UT Police Department has received some questions about how they notify students about emergency situations that occur on or around our campus. In last week’s article, UT Police explained the difference between UT Alerts and Safety Notices. The article also explained under which circumstances students, faculty, and staff would receive UT Alerts or Safety Notices.
The below information further explains which areas are covered by the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act and would constitute a UT Alert or Safety Notice to be sent out. Additionally, areas not covered by the Clery Act are detailed.
As a reminder, a UT Alert text and e-mail message will be sent in situations when there is an immediate threat to the health and safety of students or employees on the UT campus. Examples of situations in which a UT Alert likely will be issued include a building fire, a hazardous material spill or leak impacting a large area, a severe weather related threat, or an active shooter on campus.
A Safety Notice will always arrive in your UT e-mail account from the UT Police Department and have a subject line that reads “Safety Notice.” The university sends Safety Notices to alert the campus community to specific crimes in a timely manner to aid in the prevention of similar crimes. Examples of when Safety Notices might be sent include robberies, aggravated assaults and sex offenses.
Which areas on and around campus fall within what is covered by the Clery Act?
Clery Act reporting is based on where the incident occurred. To help distinguish which properties are reportable for the UT campus, the Clery map color codes properties based on the reportable location definitions classified by the US Department of Education.
On-campus areas covered include university properties within the continuous geographic area of the campus and supports university’s education mission or is frequently used by students. Additionally, noncampus properties that are not included in the general geographic area of the institution and are used to support educational purposes are included. An example would be the student recreational fields on Sutherland Avenue. Public properties, such as public or city streets and sidewalks, must go through or be immediately adjacent to a UT property to be reported.
You can view the map and areas that are covered by UT’s Clery geography below or on the Clery website.
What about Cumberland Avenue?
Cumberland Avenue between 22nd Avenue and 17th Avenue is not a part of the university’s Clery-defined geography because it is a city-owned street and not UT property. When situations arise within that span of streets on Cumberland Avenue, the Knoxville Police Department has primary responsibility for this area.
However, if the crime occurs on Cumberland Avenue and the suspect heads directly towards campus and still poses a threat, the Knoxville Police Department will alert UT Police, and a UT Alert would be sent to students, faculty, and staff.
What about Fort Sanders?
The majority of the Fort Sanders neighborhood is not a part of the university’s Clery-defined geography, except in certain locations where a university building exists. Examples include Laurel Hall, Volunteer Hall, Clement Hall, Panhellenic Building, the College of Law, Hoskins Library, Jessie Harris Building, and the 11th Street Parking Garage.
The Knoxville Police Department has primary responsibility for Fort Sanders. The above map highlights in yellow and red any properties on the Fort Sanders side of Cumberland Avenue that are covered by the Clery Act. Areas not covered are overseen by the Knoxville Police Department.
For more information about UT Alert, visit the UT Alert FAQ page.
For more information on the Clery Act, visit UT’s Clery website.