Summer@Brown: Safety and Security

Pre-College Programs at Brown University – Summer 2009

Various Programs

Policies

Specific policies apply to aspects of academic and residence life, including class attendance, plagiarism, curfew, quiet hours, and disruptive behavior. A Code of Conduct Agreement is sent to all families and students for your consent and signature at the time of admission. General policies may be reviewed in the Policy section of this site.

Personal & Community Safety

The safety of our students is of paramount importance. Brown Department of Public Safety personnel are on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Access to residence halls is restricted to residents, their approved guests, and other authorized members of the University community. All residence hall entrances are locked 24 hours a day and can only be accessed with an authorized I.D. card.

Safety Precautions

Each student is issued a wallet-sized laminated card with emergency phone numbers. Residence halls are equipped with smoke alarms, pull stations and fire extinguishers.

Brown’s campus is part of what is known as "College Hill" in the city of Providence and, as such, is open to the public. Pre-college students enrolled in Summer@Brown are frequently cautioned to walk in groups and always let someone know where they are going. 

There are 140 emergency phones, also known as "blue light phones", on buildings or in green areas on campus and 58 in elevators. All residence halls and classroom buildings have a blue-light phone at each entrance. Students can call anywhere on campus, dial 911 for emergencies, or call the Department of Public Safety for assistance.

Pre-college students enrolled in the Summer@Brown program have a residence hall curfew. Students are expected to return to their residence hall and check in with their Resident Advisor by 11:30 p.m. Sunday –Thursday and 12:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday and remain on their floor unit until 6:00 a.m. Students may not leave their residence hall after curfew. In the event that a student is absent from the residence hall or floor as prescribed, the student’s parents/guardian, then the Department of Public Safety will be informed. Repeated and/or serious violations of the curfew could result in dismissal from the program. Adhering to the curfew policy is the student’s responsibility. While residential staff will take reasonable measures to ensure that students adhere to the curfew, once a student has been verified as being within the residence halls at the designated time, it cannot be guaranteed that the student will not subsequently choose to leave the residence hall area.

Brown University Department of Public Safety

Personnel are on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Department of Public Safety (DPS) Officers routinely patrol the campus and surrounding Providence neighborhoods in cars, bikes, and foot patrols. DPS officers are trained at the Municipal Police Academy and are empowered by the State of Rhode Island to enforce state statutes. Security officers are trained by the department and, along with the campus police officers, are authorized by the university to enforce university rules and regulations. Both police and security officers patrol the campus 24-hours a day to deter crime, develop community relationships and respond to calls for service and assistance. The department also provides the community with the resources and education necessary to take responsibility for making informed choices about their personal safety.

The DPS Communication and Information Center is located in the arch at Faunce House (75 Waterman Street). The phone number is 863-3322 and TDD number is 863-1740. It is open and staffed by Communication Control Officers 24 hours a day. Communication control officers are responsible for answering all emergency and non-emergency calls for service, and dispatching officers to the appropriate locations for response.  This is also the location of the drop box for room key returns.

Evening Shuttle Service

The safeRIDE program is a cooperative safety-oriented transportation service offered to the Brown University and RISD communities.  Any student can ride the shuttle with a Brown I.D. SafeRIDE on call provides point-to-point service from one Brown building to another Brown Building. Passengers will need to call safeRIDE On-Call (401) 863-1778 to request a ride and will be required to show their Brown ID upon entering the vehicle. The wait time for this service may be between 10-20 minutes, depending on service volume.  SafeRIDE On-call service is available Sunday – Thursday: 8 p.m. – 12 a.m. and Friday & Saturdays: 8 p.m. – 1 a.m.

Fire Safety

Fire safety regulations must be followed. When a fire alarm sounds, you must evacuate the building immediately. Tampering with fire equipment, including fire extinguishers, smoke alarms and alarm boxes, is a violation of law and carries a fine of up to $1,000. Complete fire safety regulations are posted in the residence halls and are reviewed thoroughly at orientation. More information is available at the Environmental Health and Safety website.

Emergency Action Plan

In the event of an emergency situation, the University has an Emergency Action Plan to promote the safety of Brown students, faculty, staff and guests. The plan outlines procedures for building evacuation, shelter in place and emergency communication. More information about the Emergency Action Plan is available at the Environmental Health and Safety website.

Lost & Found

The lost and found location on campus during the summer session is the Department of Public Safety (401-863-1663). Items of value left behind in residence halls such as jewelry, money, and laptop computers will be turned in to the Office of Continuing Education (401-863-7900).