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Safety and Security

Your personal safety and the security of your belongings are of the utmost importance to us. Residential Life facilities, staff and policies are all designed to protect and promote your well-being. As a resident, you are also responsible for your security and that of your fellow residents in the on-campus living community.  Please practice safety procedures in your daily habits, including locking your room door, not propping security doors open and reporting suspicious behavior. Your positive actions can make a difference in the safety of your living environment.

University Police Department

General Safety & Security 

Your personal safety and the security of your belongings are of the utmost importance to us. Residential Life facilities, staff and policies are all designed to protect and promote your well-being. As a resident, you are also responsible for your security and that of your fellow residents in the on-campus living community. Please practice safety procedures in your daily habits, including locking your room door, not propping security doors open and reporting suspicious behavior. Your positive actions can make a difference in the safety of your living environment.

Residence hall staffs are on duty from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. when the halls are open. The name and contact information for the individual on duty in your hall should be posted somewhere very close to your hall desk.

Department of Residential Life personnel are very concerned about the safety of University Apartment residents; likewise, residents are encouraged to make safety a top priority.

  • Stoves, irons, or other heat-producing appliances should never be left unattended when turned on.
  • To prevent accidents, walkways, porches and other public areas must be kept free of bicycles, toys, fences, furniture and other objects.
  • To prevent insect/rodent infestation, food items must be covered or wrapped and the apartment must be kept clean.
  • No items may be placed within 12 inches of the water heater or within 30 inches of the front or any side of the electrical breaker box.
  • No furniture or other item may be placed within six inches of the electric heating units.
  • Only artificial Christmas trees and UL approved Christmas lights are permitted.
  • All seasonal decorations on or around apartment windows must be attached with approved adhesives as listed in the handbook under the heading Decorating Apartments.

Fire Safety Equipment

In the event of a fire, call 111, the campus emergency number and they will dispatch the fire department.

If the smoke detector battery begins to beep or if you believe the smoke detector has malfunctioned, please notify the Resident Manager at 605-690-2666 or Department of Residential Life personnel at 688-5148.

Department of Residential Life maintenance workers will replace the battery at no charge if the used battery is left in the smoke detector.  The battery in the smoke detector is not to be removed or replaced by anyone except authorized University personnel.

Fire extinguishers are in the white or red cases on the front of each building as well as inside each apartment.  The resident is expected to review and understand the proper use of fire extinguishers as outlined below:

  1. Hold upright.
  2. Pull ring pin.
  3. Stand back 10 feet and aim at base of flame.
  4. Squeeze lever.
  5. Sweep from side to side.

If fire extinguishers are used, contact the Campus Apartment Manager or Department of Residential Life immediately so the unit can be recharged.  Tampering with any type of fire equipment is a serious criminal offense.  Violators will be prosecuted.