A series of incidents at Carroll College in Waukesha have prompted officials to tighten security measures and coordinate with the Waukesha Police Department.

The first three victims were female students, said Catherine Jorgens, risk manager at Carroll College.

A fourth incident occurred late Sunday night, when a 20-year-old male student was robbed at gunpoint, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Monday.

According to a Carroll College Safety Alert, the first incident occurred Oct. 3 and involved two male high school students attacking a female student from behind. The student fell to the ground but was able to verbally ward off her attackers.

Two days later, at approximently 11:40 a.m., a man stuck his hand up a female student's skirt while she was walking through a university-owned parking lot, and then fled the scene according to Waukesha Police Lt. William Graham.

The third was on Oct. 9, when a female student reported being followed by a man back to her apartment, the Safety Alert said. Jorgens said the incidents aren't connected because all the attackers were different.

Jorgens said the campus is increasing safety by sending e-mail alerts to students, increasing the number of police patrols and conducting a study on campus lighting.

Graham said more students are moving off-campus where the incidents occurred.

The department's patrol cars have been told to be on the alert, but Graham said the department is having budgetary problems. He said the department has not expanded for 10 years.

"We're stretched thin with everything that's going on," Graham said. "What we're relying on is the students and neighbors when they see something suspicious to call right away."

Carroll College is also strengthening security through the Campus Safe-Walk Program, which provides students with escorts at any time, Jorgens said.

"The fact that we've seen an increase in number of requests for safe walks shows that students are trying to respond," Jorgens said.

Megan Mohr, a sophomore at Carroll, said she never walks home alone now.

"I never really liked walking alone in the first place at night, but after this, I'm never alone," Mohr said.

She said she felt safer before the incidents but now feels unsafe. There have been more patrols and campus e-mails warning about safety, Mohr said.

"The fact that you know it's not 100 percent safe makes me feel uneasy," Mohr said. "Even if there's someone walking with me, I still don't feel 100 percent safe."

Allison Malesky, a sophomore, said she feels safe on campus. She said she always walks in groups because in each incident, the victims were walking alone.

Malesky said the e-mails have scared people more than anything else.

"I feel fine about the security, it hasn't really changed anything," Malesky said. "I know I'm careful myself."

Waukesha is generally a safe community, Jorgens said. Although it's a different environment from Marquette, Carroll College faces the same challenges, she said.

Graham agreed and said everyone must be aware of his or her surroundings.

"While we may be safer than Milwaukee, I would still advise people walking late at night to keep your alertness up," Graham said.