Students can feel safe on campus

Parents and students can take comfort in knowing that Washburn University strives to keep safety a priority on and off campus. A big part of the process of letting go is realizing that you, the student, are now in charge of your own safety. 

Washburn University Police Department officers patrol campus at all times on bikes, foot and car. They check in and out of buildings, throughout campus and parking lots. Uniformed officers patrol all academic buildings.

For those times when a police officer is not in the area or in sight, Washburn Police also monitor 13 “Help Phones” placed strategically throughout campus along heavily traveled walkways. All of these phones immediately dial the WU Police Department when the receiver is picked up. A blue light is mounted above the phone boxes, making them easy to spot at night.

Washburn also has an emergency alert notification system, called iAlert, to communicate important alerts and emergency response information. The system is for Washburn University only.

“When an iAlert is sent all users will receive an email at their Washburn email address,” says the Washburn website.

“Users can also choose to receive the alerts via text message and telephone calls by enrolling their telephone numbers.”

You can find more info and register to receive alerts by visiting the Washburn website and entering “iAlert” in the search box.

Another way Washburn is making life in college safer for a student is the use of free transportation. In addition to the Topeka Metro bus route that students can ride for free with their WUID, students can use a taxi to get home after a late night on the town. The only downside is that the buses stop running at 6:10 p.m. Rather than driving drunk and putting yourself and others in danger, Washburn wants to make it easy to make the smart decision. When you and your friends are ready to call it a night, just dial 267-3777 and ask for a safe ride. The dispatcher will ask for your ID number and send a free taxi to take you home.

Theft tends to be the crime of choice in Topeka and on the Washburn campus. You can register your valuables with either the Washburn or Topeka Police to increase your chance of item recovery in the event of theft.

Fire prevention is often completely overlooked when examining safety precautions yet each year college and university students experience fire-related emergencies. There are several specific causes for fires on campus, including cooking, intentionally set fires, overloaded power strips and open flame. It is important that both off-campus and on-campus students understand fire risks and know the preventative measures that could save their lives. Recommendations for fire, or general safety, in all types of housing can be found by talking to a person in charge, either an RA or the landlord.