At Temple, all students are automatically enrolled in the TU Alert system. When there is an incident on campus, from a class building without power to an armed robbery, students are informed through TU Alerts.
Initially, this was a two-part system featuring a “TU Advisory,” which was used for anything that students needed to be aware of, but did not put students in imminent danger. The second part of this system was “TU Alerts,” but these were used only for immediate attention, explained external relations coordinator at campus safety services, Monica Hankins-Padilla.
After hearing complaints from representatives from Temple Student Government (TSG), the system was modified. Because the two-part system was somewhat confusing, they decided to have all alerts go to students as “TU Alerts.”
When the Temple Police department expanded their boards in August of 2014, Hankins-Padilla explained, this also meant TU Alerts broadened their coverage. Instead of covering incidents only on campus, students would now be notified of off-campus and community-wide happenings. According to Hankins-Padilla, the increase in alerts does not mean campus is less safe, we are just hearing about more of what is happening in our general area.
After speaking to several students, it seems they have also noticed that we receive more alerts. Kaylyn Welsh, sophomore, explained that the alerts made her feel safe because she sometimes travels into other parts of the city, so she appreciates the expansion of coverage.
Hankins-Padilla also explained that in order for students to stay safe on campus there are many different options. These include shuttles such as the OwlLoop and TUr Door, as well as the walking escort program. To learn more about campus safety options visit: https://www.temple.edu/safety.
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