Security/Safety Procedures
The College attempts to provide for the security of individuals and their belongings through a security system that includes locks for rooms and buildings, controlled access to buildings, alarm systems, panic buttons and video monitoring.
Security measures are only as effective as the individuals on campus choose to make them. Students are encouraged to use sound judgment at all times. Campus buildings have controlled access via key card and code. Students are prohibited from allowing any other individual to use their key card, or from distributing the access code to non-students.
At times it may be necessary to establish other security checks and procedures and it is expected that students will cooperate fully in carrying out security procedures, all of which are designed to promote the safety and security of the College community.
All students, faculty and staff are expected to assume reasonable responsibility for personal safety. By using common sense, safety practices such as walking in groups, reporting suspicious activities, keeping money, books and other personal items protected, locking car, room and office doors when leaving and generally being alert to personal welfare will ensure personal safety on and off campus. All threats and/or altercations (verbal or physical) that are based on religious, gender or racial bias by either a member of the College community or a stranger must be reported.
Students should be their own safety advocates and take these strategies seriously:
- Stalker: If you feel someone is stalking you, make an immediate report to the college administration. A restraining order or some other action may be taken to keep you safe. If someone is following you suspiciously, head towards crowds, lighted areas or occupied buildings.
- Obscene Calls: Don’t engage an unknown caller in conversation or give any personal information. Keep track of unwanted phone calls and document the time and content of these calls. Save harassing or obscene phone messages, and turn over all of this information to administration.
- Walking Around: Don’t walk alone after dark. Stay in well-lit and populated areas.
- The Element of Surprise: Make it difficult for someone to surprise you. For example, don’t walk around or jog with headphones when you are alone.
- Protect Your Personal Property: Don’t leave backpacks, purses or other bags unattended; always lock your bike or car; don’t leave valuables in plain sight; don’t leave large amounts of cash in your room or on your person.
- Lock your Student Residence apartment doors: when you leave the apartment and when you are on the premises.
- Cyber-Safety: Despite the perceived anonymity of cyberspace, the Internet and spam can pose serious threats. Releasing personal information (particularly your Social Security number or phone number) over the Internet can result in identity theft and/or stalking. Identity theft is a long-hard road to overcome, often involving years of effort to reestablish damaged credit ratings and more. Meeting people on-line can be dangerous. On-line matchmaking can be risky and even religious based Shidduch sites require careful monitoring, and students are recommended to seek thorough background checks by a reliable authority before arranging a meeting with anyone. For further details on prohibited activity in cyber-space, see “Social Media and Cyber-Security Policies” above.
To report or discuss security issues, contact a student residence counselor/supervisor or a member of the administration.
Take note that prank alarms and false reports of danger to students or property will be grounds for suspension or expulsion. Security and safety is no joking matter.
In order to maintain a secure and appropriate living environment for HTC students in our residence facilities there shall be no guests of the opposite gender allowed in Student Residential Facilities at any time. Of course, no overnight guests are allowed in the Student Residential Facilities without prior approval of the student residence counselor/supervisor. Students are urged to keep their doors locked day and night.
Campus Safety
To ensure the safety of the College community, smoke alarms and fire extinguishers are located throughout the classroom and student residence buildings. While periodic checks on this equipment will be undertaken, it is also the students’ responsibility to report malfunctioning fire safety equipment. Storms can cause power outages, broken windows and other structural damage. Report such damage immediately to the administration or student residence counselor/supervisor.
Bomb or terror threats have unfortunately become a reality even in the United States. These types of dangers come in many shapes and forms, from a suspicious package to a gunman on the loose. To keep yourself and others safe, when a state of emergency has been declared:
- Follow the instructions of staff and faculty. They have been trained to lead you to safety.
- Try not to panic or assume the worst; just take care of the immediate concern of getting to safety.
- Have a healthy suspicion that causes you to alert staff when strangers are in places they should not be, or when something seems awry. Many disasters are averted because students take the time and the care to report something out of the ordinary.
- Don’t ever make a threat as a joke!
- If you are being threatened with imminent physical harm on the Blitstein Campus, don’t hesitate to press the alarm buttons that are located in the classroom and student housing buildings.
Smoke Free Environment
The Smoke-Free Illinois Act requires that educational institutions, among other public places and places of employment, be smoke-free inside and within 15 feet of entrances, exits, windows that open, and ventilation intakes. Under this Act, HTC prohibits smoking as defined below, including electronic smoking devices and hookahs, in all of its indoor public areas and classrooms, including but not limited to college housing, lobbies, libraries, lounges, bathrooms, conference rooms, and offices. No smoking shall be permitted within 15 feet of entrances, exits, windows that open, and ventilation intakes of any HTC facility. Violation of this policy may result in official reprimand; and if the violation persists or is repeated may result in expulsion.
Definitions
“Smoking” means inhaling, exhaling, burning, or carrying any lighted or heated cigar, cigarette, or pipe, or any other lighted or heated tobacco or plant product intended for inhalation, including hookahs and marijuana, whether natural or synthetic, in any manner or in any form. “Smoking” also includes the use of an electronic smoking device which creates an aerosol or vapor, in any manner or in any form, or the use of any oral smoking device for the purpose of circumventing the prohibition of smoking in this policy.
“Electronic Smoking Device” means any product containing or delivering nicotine or any other substance intended for human consumption that can be used by a person to simulate smoking through inhalation of vapor or aerosol from the product. The term includes any such device, whether manufactured, distributed, marketed, or sold as an e-cigarette, e-cigar, e-pipe, e-hookah, or vape pen, or under any other product name or descriptor.
“Hookah” means a water pipe and any associated products and devices which are used to produce fumes, smoke, and/or vapor from the burning of material including, but not limited to, tobacco, shisha, or other plant matter.
Emergency Plan
**In the event of an emergency requiring an evacuation of the campus, policies and procedures are contained in the following PDF file**