In my experience so far at NSU, I have never felt in danger or unsafe, even during the two lockdowns the university has had. However, there are precautions I take to ensure that. Whether walking back from a late night class at 10 p.m., the gym late at night or coming back from a friend’s dorm, there are tools that NSU provides to assist students in staying safe and secure.
Be aware of your surroundings
People often place themselves into two distinct categories: either you are a night owl, or an early bird; I tend to be a mix of both. I’m usually up by 7 a.m. at the latest and I go to bed around 11:30 p.m. In the mornings, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I go to a yoga class early at 6:15 a.m. when it’s still dark. In order to be aware of my surroundings, I keep my headphones off until I get into the University Center. Being aware of your surroundings is crucial to staying safe; keep your head up and your eyes peeled for any suspicious activity that could be occurring. NSU is a relatively small campus, so the walk from my dorm takes about five minutes. As for the night shift, when I am coming back to my dorm from a late class (which typically ends around 10 p.m.), I try to walk with a friend from class. There’s power in being in a group; even if you aren’t walking with anyone in particular, stick as close as possible to a group of other students from the class.
Download the Saferwatch app
As I mentioned, NSU has tools to keep their student population safe. A recent development in the safety of NSU students has led our school to partner with SaferWatch, an app for Android and iPhone that gives the NSU population a direct line to law enforcement. Through Saferwatch, students and staff can not only report suspicious activity or even work orders such as broken elevators that could be harmful, but they receive real time alerts on activity in the area.
Public Safety Department
Public Safety officers are not hard to find on campus, and if you feel in danger or need to report something, their phone number is 954-262-8999. In addition to them being easy to find at NSU, Public Safety also offers an escort service for students to use as they wish if they feel unsafe in the trek back to their dorm from class, or wherever they may be coming back from. Public safety, as well as residence hall staff, are constantly monitoring the more than 1500 cameras on our NSU campus.
Emergency call boxes
Like many other college campuses and locations such as national parks and trails, NSU has multiple emergency blue-light phones located around campus. These phones provide direct connection to campus police, which offers the convenience of not having to call directly if you forget the number for public safety. Because it’s campus police, the response time is typically faster than using your cell phone.
Broward Sheriff officers
At NSU, there are at least 5 Broward Sheriff Officers on campus at all times. These officers are typically located by residence halls, and can also be seen in the Shark circle by the Don Taft University Center, also known as the UC.
As you can see, NSU cares for its students and has made safety one of their top priorities. There are a number of tools and resources that can be utilized by students to ensure their individual safety as well as the safety of the general student population. It’s important to keep your eyes open and be aware of your surroundings; there’s power in numbers, so make sure to try and walk with a group on your way back from a late class or a late night gym session.
