University Police
General Security Policies
Many parents are concerned about the
safety of their daughter or son on a university campus far from home. SUNYIT works hard to ensure the safety of all our students.
Below are excerpts from
SUNYIT's "Campus Safety and Law Enforcement" brochure.
Department of University Police
Campus safety and campus law enforcement are coordinated by the University Police Office, located on the first floor of Kunsela Hall, Room B126. There are 6 police officers, 3 police supervisors, 1 chief, 3 civilian dispatchers, a secretary and a Director of Environmental Health and Safety. All uniformed personnel are sworn police officers with full police power who have successfully completed a New York State Municipal Police Academy. Officers conduct foot, bike, and vehicular patrols of the campus 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. They work closely with the New York State Police and Oneida County Sheriff’s Department to enforce the laws of the State of New York. They report criminal incidents routinely to these 2 police agencies. University Police will notify the campus community of situations that pose a threat to the safety and well-being of the campus community via NY Alert, a mass notification system utilizing e-mail, telephone, etc.
General Security Information
In
2006-2007, approximately 1,614 full-time and 1115 part-time undergraduate
students were enrolled at the SUNYIT. Approximately
180 full-time and 608 part-time graduate students were also enrolled. More
than 600 undergraduate students reside in 2 residence halls on the main
campus. The college employs 100 full-time faculty and 86 part-time faculty.
Students,
faculty and employees have access to academic, recreational and administrative
facilities on campus during regular hours of operation. Access to the residence
halls, however, is limited to students and guests according to a guest
procedure presented in Appendix I of the Student Handbook. Access to the
residence halls by college employees is on an "as needed" basis and incorporates
strict key control procedures through the physical plant.
The
public can attend cultural and recreational events on campus with their
access limited only to the facilities in which these events are held. To
report any violations of this policy or to report suspicious persons, dial
campus extension 111 for the University Police.
The physical plant
department maintains the campus buildings and grounds with a concern for
safety and security. It inspects campus facilities regularly, promptly makes
repairs affecting safety and security, and responds immediately to reports
of potential safety and security hazards, such as broken windows and locks.
If you have concerns about the physical safety of campus buildings and grounds,
call the Facilities Department Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
at extension 7456. For emergencies that occur during non-business hours,
call the University Police Department at extension 7105 or 111.
The college campus
is well lighted, and further lighting improvements are being made. These
include placing high intensity sodium vapor lights on buildings, in parking
lot areas, in areas with heavy landscaping and trees, and along pathways
frequently traveled by students. In addition to a telephone in each student's
room, there are 25 outdoor blue-light emergency telephones strategically
located throughout the campus. These phones are directly connected to the
University Police. Additional sites are being considered for more outdoor
emergency telephones.
The Student's Responsibility
The cooperation and
involvement of students in a campus safety program are absolutely necessary.
Students must assume responsibility for their own personal safety and the
security of their personal belongings by taking simple, common sense precautions.
For example, although the campus is well-lighted, any student-male or female-may
feel more comfortable walking with a friend or calling a public safety officer
for an escort. Room doors should be locked at night and when the room is
unoccupied. Valuable items such as stereos, cameras, and televisions should
be marked with engraving instruments provided by public safety at no charge.
Bicycles should be registered with the University Police Office and secured
with a sturdy lock.
Students with cars
should park them in a well-lighted area and keep them locked at all times.
Valuables should not be left where they can be seen in the vehicle, but should
be locked in the trunk. Students should report any suspicious-looking individuals
whom they feel do not belong on campus or any unusual incidents in and around
the campus to the University Police Office (On-campus 111).
Residence Life Program
The residence life
program is based on the principles of providing students with a safe, healthy
and attractive living environment that supports the academic mission of the
college. The residence halls provide an opportunity for interaction among
peers of all ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Many aspects of residence hall
living occur simply by the nature of the environment; however, many are shaped
by the goals of the institution. The SUNYIT places
a high-priority on the concept of our halls serving as living-learning environments.
A second component is the high priority placed on the physical condition
of our campus. To keep the buildings safe and in good condition, residence
life staff work closely with the University Police and Facilities departments.
Professional resident
hall director and resident hall assistants, who are members of the residence
life staff, live in the residence halls and are on call 24 hours a day. All
residence life staff members undergo thorough training in enforcing residence
hall security policies. Off-campus housing includes apartments, individual
homes and individual rooms in private homes. The college does not provide
supervision for off-campus housing. Students have the option to change their
living and academic situation should a difficult situation arise. Students
should speak with the Vice President for Student Affairs.
Residence hall students
should not be lulled into a false sense of security. We all need to be aware
of our environment and the possible consequences of our behavior. The SUNYIT is committed to maintaining an environment in which
students, faculty, staff and guests can work together free from all forms
of harassment, exploitation and intimidation. The college will act as needed
to discourage, prevent, correct and, if necessary, discipline behavior that
violates this standard of conduct. The University Police Department will
promptly investigate allegations of unlawful discrimination based on race,
color, national origin, religion, age, sex, disability or marital status.
Allegations of unlawful discrimination can first be discussed with the counseling
center, multicultural intervention team, or the Vice President for Student
Affairs.
The SUNYIT built its residence halls with safety/security as a high-priority.
Some specific safety and security features include:
- Fire extinguishers in all common
areas and buildings.
- Upholstered furniture that is self-extinguishing.
- Emergency Call Boxes - high visibility - blue lights.
- "Key-less Locks" on
all outside doors - locked 24 hours a day.
- Door Bell System - all outside
doors.
- Vision panels on entry doors.
- Viewers in every suite entry door.
- Contact switch on all outside doors (alarms ring for door left ajar).
- Solid wood (bedroom floors); solid metal doors at suite entrances.
- 64 closed-circuit cameras
monitor the residence hall as well as nuerous areas of the campus.
University Police
maintains a mobile, bike, and foot patrol of the residence hall areas, Seminars
are offered on Crime Prevention, Date Rape, Women's Self Defense, Rape Aggression Defense, DWI and
Alcohol and Drug Abuse. All students are encouraged to attend.
Although we hope SUNYIT never experiences a crisis situation, the University Police department is prepared to handle all emergencies. Please take a moment to read the Active Shooter brochure (pdf).
