Meet Cody Simmons! Cody is a junior Civil Engineering major from Frisco, TX. Cody is also involved in Greek Life.

Being in a new college environment can be very stressful and scary for both you and your student, but the University of Arkansas provides many services and programs to create the safest conditions possible to ensure that you and your student feel safe and welcome here on campus. Here are some resources the university provides that creates this safe and welcoming environment:

Blue Emergency Poles – All across campus you might have noticed that the university has posted blue poles around buildings and up and down the sidewalks. With the touch of a button, these poles will alert the UAPD, and an officer will be on site shortly. Also, if your student feels like they are being followed or in a situation where they can’t stay in one spot, they can follow the poles and continue to press the buttons, and the UAPD will be able to follow their location and tend to the situation. This can be very helpful if your student feels as if they are in a bad situation or if there is an emergency.

RazAlert – This is a very valuable service that both you and your student can utilize. RazAlert is an automated phone/email service that alerts your student of anything out of the ordinary that is happening on campus like bad weather, safety concerns, and campus closings. Your student can sign up for this service by going on to UAConnect and inputting your contact information.

University of Arkansas Police Department (UAPD) – The University provides a 24/7 accessible police department located on campus next to Reed and Maple university housing. The phone number is also conveniently located on the back of your student’s ID card.

Safe Ride – This is a service that the university offers to any student who needs a ride from anywhere in Fayetteville to your residence indicated on UAConnect. If your student doesn’t want to walk in the dark alone, is in a bad situation and needs a ride home or is in need of a “Plan B” for transportation, Safe Ride can be a great option. The number for this service can be located on the back of your student’s ID card.

Self-Defense – The UAPD offers an instructional self-defense class in the HPER athletic center for any student looking to learn how to defend themselves in an uncomfortable situation or if they want to feel more confident with themselves in any environment. More information can be found on the University of Arkansas website. To sign up you can go to this website: https://honorscollege.formstack.com/forms/self_defense

It is one of our top priorities to make sure you and your student feel as safe and comfortable as possible while on campus. We can assure you that the University of Arkansas will do everything they can to provide the utmost safety for your student.