SAFETY AND EMERGENCY OPERATIONS
The UNC System office of Safety and Emergency Operations provides guidance to the 17 constituent institutions in the areas of campus safety/security, emergency management, and continuity planning. The office also serves as a direct liaison between the institutions and local, state, federal, and private agency counterparts. This collaboration enhances strategic planning, both within the University System and with external agencies. These efforts ensure that the UNC System and its institutions are better prepared to respond when critical incidents occur.
Campus Safety
The safety and security of students, employees, and visitors to the University of North Carolina System is a priority second to none.
Each UNC System constituent university, along with the NC Arboretum, has an on-campus police department. A chief of police and a staff of fully sworn law enforcement officers, certified through the NC Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission, operate each UNC System police department. These officers have the same powers as municipal and county police officers to make arrests for both felonies and misdemeanors. The NC School of Science and Mathematics contracts with a municipal police department and has an around-the-clock law enforcement presence on campus as well.
In addition to their campus police departments, the 16 UNC System constituent universities employ emergency management, environmental health & safety, and other professional public safety personnel, who help maintain campus safety.
UNC System institutions conduct annual training exercises to enhance their crisis response proficiency. In the event of an on-campus emergency, each institution will provide critical information to the campus community through multi-modal emergency notification systems.
Read more about the Campus Security Initiative.
University Safety and Security Policies
Every campus abides by the Clery Act and follows protocol set forth by the federal government.
- Sections 700.4.1 and 700.4.2 of the UNC Policy Manual
- The Handbook for Campus Safety and Security Reporting (U.S. Department of Education)
- Clery Act Regulations (U.S. Government Printing Office)
View the UNC System’s Clery Reports.
Health Concerns on Campus
The University and its constituent institutions monitor leading global health authorities. This allows the UNC System and its institutions to provide members of our community with the most accurate and current resources in the event of an outbreak or health risk. Through collaborative efforts across the UNC System community, we have identified best practices for notification, planning, and response to health emergencies.