AlertGCU is Grand Canyon University’s emergency notification strategy used to communicate time-sensitive information during an emergency event affecting campus. The nature of the incident will determine which of the following methods will be employed to alert the campus community:

GCU has partnered with RAVE Mobile Safety to provide an emergency alert system that delivers messages to your cell phone. Faculty and staff may also receive an email in addition to the cell phone message.

Individuals authorized to initiate an AlertGCU message include the Director of Public Safety, Director of the Health and Wellness Center, Director of Campus Development, and the Title IX Coordinator (or their authorized designees).

Authorized individuals will, without delay, utilize the AlertGCU system to issue an immediate notification to the campus community upon first responder confirmation of any emergency or dangerous situation that poses an ongoing or continuing threat to the health or safety of the campus community. The notification will be sent to all students, faculty, and staff in the GCU community (or an appropriate segment of the community if the event is limited to a defined area of the campus) unless issuance of the notification will, in the professional judgment of responsible authorities, compromise efforts to assist a victim or contain, respond to, or otherwise mitigate the emergency. The content of the message will vary depending on the situation, but will typically include the incident time, location, type, and recommended actions for safety.

GCU also conducts a campus wide test of the AlertGCU system at least once per quarter. During the campus wide test, a message is sent via RAVE text message, and via the faculty/staff desktop monitor. The outdoor warning system may also be activated to test its functionality and evaluate audio clarity.

Follow the directions of AlertGCU messages unless doing so will place you in greater danger. AlertGCU warnings are intended to support decisions for personal safety. When you become aware of a warning, make sure others around you are also aware of the potential danger. DO NOT respond to the scene of an emergency unless directed to do so. In addition to the possibility of becoming injured, your presence could interfere with the work of emergency response personnel.

As the emergency or dangerous situation progresses, university emergency response personnel will utilize one or more of the following channels to communicate additional information:

The AlertGCU mass notification system is programmed to send alerts to all registered students, faculty, and staff. Contact information is removed from the AlertGCU system when University affiliation changes .

Students:

Students can update their contact information through the Student Portal at https://myportal.gcu.edu/ or by contact their Student Services Advisor.

Faculty/Staff:

Faculty and staff may update their AlertGCU contact information in Workday at https://www.myworkday.com/gcu/d/home.htmld

Campus-based students are automatically subscribed to the RAVE Alert notification system upon enrollment, and faculty/staff are automatically subscribed upon employment. When you receive a RAVE Alert text message, it will give you the option to phone in and opt-out. The RAVE Alerts are intended to notify the GCU community of potential danger, so it is recommended to not opt-out.

A federal law (commonly referred to as the Clery Act) requires the University to issue timely warnings to the entire University community whenever crimes specified in the Clery Act occur on campus or in an area surrounding the campus, and the Director of Public Safety or their designee or other senior level University official has determined that the situation poses an immediate or ongoing threat to the community. The purpose of the warning is to aid in the prevention of similar crimes by alerting the community about the incident and providing information on precautions people can take to enhance their personal safety. The AlertGCU system will be used to issue these warnings.

The Clery Act requires disclosure of crimes in the following categories: criminal homicide (including murder & non-negligent manslaughter, and negligent manslaughter), sex offenses (forcible and non-forcible), aggravated assault, robbery, burglary, arson, motor vehicle theft, and arrests for drug-related offenses and illegal weapon possession. The act also requires the University to issue an immediate notification of hazards that pose a threat to the campus community’s health and safety, such as a fire, an earthquake or an accidental hazardous materials release.

Timely warnings are issued as soon as first responders are able to determine that the threat is credible and that the situation poses an ongoing threat to the community. A timely warning is intended to enable people to protect themselves against serious and continuing threats to the campus community, and will be issued as soon as pertinent information is available. It may take several minutes to determine and confirm the nature of an incident, and follow up messages may be issued as additional facts become available. Incidents that may elicit a timely warning include, but are not limited to, crimes of violence, property crimes, and sexual assaults where there has been a delay in reporting.

The purpose of an emergency notification is to immediately notify the campus community when there is a significant emergency or dangerous situation involving an immediate threat to the health or safety of students, faculty, and staff. Incidents that may elicit an emergency notification include, but are not limited to, a bomb threat or active shooter, an outbreak of a highly contagious disease, impending natural disasters, and cases of sexual assault that posse an emergent, immediate threat to campus.

Send an email to the Department of Public Safety at [email protected] or call them directly at 602-639-8100.

For more information about public safety, visit:

https://www.gcu.edu/about-gcu/offices-services/public-safety.php

To learn more about Title IX, visit:

https://www.gcu.edu/academics/academic-policies/title-ix.php

To learn more about academic policies and consumer information, visit:

https://www.gcu.edu/academics/academic-policies.php