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President’s Message about Campus Safety
September 20, 2009
The tragic news about Annie Le touched us all, not only because an extraordinary young woman was taken from the world in a truly terrible way, but also because she was one of ours. Memories of Annie Le will endure here, where her gift for conducting potentially life-saving research took root. Our hearts go out to our friends at Yale, as we share their grief over the loss of such a promising young scientist.
Annie Le’s death underscores the importance of safety measures on campus and in the workplace. At the University of Rochester, we are dedicated to providing the safest possible campus for our students, faculty, staff, and visitors.
In order to maximize safety, we maintain a robust Security program, offer safety seminars, and staff a sexual assault hotline the Intercessor’s office, where members of the University community can file harassment or abuse charges. (Further information about security can be found at http://security.rochester.edu/.) Even so, we must not forget what perhaps can be the most effective safety precaution — to keep an eye out for ourselves, and for one another. With cooperative and concerted effort, we can continue to ensure this is a safe place to live, study, and work. Here are a few safety tips to keep in mind, especially as the days get shorter:
- be alert to your surroundings,
- immediately notify Security if you see suspicious activity—dial 13 from any University phone, 275-3333 from any cell phone, or pick up a Blue Light Emergency Phone
- walk along well-lighted, frequented pathways, in a group if possible,
- have keys or ID card ready when approaching a building or your car, and
- remember that personal safety escorts are available from Security by dialing 275-3333 or by using a Blue Light Emergency Phone. There are more safety tips at http://security.rochester.edu/securitytips.html.
We are proud that our university, with very few exceptions, has been a safe place for our community. The tragedy of Annie Le reminds us, however, that a terrible tragedy can occur anywhere. Let us work together to continue to keep our campus as safe as possible.
—Joel Seligman
