Chapter II: Safety and Security on Campus

A. Campus Safety: Students at UNCSA have historically enjoyed a safe and secure campus. This is due in part to the responsible and wise decisions students make as they move about the campus.

Emergency: If you have an emergency, pick up the receiver of any campus telephone and dial 55, or from a non-campus phone call 336-770-3362. If at a blue call box, push the button and release to reach the police department. When someone answers, push the button and hold it while you speak slowly and clearly, giving your name, location and emergency information. Remember to wait for a response after you press the button. In the event of an emergency, UNCSA ALERT is our emergency notification system that is used for timely campus wide emergency notifications over a wide range of communication channels including phone, emails, text message, and messages to UNCSA’s Facebook and Twitter. UNCSA ALERT also offers multiple languages and TTY (Teletypewriter) for those who are hearing and speech impaired. For detailed information see the Police and Public Safety website.

Non-Emergency: If you have a non-emergency, dial 3321 from any campus telephone, or from a non-campus phone call 336-770-3321. When someone answers, speak slowly and clearly, giving your name, location and message.

General Campus Safety Precautions:

1. Lock residence hall room door.
2. Report strangers promptly to residence life staff or the UNCSA Police Department (Dial 55 from any telephone on campus).
3. Walk with someone at night and stay in well-lit areas. Going alone to and from the residence halls late at night is not safe, and leaving the residence hall after curfew is a serious infraction.
4. When going off campus during the daylight, use the Main Street exit by the UNCSA sign.
5. Do not walk off campus at night.
6. Close window blinds when changing clothes.
7. Obtain passes for all campus visitors.
8. Hang up on obscene phone callers.
9. Never prop open a residence hall door. Be sure to lock your door before going to sleep.

B. Emergency Response Guidelines

C. Sexual Assault: A victim/survivor of a sexual assault will be informed of various avenues including: reporting the crime and pressing charges in the court system, having a medical examination, filing an internal Student Conduct action (if the assailant was another student), changing room or class assignments, utilizing community resources, and obtaining professional counseling.

The Vice Provost and Dean of Student Affairs may place an accused student on immediate emergency suspension pending the Case Resolution Meeting if the student is believed to pose a threat or danger to the campus community. Refer to the Title IX Policy Including Prohibited Harassment, Sexual Misconduct and Discrimination  Policy. More information about prohibited harassment, including sexual misconduct and discrimination is on the Human Resources' Title IX web page.

D. Missing Student Notification Policy: If there is concern that a student may be missing, the concerned person should notify Residence Life staff. For more information concerning UNCSA’s procedures when a student is believed to be missing, refer to the UNCSA Clery Annual Security & Fire Safety Report.

E. Room Entry, Confiscation, and Plain-View Seizure: Under normal, non-emergency situations, authorized UNCSA personnel may unlock and/or enter a resident student’s room:

• during previously announced routine inspections for health and safety;
• to perform preventive or corrective maintenance;
• during a state-required inspection;
• to take corrective measures such as turning off an alarm or loud stereo when the occupant of the room cannot be located;
• to ascertain during a fire drill that everyone has left the building;
• to investigate alleged Code of Conduct or other policy infractions;
• to conduct curfew checks when applicable; or
• when the occupant has given permission. 

In case of emergency, such as a fire hazard or problem involving the immediate safety of the occupants or community, a room may be entered and searched.

Room and Apartment Entry and Search for Policy Infractions:  If reasonable suspicion exists to believe that a residential student or visitor is violating a school policy or rule, a campus room or apartment that may contain relevant evidence may be searched either with the resident’s consent or with authorization of the Associate Director of Residential Education, the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs and Director of Residence Life Programs, or the Vice Provost and Dean of Student Affairs. If reasonably available, the resident may be present, but if time is of the essence or the resident(s) cannot be located, the search will occur in the resident’s absence. The resident(s) will receive a list of items seized. 

UNCSA Police may conduct a search of a student’s room or apartment based on valid consent, a search warrant, or exigent circumstances. If during any room search an officer should discover evidence that meets the standard of criminal activity, the evidence may be presented to a magistrate for formal charges. However, in lesser cases, a referral will be made for campus Student Conduct action in lieu of criminal charges. 

