Residence Hall Safey and Security
Individual security
The living areas of all residence halls are “locked-down” 24/7 with personal ID card access available only to residents of that facility. Locks are changed when a resident loses his or her room key. A file copy will be loaned for 24 hours, and if the resident does not locate his or her personal key and return the file key within 24 hours, the lock is changed. All resident room doors and apartments have peepholes.
Hall staff members participate in safety measures
Head staff appointments are live-in positions with established on-duty rotations so that a member of the staff is always available.
Residence hall staff have a myriad of responsibilities regarding student safety including conducting regular health and safety inspections of all student rooms/apartments and several "building rounds" within the building each day.
Front desk security
Each residence hall has 24-hour front desk coverage, and all security and fire alarm systems are monitored 24 hours a day. Each residence hall has a panic button at the main desk with direct UTPD connection to summon immediate police assistance, if necessary.
Each hall has video surveillance of all access doors and major public use areas. All front desks have weather alert radios. All front desks also have direct connect radios with maintenance and housekeeping staff and two-way radios for use during building rounds. These radios provide an efficient method of communication between key staff members for routine and emergency situations.
All residence halls have sophisticated, hard-wired, heat/smoke detection equipment to facilitate early warning and evacuation in case of an emergency related to a potential fire. Staff members complete fire extinguisher and sprinkler system training prior to the fall opening of the halls.
Building-wide announcements also can be made to residents through an intercom system in case of emergencies.
Safety education
All resident assistants talk about safety during their August floor meetings scheduled shortly following check-in. Additional safety tips are provided and related concerns are addressed during floor meetings scheduled throughout the academic year.
University Housing plays a large role in the “Safety Walk,” bringing students and administrators together to walk campus and assess potential safety-related concerns.
Locking down
All residence halls have the capability to lock down in any declared emergency situation. Students must use “card-swipe” technology to enter residential areas at all times. All residence halls are linked via wireless/satellite phones to receive simultaneous communication about emergencies.
Many of our other campus buildings have electronic locking systems that can be activated instantly from a central command station. Police, facilities and other building supervisors also have the ability to manually lock down facilities.