SAFETY PROGRAMS
UCA offers a number of educational programs to promote safety on campus.
Residence hall security programs are offered each fall semester to promote safety and security in the halls.
- The University sponsors a violence prevention week usually held in early fall semester.
- University police officers, who are "adopted" by residence halls, serve as a resource to the adopted hall staff and residents.
- University police bike team officers patrol residence halls both day and night to provide a highly visible deterrent to crime and to enhance communication with students.
- Residence hall fire drills are conducted once each semester, and tornado and severe weather drills once per year to educate students on proper procedures in case of fire or severe weather emergencies.
- Residence halls frequently offer programs on sexual assault prevention, alcohol and other drugs, theft prevention, sexually transmitted diseases and others to educate students about personal safety and health related issues.
- University Police sponsors a campus RAD (Rape Aggression Defense) program for female students to learn effective and simple ways to defend themselves against an attack.
- The University Police Speakers Bureau provides crime prevention and awareness programs for campus community groups, faculty and staff, student and other organizations, and campus residents.
SAFETY SERVICES
UCA offers many services to promote safety on campus.
- UCA closes the campus at night and staffs two campus entrances or checkpoints to restrict access to campus by non-university persons during late night hours.
- UCA supports a system of "blue light" emergency telephones throughout the campus on walkways and parking lots to provide instant communication with the University Police Department.
- University Police provide escorts of cash transfers and of persons who desire the security of a police officer when traversing the campus or returning to their vehicles at night.
- Engravers are available through University Police which allows students to engrave belongings with personal identification numbers, making it easier to retrieve stolen property.
- On-site examinations of physical facilities and surrounding property are conducted by university police officers for the purpose of determining security status, identifying deficiencies, and defining and recommending the protection needed.
- Student Health Services are available on campus to treat minor injuries and illnesses.
- The University Police Department is tied into the 9-1-1 emergency network, enabling University Police to respond to any police, fire, or medical emergency and to dispatch appropriate services instantly.
UCA STAFF
Other university staff have responsibility for promoting a safe and secure campus environment.
- Residence halls are staffed by professional live-in residence hall directors and upper class resident assistants who live on
residential floors. These individuals are responsible for enforcing residence hall and
university policies, presenting programs on a variety of issues, handling students'
personal concerns, and responding to emergency situations. Residence hall staff are on
call 24-hours a day. The Housing and Residence Life Office is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:45
p.m., Monday through Friday. The telephone number is 450-3132.
- The University has four professional counselors
who are available free of charge to assist students with their personal concerns. In
addition, one counselor is "on call" at night to respond to personal crisis
situations and emergencies. The daytime Counseling Center number is 450-3138. Night time
emergencies should be reported to residence hall staff or university police.
- Student Health Services is staffed by three nurse
practitioners who are supervised by a practicing physician in Conway. The nurses handle
minor illnesses and injuries, and make referrals to local physicians when necessary. Night
time emergencies should be reported to residence hall staff, or University police.
FACILITIES
Residence hall and campus facilities are continually being upgraded to enhance safety and security. Changes that have occurred on campus in recent years include:
- Construction of a new, state of the art University Police facility in the middle of campus (between two residence halls) to provide greater visibility and quicker response to safety issues.
- Increased lighting throughout the University.
- Installation of emergency phones, marked by a blue light, which are tied directly to University Police.
- Security gates and security checkpoints.
SAFETY POLICIES
A number of policies have been implemented to promote safety and security on campus and in the residence halls.
- Normally, only university students, or individuals who have a legitimate purpose are allowed on campus at night in motorized vehicles.
- Non-residents are not permitted in the halls unless they are a guest of a resident, or have other legitimate purpose for visiting a hall.
- Alcohol and drugs are banned from campus. Students are not permitted to possess or consume alcohol or illegal drugs in the residence halls or other parts of the university campus.
- Weapons, firearms, and explosive devices are not allowed on campus or in the residence halls (see UCA Firearms Policy for additional information).
- UCA enforces a 10:00 p.m., quiet hour policy outside the residence halls.
- Residence hall exterior doors are normally locked at night. Residents must use their room key or computerized access card to enter their building when doors are locked.
