Rate My Professor Garry McLennan

Garry McLennan serves as Team Leader of the Campus Watch team at the University of Otago in Dunedin. Campus Watch plays a crucial role in promoting student safety, particularly in North Dunedin, the student quarter. The team proactively patrols the area, especially on weekend nights, providing reassurance to students out and about socializing. They conduct annual visits to every student flat to educate on fire safety, ensure working smoke alarms are installed, and discuss risks associated with alcohol and fires. The team also intervenes to prevent incidents, referring individuals caught lighting fires to the Proctor’s Office for students or New Zealand Police for non-students.

Under McLennan's leadership, the Campus Watch team has made significant contributions to reducing nuisance fires and enhancing fire safety. In 2023, fire incidents in North Dunedin dropped dramatically from around 200 per year to fewer than 10. For their efforts, the University of Otago received the Risk Reduction Award from Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ), the first time such an award was given to an organization outside FENZ in the Te Kei (Southern Region). Team members honored include Deane Borley, Steve Crosland, and Annabel Cole, alongside McLennan. The team's work involves prevention, education, enforcement, and accountability, partnering with the Proctor’s Office, Police, Dunedin City Council, and others under the Sophia Charter. McLennan has recognized team members' dedication, such as praising Steve Crosland upon his retirement after 15 years in 2024 for learning Italian, playing the bagpipes, writing three children’s books, and providing honest feedback and support. Additionally, McLennan participated in the campus Anzac Day commemoration in 2020.