Important safety message for UVA students

The discovery Tuesday morning of the remains of Morgan Dana Harrington, the Virginia Tech student who had been missing since Oct. 17 after leaving a concert at John Paul Jones Arena, brought profound grief to her family and friends and sadness to two university communities.

At Virginia Tech, where Morgan, 20, was a junior education major, President Charles Steger said the news took away hope for a happy ending.

This news also brings with it a reminder that while the Charlottesville area is considered to be safe, bad things can and do happen. And college-age students are particularly vulnerable.

In the midst of their grief, Morgan's parents, Dan and Gil, and their son Alex, a U.Va. alum, continue to advocate campus safety and the need for students to take personal safety seriously. They are especially concerned that the person responsible for their daughter's death may remain in our community and they want to remind students to be on alert. In an interview last week, the Harringtons said that women especially are at risk when they walk or jog alone.

"We didn't want Morgan to go out by herself alone," her father said. "There are so many things that if we could change, we would have a different outcome."

It is a heart-breaking reminder to us all.

While I have included a more comprehensive safety checklist at the end of this e-mail, I would like to remind you of a few key things that should be part of your routine as you travel on Grounds and in the surrounding community.

• Please do not walk alone after dark. If you have no choice, call a friend before venturing out to let him or her know what route you are taking.
• Please do not get into a car unless you know the driver.
• Please do not get into a taxi unless you are sure that it is a registered taxi with a meter.
• Please get involved. If you see a fellow student in need of help, offer it. Do not leave another incapacitated student alone, whether or not you know her or him. If you cannot offer immediate assistance, call 911.
• Please rely on University Police if you are in distress or believe you are in danger. If you have been drinking, are not able to travel on your own, and/or feel vulnerable or threatened, call 911 immediately. Never hesitate to contact University Police. They are trained to help our students and they would rather you call them ­ even if the situation turns out not to be dire. Remember, calling UPD is always the safest option.

Nothing is more important in our University community than your safety and security. Safety, however, should be a personal as well as a community goal.

One way to honor Morgan Harrington's life is to become an advocate for safety on college campuses, here and elsewhere. Please feel free to share this message with your friends at colleges and universities around the country.

For those who knew Morgan personally and might be grieving her loss, know that there is counseling support available through the University's Counseling and Psychological Services at 243-5150.

I encourage each of you to take a moment to review the additional general safety guidelines included below. These are useful at any time and in any situation.

Sincerely,
Patricia M. Lampkin
Vice President and Chief Student Affairs Officer

Additional safety guidelines from University Police

Summoning Help

• Call 911 from any phone, including your cell phone. You will be connected to a regional dispatcher who will send help based on your location.
• If you are on Grounds, just pick up one of the blue light telephones. You automatically will be connected to University Police.

Personal Safety

• Trust your instincts about a person or situation. If you feel uncomfortable, immediately report your concerns to police by calling 911.
• Be aware of your surroundings.
• Remember that talking on a cell phone or listening to music can be distracting, especially if you are crossing the street or not paying attention to your surroundings.
• Avoid isolated areas.
• Avoid walking alone at night. Use SafeRide, walk with friends, or take a late-night weekend bus.
  • SafeRide provides service between midnight and 6 a.m. from Sunday night through Friday morning. On Saturdays and Sundays, SafeRide operates from 3 a.m. to 6 a.m. The telephone number is 434-242-1122.
  • Late-night buses: Service for University buses is extended every weekend until 2:30 a.m. when school is in session. The routes and schedules are available on the UTS website.
• Use the lighted pathway system.
• Tell a friend where you are going and when you will return.
• Remember that alcohol use can dull judgment and lead to a false sense of security. When going out to a party, create a plan ahead of time with friends so you watch out for one another and get home safely.

Residence Hall Safety

• Never allow strangers to follow you into the building.
• Call 911 if you see someone in the building who seems suspicious.
• Never prop open card reader doors or leave room doors open.
• Secure doors and windows prior to leaving.

Home/Apartment Safety

• Keep doors and windows locked.
• Use outdoor lighting.
• Trim shrubs and trees to prevent the possibility of prowlers hiding in dense, darkened areas.
• Close curtains or pull blinds at night.
• Do not hesitate to contact police, by calling 911, about a person or situation that does not seem right. You will not have to give your name to police.
• If you see any of the following, immediately call the police at 911: a prowler; someone peeping into a residence; an individual who appears to be unauthorized and watching, photographing or filming an area; or any other suspicious behavior.
• Work with your neighbors and fellow community members to ensure a safe environment.

Love is Love T-Shirt Campaign

The UVA LGBT Resource Center is proud to sponsor The 2nd Annual "LOVE IS LOVE." T-Shirt Campaign.

Pick up your FREE t-shirt February 9th-12th from the Office of the Dean of Students (2nd Floor Peabody Hall) 9AM-9PM or The LGBT Resource Center (Newcomb Hall, 435) 11AM-4PM.

Wear your shirt on Friday, February 12th to show the equality of love in all relationships this Valentine's season.

Shirts are available in Adult Small-XL, Supplies are limited so don't wait!

Please Note: This year's t-shirts are the same as last year's. If you picked up a "LOVE IS LOVE" t-shirt last year, we encourage you to wear that shirt and allow others to participate.

Why Love is Love?

The Love is Love campaign is a celebration of love that is meant to create greater social awareness at the University of Virginia and beyond. The power of its message is found in its simplicity. It is a message that can span all communities. Regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, and community-affiliation, true, committed relationships between adults are founded in love. All relationships are equal. All love is equal. Love is Love. It's not about what it looks like; it's about how it feels.

