Dear USC students,
The university is committed to maintaining a safe environment for you. Our department of public safety (DPS)—one of the very best in the nation—works around the clock to ensure your wellbeing. However, as DPS reminds us all: safety is a shared responsibility. This means looking out for yourselves, and for each other, especially when those around you are putting themselves at risk.
The website http://safety.usc.edu provides detailed information about safety at USC. I encourage you to visit this site, to download the free mobile safety app LiveSafe, and to familiarize yourself with USC’s resources and safety tips. A few specific reminders are:
- Be aware of your surroundings: if something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.
- If you see something, say something. Don’t hesitate to contact DPS. Program DPS’s phone numbers into your phone, and familiarize yourself with the emergency phones, both on and off campus.
- Don’t walk alone off campus after dark. Take advantage of Campus Cruiser or Lyft, or use the safe-walk feature in the LiveSafe mobile safety app.
- Be aware that intoxicated or distracted individuals are more vulnerable to crimes or injuries. Being on a phone or wearing headphones can diminish your personal safety awareness.
- If you or someone around you needs help dealing with life changes, anxiety or depression, or other personal issues, reach out to the Counseling and Mental Health team in USC Student Health.
The contact information for the resources above can be found at http://safety.usc.edu or on the attached list. Keep it handy!
We all benefit from living in one of the largest and most dynamic cities in the world, but it also requires that we proactively exercise good judgement. Please take an active role in ensuring your own safety—and the safety of those around you.
Fight On!
Wanda M. Austin
Interim President