Adams State University is dedicated to the safety and well-being of all students, faculty, and staff. The campus community now has access to the award-winning uSafeUS app, to continue efforts for improved safety.
According to Heidi Schneider, Ph.D., inclusive excellence liaisaon, the campus will be encouraging students to download the app as the fall semester gets underway. “We worked throughout the summer to have this app ready for our students; uSafeUS is important for our campus community as it is designed to keep us safe on and off campus.”
The uSafeUS app is designed for colleges and universities as a platform for preventing and responding to sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking. uSafeUs provides interactive prevention features to help students leave risky or uncomfortable situations and to protect themselves or others when traveling alone. The research-informed, campus-customizable app provides help and guidance for victims or their supporters, with specially designed features.
uSafeUS was developed and enhanced using extensive input from more than 100 college administrators and 400 students. The uSafeUS prevention features include: Time to Leave lets students send themselves fake texts or calls, providing a reason to leave an uncomfortable social situation before it becomes dangerous; Expect Me lets students alert friends to follow them via GPS and to follow-up if they don’t arrive when expected; Sound the Alarm triggers a loud alarm and flashing lights from a cell phone if a student feels threatened; Angel Drink provides a way for students to discretely alert a bartender or server that help is needed.
The uSafeUS response features are based on more than 16 years of research into helping and supporting victims. Response features include Find Help provides fast access to medical help, public safety, counseling service, and more; Helpful Answers provides educational information in a question-and-answer format from the perspectives of victims, and their friends or supporters, including faculty and staff. What Next? Walks victims through options for care and reporting.
“This is an incredible asset for the entire Adams State community,” noted Schneider. “While we consider Adams State a safe campus already, no one is immune to unnecessary advances.”
The uSafeUS app is available for both iPhone and Android phones and already available for download.
