UIC launches new campus safety app
Thanks to a new campus safety app, UIC students and employees can now take a virtual walk with a friend — sharing their location until they arrive at their destination — contact UIC Police with just the push of a button, and more.
The UIC SAFE mobile app provides a personal safety tool that users can carry with them on their smartphones. The app is a one-stop shop that puts all campus safety and emergency preparedness information in one place, enhancing campus safety tools currently available to students and employees.
“It allows us to keep our students, faculty and staff better informed and prepared while increasing our engagement with UIC Police and empowering our community to be more resilient,” said David Ibrahim, assistant vice chancellor for administrative services. “We owed it to our students and employees to stay proactive and invest in cutting-edge safety solutions.”
The app, which is available for both Apple and Android devices, includes:
- One-touch emergency call button: contact UIC Police quickly for help in an emergency
- Virtual friend walk: send your location to a friend, who can watch you walk to your class, office, car or home in real time
- UIC Police virtual escort: let UIC Police know where you are traveling so they can monitor your progress to your destination
- Chat with UIC Police: communicate live with a UIC Police officer via chat
- Safety notifications: receive instant notifications, emergency UIC ALERTs and instructions when on-campus emergencies occur
- Campus safety toolbox: access safety resources, and student and employee services, such as connecting with a mental health counselor
- Emergency guidelines: review emergency preparedness plans from the Office of Preparedness and Response
- Report a tip: report a crime or share anonymous information with UIC Police.
“What we sought was something that was very user-friendly and intuitive,” Ibrahim said. “We encourage everyone to download it and use it.”
Users must log in with a NetID and password to use the app, but parents and friends who are not affiliated with UIC can still track users’ progress through the virtual walk — the app with send out a map and provide updates until the end of the virtual walk, Ibrahim said.
Students and employees should also follow @UICReady on Twitter for campus safety information, he said.
The app, which replaces the UIC Rave Guardian app, was built through a collaboration of multiple campus departments, including the Office of Preparedness and Response, Office of Public and Government Affairs, UIC Police and more.