- Academic classroom buildings are normally locked after the last class or scheduled event.
- Non-students who come onto campus and violate university policies are normally banned from campus, after a disciplinary hearing is conducted.
CRIME AWARENESS
It is an unfortunate fact that criminal incidents of all types occur on college campuses. Many campuses around the country investigate and
make public the nature of crimes, the quantity, and how they are investigated. The
University of Central Arkansas subscribes to that approach and further believes that the
public should know how active the university police are in crime prevention and detection.
REPORTING OF OFF-CAMPUS OFFENSES
The UCA Police Department works closely with the
Conway Police Department, Faulkner County Sheriff's Department, and other law enforcement
agencies in sharing information and investigating crimes that involve university students
and organizations. Student organizations who (1) sponsor activities off campus; (2)
violate local, state or federal laws; and (3) are confronted by law enforcement officials
will be reported to the University Police Department, and are subject to university
disciplinary action.
INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSE TO ON-CAMPUS CRIME REPORTS
Upon receipt of a call or other notification of a
crime, a university police officer will be dispatched to handle the complaint. The officer
will investigate each reported incident and prepare an initial report. Follow-up
investigation will also be conducted by the University Police Criminal Investigations
Division as required. The initial and follow-up police reports will be prepared for use by
UCA authorities, city, county and federal prosecutors, and other law enforcement agencies.
It is important to report incidents promptly so that an investigation can be conducted
promptly and evidence preserved.
Offenses which are committed by students,
faculty, staff , or visitors may be referred for criminal prosecution. These same
individuals may also be dealt with by the University through student or employee
disciplinary proceedings, which may impose sanctions up to and including expulsion of
students, termination of employment, and ban from the university campus.
TIMELY REPORTS OF CRIME TO UCA COMMUNITY
Each day the notable incidents (crime reports,
emergencies, and other major police activities) from the previous day are summarized and
faxed to several administrative offices on campus. These reports are also released to The
Echo, the campus newspaper, and to other media upon request. Each month a complete
accounting of reported criminal offenses and police activity are summarized and reported
to the vice president for administrative services and are available upon request. In
addition, selected offenses used to gauge fluctuations in the overall volume and rate of
crime are reported each month to the Arkansas Crime Information Center and the Federal
Bureau of Investigation in an identical summary as reported by city, county and state law
enforcement agencies. Each year, the Federal Bureau of Investigation publishes a book of
crime statistics called Crime in the United States, which includes accurate
accounting of the criminal incidents that occurred on the UCA campus as well as other
campuses within the state and the nation. Similarly, each year the Arkansas Crime
Information Center publishes crime statistics in a book called Crime In Arkansas.
In the event of a serious crime that may create a
future concern for the safety and security of persons and property, a Crime Alert will be
issued by the University Police Department and distributed to all campus building
administrators and residence hall directors for immediate posting on public bulletin
boards. In addition, the Crime Alert will be posted to the campus computer system e-mail
listserv and will be released to the campus newspaper, radio station, and other media as
appropriate. Awareness is the best form of crime prevention, and it is the policy of the
University of Central Arkansas to be proactive in soliciting the assistance of the campus
community in crime prevention efforts and to promote safety and security by notifying the
community of potential crime and other hazards.
REPORTING OFFENSES TO OTHER CAMPUS OFFICES
Victims of crime are encouraged to report incidents immediately to the University Police Department. Other campus offices/administrators to which offenses may be reported include:
- Dean of Students
Dr. Gary Roberts 450.3416
- Director of Counseling Services
Dr. Ernie Ness 450.3138
- Director of Housing & Residence Life
Ms. Chris Charlton 450.3132
- Assistant Vice President for Human Resources
Ms. Rita Fleming 450.3181
- University Provost
Dr. Gabriel Esteban 450.3126
- Director of Student Health Services
Ms. Candace Welcher, APN 450.3136
- Director of Health Promotion and Wellness
Dr. Jean-Claude Martin 450.3133
This information is made available in compliance with Public Law 101-542, the Student Right-to-Know and Campus Security Act. Copies of this information are available. Consult the UCA Student Handbook or contact the UCA Police Department for more information.
