Your personal safety is a cooperative effort of everyone on campus. Making smart and safe decisions are the best way to remain safe on campus. The Office of Campus Safety offers these personal safety tips to help you stay safe.

General Safety Tips

• Call 630-637-5911 or 911 if you feel unsafe.
• At night, try to stay in well-lit areas and use routes that appear more heavily traveled.
• Avoid walking alone through isolated areas; avoid shortcuts through parking lots.
• Familiarize yourself with the location of telephones and “Assistance Call Boxes.”
• Be aware of what is going on around you. If you suspect you are being followed, indicate your suspicion by looking behind you. If you are on foot, cross the street, change directions, or vary your speed. Head for a place with people as soon as possible, such as residence hall.
• Follow your gut instincts; if your intuition tells you that you are at risk, try to leave the situation quickly.
• Use the buddy system; when with a friend at a party or local establishment, agree to watch out for each other and to leave the event together or in a group.
• Refuse to give your name to strangers.
• Avoid intoxicating substances and criminal activity.

Safety in Parking Lots

• Have your keys in your hand so that you don't have to search for them when you reach your vehicle.
• Before getting into your vehicle, visually inspect the interior for anything suspicious.
• As soon as you enter your vehicle, lock all the doors and turn on your headlights.
• When you park at night, try to park close to a light or in a well-lit area.
• When you park call campus safety at 630-637-5911 for an escort to your residence hall or classroom building.

Safety in the Locker Room

• Secure all personal property in a locker.
• Avoid storing large sums of money or other valuables in the locker.
• Keep your locker locked.
• If you notice suspicious persons in the locker room call campus safety at 630-637-5911 immediately.
• Report persons using a camera or cell phone camera.

Avoiding Theft from your Vehicle

• Lock your vehicle every time you leave it.
• Don't leave your windows rolled down, not even a crack.
• Don't leave vital information in your car. Your registration and insurance cards contain personal information that allows a criminal to target your home. Carry them in your wallet or your purse.
• Park in well-lit areas.
• Don't leave valuables in plain view to tempt would be thieves.
• Record serial numbers of valuable items.

How to Deal with Annoying or Harassing Phone Calls

• Most often the caller is looking for a reaction to the call. Do not react to it. Don't ask questions to the caller (i.e. "Who is this?") as this is what they would like you to do.
• Hang up the receiver promptly and gently.
• Never blow a whistle or yell into the phone. The caller will know that you are angry and may call back.
• Notify the police of any calls that you have received.
• If the calls happen on a regular basis, make a log of the dates and times of the calls and the wording of the call. Consider subscribing to call-display system so you can see the number of the caller.
• Call campus safety at 630-637-5911 to report harassing calls that become a nuisance.