Residence Security

On-Campus Residence Halls and Apartments

1. Exterior doors are locked for your safety. Do not prop them open.
2. Do not leave notes on doors indicating you are gone.
3. Keep small articles of value in a drawer and out of sight. Engrave large articles of value such as stereos or TVs with a personal identifier. Take several pictures of small items of value. Make a record, and keep one copy at school and one copy at home.
4. Lock your door even if you will only be gone for a few minutes.
5. If your roommate is sleeping, lock the door if you are going out.
6. Door-to-door solicitation has to be University approved. If you have doubts about solicitor’s credentials, contact dorm staff, University Police, or the Student Activities Office.
7. Maintenance staff should have identification. In most cases, maintenance staff will make arrangements with you prior to doing service work.
8. Report all repair needs promptly.
9. Contact University Police if you suspect someone is acting suspicious. Get description!
10. Do not loan out your room key, ID, etc., as these items may be duplicated.
11. You need to discuss with your roommate and hall staff any overnight guest you are planning to have stay.

Off-Campus Apartments and Homes

If you decide to live off-campus, the following suggestions may help insure your safety. Should you view homes or apartments, make notes and discuss with the owner/landlord any problems or safety concerns, and make sure you both agree and sign off on when the problem will be repaired.

Before you decide to rent, the following tips can be helpful:

1. Check with neighbors in the area for their opinions on the location, the landlord, the safety of the building and the neighborhood.
2. Check the security of the building.
3. Find out who is expecting to take care of the grounds, hall and sidewalks.
4. Check for fire exists.
5. Beware of basement apartments. These are more likely to have burglars.
6. Do the windows and locks operate properly?
7. Check doors for dead-bolt locks that work.
8. Is the rental unit well lighted? Is the surrounding area well lighted? (porches, hallways, garage, yard)
9. Find out who has keys to the unit or have the locks changed.
10. If the building is a multi-unit apartment complex, does the outer security door lock?
11. Check for working smoke detectors and fire extinguishers.
12. Check for locks on the mailboxes. If there are none, ask your landlord and mail carrier about obtaining one.
13. Do the doors have peepholes?