Security Measures: University Housing and Other Buildings

KU safety presentations often make this comparison: "Your residence hall room is like your house. Your hallway is like a busy street."

The traffic in university housing and in classroom and administrative buildings is heavy on most days. The point is that students must lock their rooms and that they must remain vigilant. But students and employees have more than locked doors for protection in university buildings. Here is a brief description:

Residence halls

• All exterior doors except the front entrance are locked between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. Each hall has a reception desk near the front entrance; the desk is staffed 24 hours a day. Between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., residence halls also set up a security desk at the entrance; anyone coming into the hall then must show positive photo identification at the security desk. Nonresidents are not allowed to enter the building during security hours unless they are escorted by a resident. Residents are responsible for their visitors throughout their visit.
• Student security monitors patrol the residence halls during the night to make certain that exterior side and back doors are not propped open and to report any suspicious activity to hall staff. Monitors use the Security Radio Network (SECNET) to communicate with staff members at the reception desks and with the KU Emergency Communications Center (ECC). Transmissions are also monitored by KU Public Safety officers.
• Resident assistants are trained by the Department of Student Housing, ECC, Lawrence/Douglas County Fire and Medical, Douglas County Rape Victim Survivor Service, and other KU and local agencies.
• Numerous programs educate students in self-care and security. Campus and residence hall programs include SafeRide, Safe Break, Alcohol Awareness Week, Safe & Secure posters, and self-defense courses.
• The campus bus system, KU on Wheels, schedules stops at all residence halls and provides access to most areas of campus.

• All doors are locked between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. Residents must enter a four-digit code into a security system to gain access to their halls between these hours.
• Scholarship hall directors and proctors receive the same training as that given to residence hall staff members.

• Each of the four buildings is locked 24 hours a day. Residents have keys to the exterior doors of their buildings and to their apartments. Visitors must use an intercom phone system to dial residents' rooms and request admittance.
• Student security monitors patrol the buildings at night and use the same SECNET system as the residence halls.
• Staff members receive the same training as that given to residence hall assistants.

• Residents and guests of Stouffer Place and Sunflower Apartments have individual access to their units. Security and KU Public Safety officers patrol those communities 24 hours a day and resident assistants provide educational programs and on-site emergency response.
• The KU telephone directory lists hours for Watson Library, the student unions, health center, and other campus buildings.
• Eight divisions other than the Security & Emergency Planning Department and student housing provide security for their buildings and events. All are on SECNET. They are Spencer Art Museum, Wilcox Classical Collection, Kansas and Burge unions, Student Union Activities, Robinson Gymnasium, the Athletic Department, Student Organizations and Leadership Development Center, and University Theatre.

• KU police officers patrol the campus 24 hours a day all year. They investigate crimes, make arrests, investigate accidents and enforce traffic regulations on property owned or operated by KU or its official organizations, on property adjacent to the campus, and in certain circumstances, on other off-campus property. They work with state and local law enforcement agencies when appropriate. For more information visit the KU Public Safety Office Web site.
• The ECC answers emergency (911) and nonemergency phone calls, monitors alarms, and communicates with police and security officers on a two-way radio system called SECNET. Information about emergencies, severe weather, and other serious problems is broadcast on this frequency.
• Noncommissioned officers in Security & Emergency Planning work mostly at night, checking for security and maintenance problems on campus. For more information visit the KU Security & Emergency Planning Unit Web site.