Announcements

FROM: Barry Niccolai RE: Residence Hall Community Safety
Sent:
1/19/2012 11:14:45 AM
To: Students

Residence Hall

Community Safety

 

I want to remind you of Residence Life’s commitment to ensuring that you have a positive experience in the residence halls, as well as our shared responsibility for community safety. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of the following information with which you should already be familiar, so please take a moment to review it once again.

 

The first statement in California University’s Bill of Rights and Responsibilities is:

We have the right to safety and security; we have the responsibility to ensure the safety and security of others.

 

In addition, the Residence Life handbook states:

 

You are expected to act consistently with (the university core values) by treating other residents, staff members, and guests with civility; accepting responsibility for your actions, as well as those of your guests; and acting with integrity when making decisions (p.66).

 

And

 

Staff and residents share the responsibility for building security. You should report all accidents, incidents, thefts, lost keys or suspicious individuals to hall staff….The residence halls are locked at all times. Only residents or staff using their CalCards have unrestricted access. Guests must call a resident for entrance, be signed in and be escorted at all times. It is your responsibility to make sure the door latches and that unauthorized people do not follow you into the building. Do not let non-residents into the building and do not prop the doors open. Doing so compromises the safety of your entire community….Always take your key and lock your door…keep your door locked when sleeping. Do not lend your key to anyone….Your CalCard is for your personal use only (pp. 70-71).

 

While we provide Community Assistants as a resource to you and desk receptionists to give information and conduct guest sign-in, you are a vital link in maintaining residence hall security. Following these guidelines will help you uphold your responsibility to help ensure your community’s safety and security:

 

·        Be aware of who your neighbors are, and report any suspicious or unauthorized people immediately to hall staff or Public Safety.

·         When hosting a visitor, always enter the hall through the entrance that is staffed and sign in your guest.

·         Always escort your guests, so that others do not challenge their presence.

·         When entering the hall, show your ID holder and CalCard to the desk receptionist to verify that you live in the building, particularly if you are entering as part of a group or behind someone who has already swiped their card and opened the door.

·         Report any issues to residence life staff, such as problems with door operation or a front desk that is not staffed. Do not assume that they are already aware; you may be the first one to notice a condition that is a problem.

·         Do not attempt to circumvent any control measures already in place, such as guest policies, CalCard swipes, or locked wing doors.

 

Please be respectful of the desk assistants (DA) that ask to see your holder, or ask you to sign in your guests.  They are simply doing their jobs by enforcing policies to help assure building safety.  Being rude or giving the Desk Assistants a hard time over such simple things is not appropriate. Failure to comply with the above procedures may result in a referral to meet with your Resident Director. There are student conduct policies in place if residents refuse to cooperate with these important security procedures, including “refusing to comply with a directive.”

 

If you ever have any questions about residence hall policies, concerns about events, or issues regarding your safety or security, our Community Assistants, Residence Hall Directors, our Associate Dean for Residence Life and I are always available and would be happy

to speak with you.

 

 

Barry R. Niccolai

Dean for Residence and Off Campus Student Life

Division of Student Affairs

724.938.4444 Office

724.938.1671 Fax

niccolai@calu.edu

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