Building Access & Maintenance

Department of Public Safety officers are responsible for locking and unlocking campus buildings according to their scheduled use. Administrative and classroom buildings are unlocked each morning and secured in the evenings.

During normal working hours, there is no access control to the majority of the buildings, excluding Residence Halls, making them available to the public. After-hour access is pre-arranged through the Department of Pubic Safety pending authorization and proper identification.

Student Responsibility

Public Safety officers maintain the ability to access Residence Halls as well. It is an individual's responsibility to lock and maintain access control to their residence hall room. Public Safety patrols and Student Life staff routinely monitor building access and encourage student residents to assist by keeping exterior doors locked and not using objects to prop open locked doors.

If a properly identified person is locked out and requires access to a room, either a Resident Assistant or Public Safety Officer may grant access. In the case of inoperable locks, a locksmith is available through Facilities Management.

The main access doors to Residence Halls are required to be locked 24 hours a day, seven days a week, thereby providing students reasonable safety, security and privacy. Students use keys or magnetic cards to access these doors as well as their room doors. Students are continually encouraged to lock their rooms and discouraged from propping open any doors.

The Division of Student Life provides each new student with access to the RWU Student Handbook that amplifies the information in the housing contract regarding safety and security in Residence Halls. These sources, supplemented with other handouts, provide students with an awareness of their rights, responsibilities, rules, regulations and important information regarding activities that are prohibited at the University in order to safeguard the security and well being of others.

Off-Campus Organizations

Roger Williams University does not recognize any off-campus student organizations.

Maintenance of Campus Facilities

The Department of Public Safety works closely with the Department of Facilities Management and Division of Student Life to provide a safe and well-lit campus. Public Safety Officers monitor campus lighting to enhance security. Additionally, administrative members of various departments routinely conduct surveys to assess the operability and adequacy of lighting throughout the campus.

The Department of Facilities Management maintains the ability to respond on a 24-hour basis to correct significant discrepancies related to safety and security. This response facilitates prompt repairs to building and room access equipment, fire and safety equipment, lighting and other deficiencies that present an immediate risk to the University community.

Utilizing portable radios, officers are able to notify Public Safety Headquarters of situations requiring the immediate attention of the Facilities Management Department.