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Safety at the College
Campus safety and security are the responsibility of each member of the College community. The institution and its faculty, staff, and students all have a role to play.
The Role of the College
MassArt has its own professional police/security force, and its own environmental health and safety department. The College has an emergency management team of senior administrators which responds to emergencies, assesses safety risks, and leads efforts to mitigate them. The College also works closely with Colleges of the Fenway, MASCO, state and local law enforcement agencies, and the Boston Fire Department to ensure a quick, timely response to emergencies on campus.
MassArt’s Public Safety dispatch center operates 24 hours a day, every day, and security cameras around campus are monitored around the clock. There are emergency phones throughout campus for emergency, medical, and service related calls.
Blue light emergency call boxes are located in the MassArt parking lot and garage. A student safety shuttle and an escort service are available. To arrange for an escort or to obtain shuttle service information, call Public Safety at ext. 7800 or 617.879.7800.
Your Role
Faculty, staff, and students also have a role in promoting safety and security.
- Make administrators or safety personnel aware of problems such as broken locks, equipment that is not properly secured, and dangerous use of equipment or hazardous substances
- Be aware of the people around you. Question unauthorized people entering your area or office. Ask strangers if they need help
- Take small actions to secure College spaces. Close doors that are left propped open. Lock windows at the end of the day
- Secure your own property and College equipment you use. Do not provide an opportunity for theft by leaving your wallet, purse, or other personal belongings unattended. Secure them in a safe place. Lock your studio, office or lab doors. Keep your laptop with you and back up data
- Report suspicious people or packages to Public Safety by calling ext. 7800 or 617.879.7800
Together we can make the College safe and ensure that when accidents do happen, the impact is minimized, so that we can return to our normal operations as quickly as possible.
What Everyone Can Do
While every emergency is different and you may receive specific instructions, always take the following actions:
- Dial Public Safety at ext. 7800 from a campus phone to report an emergency on campus
- Take action immediately if there are fire alarms or other alerts to evacuate and/or take shelter
- Help others, especially those who may need physical assistance
Each emergency is different and each may require a different response. No matter what the course of action, it is critical that you act and help others. You should take some simple steps to prepare for emergencies.
Preparing for an Emergency:
- Familiarize yourself with this content
- Take note of your building’s exit routes
- Participate in fire drills and safety training programs
- Report all work-related injuries, illnesses, and hazardous material spills
- Know the College’s designated meeting place outside of the building (Evans Way Park) or make note of an alternative meeting place
- Prepare and disseminate telephone trees and contact information for your department, and make sure you have the most recent contact information
- Keep a flashlight and battery-operated radio nearby
- Locate the nearest fire extinguisher and fire alarm. Learn to use a fire extinguisher
- Schedule an emergency preparation or safety meeting
- Know where to find College emergency information and basic first aid materials
- Prepare yourself and your family at home so they know what to do if you are involved in an emergency, including where to go, and how to cope until you are able to get home
Promoting a Culture of Safety
Emergencies, disasters, accidents, injuries, and crimes can occur without warning at any time. Being prepared to respond to unexpected emergencies is an individual and an organizational responsibility. Each member of our community has a role in emergency preparation and response.
As an individual, you can help by observing your surroundings, asking about suspicious or questionable behavior, and not hesitating to call for help when safety is an issue.
Being alert to what is going on around us creates a culture that promotes security and safety, and enhances the openness and accessibility of our campus.
The MassArt Public Safety Department and College administrators on campus will always react to dangerous situations. However, the multiplied effect of thousands of eyes and ears that are alert to surroundings have the greatest role in keeping our community safe, secure, and ready to respond.
MassArt is a public institution that values openness and access.
Propping doors open for convenience, turning a “blind eye” to strangers, and leaving computers and other valuables in the open are opportunities that can lead to problems. Every member of the college community needs to help promote personal and community safety. Closing and locking doors and windows, displaying your ID while on campus, preparing department emergency plans and questioning strangers are examples of some simple steps you can take.
Encouraging these actions within departments goes a long way to fostering a culture of safety, without unduly infringing on daily activities or an open community.
Safety Shuttle and Walking Escort Service
Public Safety operates the Campus Safety Shuttle Monday thru Friday from 5:00pm to 12:00am. The Student Shuttle pick up area is at the base of the Tower building by the handicap ramp. This area is well-lit, near the lower level entrance door, has a sitting bench, and an emergency blue phone outside the handicap door. The shuttle provides a drop-off service within about a two-mile radius of the campus. The last shuttle leaves at midnight.
Walking escorts are also available to areas around the campus, nearby MBTA bus and trolley stops, and the MassArt parking lot.
Shuttle service will be extended to 7 nights a week during 24 Hour Access.
Contact Public Safety at 617.879.7810, if you have any Shuttle or safety related questions.
Assessment and Care Team (ACT)
The Assessment and Care Team is committed to providing a systematic and visible process to assist MassArt in the rapid and accurate identification of students-at-risk. Students-at-risk are defined as those whose actions could potentially pose a threat to personal health and safety, or to the safety of the larger campus community, and students who are struggling academically or socially.
ACT Members
- Jamie Glanton Costello, Student Development, Chair
- Liz Smith Freedman, Academic Resource Center, Co-Chair
- Andrew Dore, Housing and Residence Life
- Joseph Grande, Residence Life
- Jarrett Min Davis, Studio Foundation Faculty
- Jessica Petriello, Academic Resource Center
- Aurelio Ramirez, Student Financial Services
- Jonathan Rand, Registrar's Office
- Jessica Visconti, Counseling and Wellness
If you are concerned about a student, please submit a report.