CAMPUS SAFETY

At no other time in our nation’s history has safety on college campuses been such a topic of national conversation. Following the tragic events of April 16 on the campus of Virginia Tech, much has been discussed about safety, emergency response and communication. As the James Madison University community prepares for another school year, we continue to remember the families who lost loved ones.

While no university can promise a safe haven, JMU has a strong and ongoing commitment to the safety and well-being of its students, faculty and staff. This commitment is manifested in a comprehensive emergency response plan, which has been used by over 400 organizations nationally and internationally. This plan is consistently evaluated and updated. The Office of Public Safety – a professional force of state-trained police officers – is responsible for the direct oversight and implementation of the comprehensive emergency response plan.

Key leadership from across the university constitutes the university’s Emergency Response and Recovery Team. This task force serves as an advisory team the senior management team in the midst of a crisis. This team has identified multiple communication methods to be used by JMU during an emergency. They are: Cell phone emergency alerts, which include text and voice messaging; blast e-mail messages, which can be sent and received within minutes; a campus siren system with a public address system; the university Web page; off-campus reverse 911 alerts; loudspeakers in each campus police patrol vehicle; and local television, radio and newspapers.

We will be asking your son or daughter to provide us with their cell phone number so they will be able to receive either text or voice messages in the case of an emergency. Please review with them their best option to receive a message depending on the type of cell phone service you may have. Students will have instructions on the student web gateway for submitting their cell phone number beginning August 10.

The hall directors, resident advisers and building coordinators are trained annually on emergency procedures to benefit the students in residence halls, classrooms and dining and recreation facilities. As an important safeguard, each of the university’s 35 residence halls is locked 24 hours a day. Entry into all residence halls requires card access and doors are equipped with "prop door" alarms to ensure that doors remain closed and locked.

As you prepare to bring your daughter or son to campus for a new school year, please take a few minutes to talk about personal safety. Encourage your student to observe all campus safety policies and make wise personal safety decisions. Please contact the Office of Public Safety (540-568-6913) or the Office of Public Affairs (540-568-3621) should you have any questions.