One button promises campus security
Campus Times
February 14, 1997
Junior Stacy Lucas poses before the new pay phone feature that will
directly link students to Campus Safety. There are 11 pay phones with this
feature on campus, including one in each dormitory. The service is available
24 hours a day. Future plans include the installation of house phones in
some of the buildings. These phones will be used to call Campus Safety,
911 and campus extensions.
Students can now receive the University's Office of Public Safety quicker,
with the installation of new public telephones with a speed dial button
linking to the security office.
The speed dial was placed on campus under the direction of Sheila DeGraw,
director of support services, who came up with the idea when the phone company
was planning to install new telephones on campus, and offered this added
feature to the phones.
The University offered to pay for the calls, but GTE waived the fee
for the campus.
The speed dial phones provide for quicker response by security because
students do not need to know the number for security, nor do they need money
to call.
There are several locations on the campus with these pay phones, where
with the press of a button, public safety can be notified of a problem.
Founders Hall houses two of the phones, the Law Center has two, Brandt
and Stu-Han each have a phone. There is a phone outside the Oaks, one in
the Education Building, on the east and west side of the library and one
each in the Spot and Davenport Dining Hall.
Students may dial out to 911 or security in case of an emergency or
assistance.
The University is looking into purchasing two house phones that will
hold the same purpose. They would be black phones that are distinguishable
as phones for emergency assistance by 911 or public safety, and hopes to
find a damage proof case to install the phones outdoors.
"We think it is convenient because if students forget the number
and they are scared, they don't have to think, 'What's the number? What's
the number?'" said John Lentz, director of campus safety. "It
is also a benefit to someone who is off campus who might not know the extension."