Ohio University unveiled a new University Safety and Security website the week of Aug. 26, according to university news.
According to OU’s Senior Director of Communications Dan Pittman, the renovated website is intended to provide students, staff, faculty and visitors with enhanced resources and communications guidance for emergency campus situations.
“Ensuring a safe and welcoming learning environment where students can thrive is Ohio University’s top priority, and our faculty and staff are committed to working together across various functional areas to provide access to support and safety resources and respond effectively to emergencies as they arise,” Pittman said.
According to university news, the University Safety and Security website includes emergency response plans, campus safety resources, and details on how to sign up for the university’s OHIO Alert system.
Along with the new University Safety and Security website, OU has updated the website edition OHIO Alert, which provides information and guidance during campus emergencies.
According to Pittman, OHIO Alert now offers a comprehensive, informational landing page that includes both quick-glance and detailed information regarding the operating status of each University campus and center.
The enhancements to OHIO Alert also include a color-coding system to help visually convey emergencies and their impacts on campus, according to Pittman.
Universities are ethically and legally obligated to provide their communities with emergency information. According to the Department of Education, the Clery Act requires all postsecondary institutions to provide campus crime statistics and security information to their communities.
The Clery Act also requires institutions to develop and implement specific campus safety and crime prevention policies and procedures, according to the Department of Education.
Alongside OU’s new University Safety and Security website and updated OHIO Alert design, the university publishes an Annual Security Report to comply with the Clery Act.
Despite the resources and information OU provides to the campus community, some students are still unaware of the new safety and security upgrades.
Luke Hansen, a senior studying psychology, said he was unaware of the new website, but that he believed it could be helpful.
“I have not heard of the website, and I have not interacted with it,” Hansen wrote in an email. “A safety website sounds like it could be important. However, I wish it was better advertised."
Seth Switzer, a freshman studying chemical engineering, wrote in an email he also was unaware of the new website.
“I have not heard about the new safety website from OU … I think that a safety website would be helpful to some students, it would be there for those who need it. There aren’t really any downsides,” Switzer said.
Though students may be unaware of safety resources, they do have safety concerns, according to the 2021 Campus Safety Survey by ADT and the Clery Center.
“More than 82% of college students report feeling concerned about their personal safety … with more than half saying they are very or extremely concerned,” the survey said.
Safety is consistently on the minds of college students. The University Safety and Security website is intended to help the University community better prepare for, and respond to, emerging or imminent emergency campus situations, according to Pittman.
OU’s campuses collectively underwent several emergency communication systems tests Sept. 6, according to a university announcement. The university will periodically test these systems to ensure they work properly throughout the year.
