campus safety, student marshals, visibility, responsiveness, empowerment
Author information & Contribution
Joy H. Abu. Dean, College of Criminology, Padre Garcia Polytechnic College, Philippines
Morlan G. Pasia. Corresponding author. Instructor, College of Criminology, Padre Garcia Polytechnic College, Philippines. Email: morlan.pasia@deped.gov.ph
Joseph G. Quizon. Instructor, College of Criminology, Padre Garcia Polytechnic College, Philippines
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Funding
This work was not supported by any funding.
Institutional Review Board Statement
This study was conducted in accordance with the ethical guidelines set by Padre Garcia Polytechnic College. The conduct of this study has been approved and given relative clearance(s) by the President of Padre Garcia Polytechnic College.
AI Declaration
The author declares the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in writing this paper. In particular, the author used ChatGPT and Grammarly in checking for grammar and summarizing key points and paraphrasing ideas. The author takes full responsibility in ensuring proper review and editing of contents generated using AI.
Notes
Acknowledgement
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Cite this article:
Abu, J.H., Pasia, M.G. & Quizon, J.G. (2026). Assessing the visibility, responsiveness, and empowerment of student marshals. International Journal of Educational Management and Development Studies, 7(1), 83-104. https://doi.org/10.53378/ijemds.353328
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