Campus Safety
The University of Iowa is committed to creating a safe and welcoming community for all students, faculty, staff, and visitors. Campus Safety's holistic approach is built on a foundation that emphasis strong relationships with the local community to promote a safe environment for all.
In an emergency, call 911. To reach the Campus Safety non-emergency line, call 319-335-5022.
Conversation Starters
Parents and families should have conversations with students that empower them to make safe choices and be prepared in case of emergent situations. Some questions to get conversations started could be:
- Are you aware of the free safety services available to you as a student?
- What are you doing to take responsibility for your own safety?
- Do you know what to do during an emergency?
- Do you know your options for getting home safely at night?
- Have you set up Rave Guardian? Who are your emergency contacts?
How to Report
We all have a role to play in supporting campus safety. If your student witnesses something that is a threat to public safety or an individual, encourage them to report it to police as soon as possible so the university can adequately address safety issues in our community. If it's an emergency, call 911.
There are various reporting options in addition to police, and you can learn more about them here.
Hawk Alert
Hawk Alerts are used to notify campus when there is an immediate threat to the health or safety of the campus community. These alerts can be delivered as text messages, phone calls, or emails. Students can update their Hawk Alert settings using MyUI. While email is required, text message is the fastest way to receive an alert. Parents and families cannot sign up for Hawk Alerts but can stay up-to-date on the campus emergency website.
Nite Ride
Nite Ride is a free late-night transportation service available to all UI students, faculty, and staff. The service is powered by an online request application, which allows users to request rides from their mobile device or desktop computer using their Hawk ID. Encourage your student to use Nite Ride when they are going home after a late night studying at the library or hanging out at one of their friend's residence halls across campus.
Threat Assessment Team
The goal of the Threat Assessment Team on campus is to provide an integrated and coordinated process for identifying and responding to people who may be at risk of harming themselves or others. This multi-disciplinary team includes people with backgrounds in human resources, student life, health care, and law enforcement. Their varied perspectives allow them to identify and monitor potential safety threats and intervene with supportive campus resources to maintain a safe campus.
Rave Guardian
The Rave Guardian mobile app allows users to set a safety timer for their walk home, text anonymous crime tips to Campus Safety, set up emergency contacts and medical information, and call the UI Police Department with the touch of a button. We encourage parents and students to talk about how they can use this tool to feel safe as they transition to a new city. Parents and families must also download the app in order to be their student's contact.
University Police
The University of Iowa Police Department is responsible for emergency response on campus. This team employs a team of around 45 state-certified police officers who patrol campus 24/7 and work alongside community members, staff, students, and faculty to ensure everyone feels safe while at the University of Iowa.
Ending Violence at Iowa
The University of Iowa is dedicated to eliminating gender-based violence and discrimination on campus, and we believe this can be accomplished, in part, by addressing how we collectively think about gender-based violence and discrimination. We encourage you to check out the Parent & Family Handbook which serves as a resource for you and a starting point for conversations with your student about preventing and responding to sexual violence on campus.