Safety & Security

Specifically, we want you to know your safety resources, know how to get help, know how the University will communicate with you in an emergency, and know what you can do to prepare before you arrive.

Know your safety and security resources

Your personal safety and security is important to us, and we have a variety of emergency resources available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week while students are on campus. We have a local hospital and emergency room and fire department, whose response times are remarkably quick. These are all coordinated through the Sewanee dispatch center and our campus police. Many of these resources are already close by and in person, but you need to know how to access them in a moment of need.

Know how to get help

Once you arrive, we’ll introduce you to a team of thoughtful people committed to support you. The faculty and staff at Sewanee are often the best resource for help. Another resource is Sewanee’s mobile safety app, Live Safe. Before you arrive on campus download LiveSafe. It’s FREE. Having this app on your device places an invaluable personal safety tool in your pocket or backpack.

How do we communicate with you?

We use a variety of communication tools to notify our community about threats or concerns. We have a voice siren, which allows us to project voice messages across campus. The siren is only used for immediate threats, like tornado warnings when we want you to shelter immediately in place. We’ll also send you a text via the LiveSafe app, and the police will send you an email message.

Transparency is an important part of being a safe community. At times you may receive a timely warning from the police department. Warnings might come when the weather threatens our safety or if a crime has happened OR even worst, if a crime is happening right now, and right near you. While we aim to send you timely information, we need you to be ready to receive it and to be thoughtful in what you do after you receive it. When a warning reads, “take shelter” then we expect you to “take shelter” and to encourage others around you to do the same.

So before you arrive, download the app. Take a look at some of the emergency procedures. Then, get ready to be a trustworthy, engaged, and thoughtful Sewanee citizen.

Annual Notifications, Campus Security & Fire Safety Report

The safety and well-being of our students, employees, and visitors is a foremost concern. Among the best protections against campus crime are a strong law enforcement presence, an aware and alert community, a commitment to reporting suspicious activities, and the use of common sense in our daily lives. We define success in the daily actions of the people who respond to the challenges that arise in our community. What makes the University of the South a transformative institution is the dedication of faculty and staff members to each other and to learning, which is best achieved in a caring and safe environment. A synthesis of our success and our challenges is documented in our Annual Notifications Campus Security and Fire Safety Report for the 2020 calendar year for the University of the South.

Personal Safety

• Travel with purpose and confidence. Make eye contact with passersby and keep a firm hold on your property.

• Travel in groups whenever possible, especially after dark.
• Do not wear earphones (at least not in both ears) while walking or jogging.
• Stay alert. Take note of all vehicles and people in your vicinity.
• Avoid isolated or dark areas.
• Know the location of emergency phones.
• Know the phone number to the Sewanee Police Department: 931.598.1111.
• Use the Safe Walk option on the Live Safe application.
• Helpful contact numbers.

Residential/Workplace Safety

• Do not prop open exterior doors.
• Always lock your door when you leave, even if leaving for only a few minutes. Most campus theft is reported from unlocked dorm rooms.
• Always lock your door when you sleep.
• When accessing a building using an electronic key card or code, do not allow strangers to enter with you under your card or code. Any authorized person should have their own card or code.
• Know your neighbors or coworkers. It will allow you to determine if someone is "out of place."
• Get involved in campus safety. If you see someone or something that you consider suspicious, immediately contact the Sewanee Police Department at 931.598.1111.

Protecting Personal Property

• Keep your vehicle locked. Store all valuable items in the trunk out of sight.
• Coats, backpacks, purses, laptops, and books should remain with you or be locked up.
• It's also a good idea to personalize popular items with your name or initials to prevent mix-ups.
• Register your bicycle! Many bicycles are "borrowed" and then left some place other than where they started out; the Police Department can return found bicycles to their owner if they have been registered.
• Use a steel cable when locking your bike to bike racks.
• Keep a log of all high end items and their serial numbers. (i.e.: laptops and cameras)