Spelman College takes steps to prevent hate crimes against LGBTQ students

April 9, 2016 Atlanta - Dr. Mary Schmidt Campbell speaks after the investiture during Spelman College 2016 Investiture Ceremony at Georgia World Congress Center on Saturday, April 9, 2016. Mary Schmidt Campbell, former dean emerita of the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, was installed as its 10th president of Spelman College on Saturday at the Georgia World Congress Center. HYOSUB SHIN / HSHIN@AJC.COM

April 9, 2016 Atlanta - Dr. Mary Schmidt Campbell speaks after the investiture during Spelman College 2016 Investiture Ceremony at Georgia World Congress Center on Saturday, April 9, 2016. Mary Schmidt Campbell, former dean emerita of the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, was installed as its 10th president of Spelman College on Saturday at the Georgia World Congress Center. HYOSUB SHIN / HSHIN@AJC.COM

Spelman College president Mary Schmidt Campbell announced steps Wednesday afternoon she hopes will protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning students from physical and verbal attacks on campus.

The measures include 30 additional cameras at the entrances and exits to the dorms and its law enforcement will increase patrols of the Atlanta campus if there is a physical incident.

The steps are in response to some incidents that took place near the end of the spring semester that included a transgender student knocked to the ground while exiting a residence hall and notes left on campus with messages such as "Keep Spelman safe. No queers."

“The disturbing events that happened this spring were not our best self,” Campbell said in a letter Wednesday to students, faculty and staff.

Spelman administrators met with students after the semester to discuss how to make the college more inclusive, Campbell wrote.

Spelman, a Historically Black College & University for women near downtown Atlanta, announced in November it will admit transgender female students, starting this academic year.