Campus Safety & Security

Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine (RUSVM) is committed to the safety and security of its faculty, staff and students. The Safety & Security Department is staffed with 24-hour coverage by a team of dedicated officers. The team provides services both on- and off-campus and maintains current safety and security reporting through the Incident Report System.

Contact

The cooperation of students, faculty, and staff is essential to a safe campus. Every member of the campus community is encouraged to report any possible crime, suspicious activity or emergency on campus to the security department, whose duty it is to maintain order and regulate safety.

24 Hour Emergency Number: (869) 465-6161
On Campus Extension: 1113

It is the responsibility of all faculty, staff and students to keep their contact information, including an emergency contact person, current. Students may update their personal profile at anytime by accessing their account in myRoss. Faculty and staff may update their contact information by emailing sksiren@rossvet.edu.kn.

Services

On-Campus: The RUSVM on-campus security team ensures the safety of the campus community. Officers are stationed at three security posts located throughout the campus. Officers respond to on-campus security and safety incidents and manage the adherence to safety policies and procedures. Officers are available for on-campus escort services to campus buildings and parking areas.

Off-Campus: The RUSVM off-campus security team provides mobile patrol in concentrated areas where students, faculty and staff reside. The RUSVM mobile patrol does not have local police jurisdiction off-campus, but serve only as a liaison to the St. Kitts police force and provide quick response when members of the RUSVM community report incidents. Students, faculty and staff are required to maintain current residence information with the University.  Community members are encouraged to program the 24 Hour RUSVM Safety & Security Number (869-465-6161) into their phones for quick reference.

Statistics & Reporting

To maintain a well-informed campus community, RUSVM provides two methods of reporting security and safety incidents:

Annual Statistics Report: RUSVM publishes information about security and safety practices, as well as, campus crime statistics annually.  Statistics are available for the preceeding year, not the current year and are updated yearly. RUSVM has the authority to report on-campus statistics only.

Incident Report System: RUSVM provides students and faculty with direct access to its current incident reports through the Incident Reports System. *Ross University username and password is required for access.

Communications & Alert System

Important communications for the campus community can range from weather incidents to public safety alerts to emergency notifications. The SIREN system is the official messaging system for communicating emergencies, however RUSVM will make every effort in communicating emergency situations through various communication outlets.

The University’s ability to use each of these channels will depend upon the factors surrounding the emergency situation. It is unreasonable to depend upon each and all of these channels for any given event—especially an event that disrupts power, mobile phone towers, or Internet connections—and the University makes no guarantees that various channels will be accessible during a given event. The University’s intent is to have as many options as possible and to have redundancy rather than relying on only one system or channel.

Communications Channels that may be used during an emergency include the following:

• RSUVM Web site (http://www.rossu.edu/veterinary-school)
• St. Kitts Radio Stations: ZIZ Radio (555AM, 96.1FM, 95.9FM), WINNFM (98.9FM)
• RUSVM campus community may receive information through University email accounts, myRoss (password-protected portal), and by voice, email and text message through the SIREN Emergency Notification System. SIREN is designated to be used only in the event of emergencies.
• Manual Emergency Notification Plan: This is a manual system of contacting members of the RUSVM community through a tiered notification plan. The plan consists of direct visits of individual persons in the area, confirming their safety and the message to be delivered and then, finally, forwarding the message though the tiered communication chain. The Manual Emergency Notification Plan is used only when conventional methods of communication are inoperable.

For situations that require awareness across campus but are not known as immediate threats to life safety, RUSVM utilizes communication via the Web, myRoss, email, and signs posted throughout campus. Individuals must take responsibility to read these alerts when they are communicated.