Our residence halls are equipped with a sophisticated access control system. The system restricts entry in residence halls by identification cards. The Campus Safety Office monitors the system 24 hours a day. If an identification card is lost or stolen, it can be replaced the moment it is reported and the old one is removed from the system, which helps to reduce the risk of criminal opportunity.
Emergency Call boxes are on campus outside all residence halls and at strategic spots throughout campus. These boxes are used for emergency assistance and general assistance from College personnel. A caller can push the button on the call box and immediately is put in contact with a Campus Safety Officer and dispatcher. The campus is monitored and evaluated 24 hours a day by safety personnel on foot, in a vehicle and/or on a bicycle. Safety personnel on duty are equipped with portable radios that provide constant communication to all parts and constituencies of the campus.
The Campus Safety vehicle used by our safety officers to patrol the parameter of the residence halls is equipped with a mobile radio and cellular telephone. This provides the ability to communicate rapidly with the local police. The Office of Campus Safety works closely with the Physical Plant, the Office of Residence Life and the Dean of Students Office to maintain security in all college buildings and residence halls. All residents are encourage to report all security and safety hazards to the Office of Campus Safety, the Physical Plant or local authorities.
Each residence hall has a card access reader on the exterior doors. The system is designed so residents have the opportunity to control the access and security of their home environment. The exterior hall doors are locked 24 hours a day. Students gain entry by swiping their identification card through a card reader. The doors are equipped with alarms, which are activated when a door is left open, or propped open to alert the residence.
Students living in residence halls should keep their room doors locked at all times and never prop open exterior doors. A resident should escort guests in the halls at all times. While no system can guarantee a safe environment, overall security is certainly improved by the existence of a lock system.
Because we feel that high visibility of uniformed officers is an effective deterrent to criminal activity, Campus Safety Officers actively patrol the campus on foot or bicycle. We believe that the relatively small number of motor vehicle thefts and burglaries given the nature of our campus is, at least in part, a result of the efforts we make in our Campus Safety operation to have a visible presence.
Campus Safety also works in cooperation with Resident Assistant Housing staff members to provide security and controlled access to the college residence halls. This joint effort places patrol personnel around the residence hall areas during the hours of darkness. Only residents and their escorted guests are admitted after the buildings are locked. Professional staff is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to respond to emergency situations.
The college reserves the right to exclude from the premises all persons not conforming to acceptable behavioral norms. The policy concerning guests is defined and outlined in the student handbook.