The Love is Love. campaign is scheduled for the week leading up to Valentine's Day, a holiday that often overlooks members of the LGBTQ community through heterosexist traditions, advertising, and greeting cards. It is also designed to help correct the common misconception that same-sex partnerships and relationships are simply based on sex and sexual attraction with no real feeling or emotion involved. It is meant to represent progress from the past and remind us of how far we still have to go.

It's a simple message, but one that bears great meaning. Love comes in all shapes, sizes, colors, and varieties. Just because it looks differently, doesn't mean it feels differently or should be treated differently. In the end, LOVE IS LOVE.

Show Some LOVE. Wear the SHIRT.

Donuts with the Deans

Don't miss your chance to mingle with ODOS staff and association deans. Meetings remain for the IRC, Kellogg, Kent/Dabney, Lile/Tuttle, Metcalf/Lefevre, Page/Emmet, Webb/Maupin, Woody/Cauthen, and Echols Scholars.

View the complete schedule for details.

Dean Groves and Tabitha Enoch to Read the Lighting of the Lawn Poem

Come see Dean Allen Groves and Tabitha Enoch, Director of Orientation and New Student Programs, at the Lighting of the Lawn on December 8, from 7:30 to 10:00 pm. 

Safety Notice from Dean Groves

Dear students:

Over the last few days, students have forwarded me an e-mail circulating on various list serves that describes alleged incidents of a criminal nature occurring on or near Grounds. I understand how a student receiving such an e-mail might be concerned about safety and perhaps wonder why nothing had been said by the University administration in response.

The University Police (UPD) and the Office of the Dean of Students take your safety very seriously. Many of you have heard me state publicly that I consider your safety the most significant part of my job as Dean. When a verified incident occurs that raises an issue of broader community impact, UPD Chief Mike Gibson will send out a police alert to the University community outlining the facts of the incident and the recommended steps you can take to protect yourself. Vice President Pat Lampkin will also periodically send e-mails to students detailing general safety precautions and tips to help maintain the safest possible experience at UVA. However, we do not communicate to all students regarding unsubstantiated incidents or matters that do not present a broader risk of criminal action on or near Grounds. We understand that too many e-mails lessen the impact of our communication with you in those times when we really do need to get your attention regarding a potentially serious matter.

Given the volume of e-mails circulating on list serves over the past several days, I feel it is necessary to communicate to the entire student community so that you have accurate information rather than rumor. Here is what we currently know:

• The UPD has confirmed that a male who uses a wheelchair approached a female student near Alderman Library on October 15, 2009, at approximately 8:50 am. He asked to use her cell phone and when she declined his request, he reportedly made what the UPD deemed to be inappropriate (but non-threatening) statements to the student. As a result of this interaction, UPD subsequently issued a trespass warning to this individual, barring him from the University Grounds. Thereafter, on November 10, 2009, the UPD was notified that this same individual had entered Madison House (which is not University property) through an unlocked door on November 9, was asked by Madison House staff to leave the premises, and complied. Neither the UPD nor the Charlottesville Police are aware of any criminal acts having been committed by this individual. I am also advised that area police have investigated this man's background and have discovered no evidence of any prior violent acts or propensity to act in a violent manner. If you are aware of other incidents that warrant police intervention, please dial 911 and make a report.
• One of the e-mails forwarded to me makes reference to a male who has been seen in the stacks in Alderman Library loitering for long periods, and who has allegedly attempted to look up the dress of one or more female students. The UPD has contacted Alderman Library staff and neither they nor the UPD have a record of anyone making a report of such activity. The UPD is continuing to investigate this in light of the e-mail forwarded to me by students yesterday.
• This same e-mail also makes reference to an alleged rape occurring within the past week in the area of 15th Street and Wertland Avenue. The UPD has not received a report of a rape or sexual assault occurring in that area during the past few weeks, nor has the Charlottesville Police received such a report to our knowledge. If someone was the victim of such an assault or knows facts relevant to this allegation, I hope that they will contact the police or my office immediately.

It is critical that all students understand that the UPD and the Charlottesville Police want you to dial 911 to immediately report any activity that appears threatening or makes you uncomfortable for your safety. Time is a critical factor in such situations. You should also notify my office as soon as possible so that we may consider whether further action or communication to the wider student community is warranted. Also, before circulating an e-mail you receive regarding allegations of criminal conduct on or near Grounds, contact the UPD or my office to verify that what you have received is, in fact, accurate. Misinformation can often be as dangerous as no information, and the UPD and my office want to partner with you to make our community as safe as possible.

Since I have your attention, I want to reinforce some general safety tips. Yes, you have heard me say this before, but it bears repeating. Be aware of your surroundings at all times. That means taking off the earphones when walking at night. Walk with friends, take a late-night weekend UTS bus, or call SafeRide (242-1122) rather than walking alone. Do not allow a stranger to "tailgate" you into a residence hall after you swipe your access card, no matter how "normal" that person may appear to you. If you are studying in one of the libraries and notice a suspicious person or activities, remove yourself from the situation and call 911 or report your concerns to the person staffing the library's front desk (who is trained to assist students). If you see suspicious activity, immediately dial 911 (or use a blue light phone on Grounds to immediately connect to the UPD) and provide all pertinent details to police. If you live off Grounds, get to know your neighbors and look out for one another. Talk with your landlord about replacing burned out exterior lights or lowering overgrown hedges that create opportunities for criminal activity around your living area. Contact the Off-Grounds Housing Manager located in my Peabody Hall office if you need help in this regard.

Your safety is our highest priority. I hope you will contact me should you have any questions regarding the issues covered in this e-mail or your safety generally.

Sincerely,
Allen W. Groves
Dean of Students