Room Inspections occur biweekly and are announced 24 hours in advance.  Occupants must correct any noted problems within 24 hours to avoid disciplinary action. Students should check with Resident Assistants (RAs) or Resident Managers (RMs) if they have questions about the inspection criteria. 

Inspections during school breaks occur to check for safety hazards and to assess the overall condition of the facilities.  

Confiscating Personal Property: Residence Life staff may temporarily confiscate items that create a nuisance or safety hazard. (Examples include stereos, synthesizers, amplifiers, drums, guitars, candles, incense, water guns, skateboards, in-line skates and scooters.) All such items are stored safely until the owner, or in some cases the owner's parent/guardian, can take them home. The student may receive a Housing Policy, Residential and Community Policy, and/or Code of Conduct infraction for possessing the confiscated article.

Plain View Seizure: If an employee of UNCSA sees prohibited, illegal, or stolen property in plain view in a student’s room, car, mailbox, open book bag, case, locker, etc., the employee will secure the area or location and notify the Residence Life on-call staff member and UNCSA Police. Authorities will initiate an investigation and make charges as appropriate.

F. Parking at UNCSA for High School Students: All students, faculty, and staff who park on University of North Carolina School of the Arts property must display a valid parking or temporary parking decal, appropriately placed, on the vehicle being parked. This is in effect at all times.

Note: Residential High School students are not allowed to have access to a car on- or off-campus.

1. Parking Decals: Commuting high school students may purchase a parking decal by completing the form, (parent signature required if student is under 18, student signature required if over 18). Initial decals, replacement decals, and temporary permits are all issued by the UNCSA Department of Police and Public Safety located at 2010 Kenan Drive on campus. Payment for all decals must be made first at the Cashier’s Office in the Welcome Center. All vehicles are required to have the legal minimum NC liability insurance coverage, even if the vehicle is registered in another state. See Parking Policy for cost of decal.
   1. Commuter Student “C”– The commuter student decal is issued to all students that live off-campus. Parking with this decal is limited to those lots posted as “C” Decal required (Lots B & N). A commuter decal is NOT valid for “RS” lots at any time. Students may ask for an exception to this by contacting the UNCSA Department of Police and Public Safety in advance with a specific one-time request.
   2. Decals shall be clearly visible and affixed to the exterior of the rear windshield on the passenger side of the vehicle. Motorcycles shall place the decal on the rear fender. Student decal holders who are temporarily driving a different vehicle are required to get a temporary parking permit (at no cost) from the UNCSA Department of Police and Public Safety. You must have a current year decal to get a temporary parking permit.
2. Parking is extremely limited: All vehicles must be parked in the designated area or space as indicated by the issued decal. The registered decal holder shall be responsible for any parking violations.

Note: For more information refer to UNCSA Parking Policies and UNCSA Student Vehicle Registration Form.

G. Policy on Skateboarding, In-Line or Roller skating, Bicycling and Other Modes of Non-motored Transportation: Skateboards/longboards, scooters, in-line/roller skates, bicycles and other modes of non-motored transportation are permitted on open walkways and roads as a means of transportation, provided that they do not constitute a hazard to pedestrians, disrupt class, or damage University property. Recreational use of the aforementioned modes of transportation are not permitted. 

Skateboards/longboards, scooters, in-line/roller skates, bicycles, and other modes of non-motored transportation must be registered with Campus Police. Bicycles should be secured to a bicycle rack for storage purposes. Skateboards/longboards, scooters, in-line/roller skates, and all other modes of non-motored transportation should be kept in the student’s room for storage purposes.

The University will not be held accountable for any injuries sustained while using these modes of transportation. It is recommended that students wear appropriate safety equipment and seek medical attention if an injury is sustained.

Violations of this policy include, but are not limited to:

• Jumping or riding down stairs
• Grinding on or otherwise damaging University property
• Riding in buildings
• Riding on landscaping
• Storing improperly
• Creating excessive noise that disrupts the community

Note: Each violation of this policy will be reported to the Associate Director for Student Conduct. If a violation results in damage either to University property or to personal property belonging to an individual, the student will be responsible for covering the cost to repair or replace the property. Three violations of this policy will result in a minor infraction charge.