Campus Life – A Word About Safety

An effective residence hall security program depends on:

• Cooperation from residents
• An alert community
• Staff supervision
• University Police assistance.

We have taken many steps to provide you with a safe and secure place to live on campus. But just as important are your responsibilities as a member of a community in keeping your hall safe and secure.

It is our belief that if each resident can follow a few common sense precautions to safety, the residence halls will remain, as they are, a safe place for everyone to live. If one resident chooses to prop a door or forgets to close it, they are leaving the rest of the hall exposed to dangers.

We have taken steps such as alarming and placing video monitors outside of building exits to monitor against intruders, placing smoke detectors in each room, requiring University employees and service personnel to sign in at the desk and wear UT IDs. But any amount of prevention can go only so far. All the fire equipment in the halls will not prevent a fire that is caused by carelessness with an illegal candle or appliance. Nor can residence life staff and UT-Police prevent thefts from your room if the door is left unlocked.

	Please take the time to follow a few simple suggestions to make your stay with us an enjoyable and safe one. Never walk alone at night and do not let friends walk alone. Use the van escort service whenever possible. Vans run from dusk to dawn each night. Avoid dimly lit or unlit areas on campus. Never prop open outside doors of your residence hall. Report unescorted or un-familiar persons to the staff immediately. Be familiar with the blue light emergency phones on campus and use them. They are located at strategic areas around campus and are a direct line to the University Police. Call 4-3114 or 911 for any emergency situation. Always lock the door to your residence hall room. Inform your RA of any crisis, theft or emergency situation.

Health and Safety Inspections

Once each semester, the residence hall staff will conduct health and safety inspections. Notice will be posted at least 24 hours in advance. These inspections are designed to protect you from conditions that may be harmful to the community. If there are unsafe or unhealthy conditions in your room, you will be asked to correct these. During health and safety inspections, staff members may not open closed closets, drawers, refrigerators, or luggage. If you feel like your room has been inspected inappropriately, contact your hall director.

Keys and Lockouts

You will be issued a key at the beginning of the year during check-in, and you are responsible for that key the rest of the year. You should keep your key with you at all times. Some important notes about your keys:

• Keep them with you at all times. Your keys should never be left in a hiding place outside your room.
• Lockouts. If you are locked out of your room, take your VolCard to the main desk to request a “lockout” key. The lockout key must be returned to the main desk within the time specified by the deskworker. If it is not, we assume you have lost your key and we will order a new door lock and keys.
• Lost keys. Report all lost keys immediately to the main desk of your hall so that we can assure your safety, or that of your roommate and your belongings.

If you lose your key or fail to return a lockout key in the time specified, a new lock core and new keys will be ordered for your room. New keys will be available at the main desk after the new core is installed. Your account will be billed $26 for the cost of a new lock core. Note: residence hall staff members will not open another resident’s room for you at any time!

VolCard Access

VolCard readers are used in all Halls to control access to the building. If you live in one of these buildings your VolCard will give you access to that building. Should you lose your VolCard please report it to the front desk immediately. Replacement VOLCard’s cost $10 and can be obtained at the VolCard Office in South Stadium Hall.