Communication and Notifications

Main Content

SIU provides information to students and employees about campus security procedures and encourages them to be responsible for their own security and the security of others. In order to accomplish this goal, students and employees are kept informed about crime prevention strategies through a variety of non-emergency communications channels. Information on reported crimes that pose serious or continuing threats to the campus community is disseminated through timely warnings and emergency notifications using the RAVE Mobile Alert System via text message, email and social media. All SIU students and employees are automatically enrolled in the alert system with a confirmed SIU email address and cell phone number. Contact information can be confirmed on SalukiNet (sign in using either your @siu.edu email address or siu85xxxxxxx and NetID password.)

The University uses a decision tree to assist with the determination of issuing a Timely Warning or Emergency Notification.

Emergency Notifications

The Department of Public Safety will immediately notify the campus community upon the confirmation of a significant emergency or dangerous situation involving an immediate threat to the health or safety of students or employees occurring on campus. The types of incidents that may cause an immediate threat to the community may include, but are not limited to:

  • Active shooter on campus
  • Suspicious death
  • Hostage / barricade situation
  • Structural damage to SIU-owned property
  • Bomb threat / suspicious package
  • Biological threat
  • Tornado
  • Gas leak
  • Fire or explosion
  • Hazardous materials spill

If a serious crime, a natural disaster, or a man-made emergency occurs that poses such risk, federal law requires the university to immediately notify the campus community or appropriate segments that may be affected. Various systems are utilized for communicating information quickly to the SIU community, including:

  • Mass text message, mass email to SIU Carbondale email addresses via RAVE Alert System
  • SIU Department of Public Safety Twitter
  • SIU Department of Public Safety Facebook
  • A posting on this Website

Timely Warnings

The university implemented emergency notification and timely warning processes to help keep students and employees informed about threats to their health and safety in a manner that allows them to protect themselves. The Department of Public Safety develops timely warning notices for the university community to notify members about serious crimes against people that occur on or near campus when it is determined that the incident may pose a serious or ongoing threat. These warnings will be disseminated through RAVE, whether the incident is reported to the SIU Department of Public Safety, through a campus security authority, or the Carbondale Police Department.

The Clery Act requires institutions to distribute timely warnings for the following crimes if there is an imminent danger to the community:

  1. Criminal homicide
  2. Aggravated assault
  3. Robbery involving force or violence
  4. Sexual assault
  5. Major incident of arson
  6. Other crimes as determined necessary by the chief of SIU Police or designee

A timely warning will typically include the following, unless any of this information would risk compromising law enforcement efforts:

  1. Date and time or time frame of the incident
  2. Brief description of the incident
  3. Information that will promote safety and potentially aid in the prevention of similar crimes
  4. Suspect description
  5. Police agency contact information
  6. Other information as deemed necessary by the chief of SIU Police or designee.

The description of suspects will only be included if there is a sufficient amount of detail to describe the individual.

A timely warning will not be issued for the listed crimes if:

  1. The department apprehends the subject(s) and the threat of imminent danger for members of the community has been mitigated by the apprehension
  2. A report was not filed with the SIU Department of Public Safety, or the department was not notified of the crime in a manner that would allow the department to post a “timely” warning for the community. As a general guideline, a report that is filed more than five days after the date of the alleged incident may not allow the Department of Public Safety to post a “timely” warning to the community. Each situation will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. 
“Timely warnings” or “crime alerts” may be distributed for crimes that do not rise to the level of causing a serious or continuing threat to the university community but are situations the campus community should be aware of. Examples include, but are not limited to, a pattern of thefts or crimes on or off campus.