Emergency Planning & Personal Safety

Lebanon Valley College is committed to maintaining an environment conducive to learning for all students and a workplace free from harassment and discrimination for its employees. Lebanon Valley College will not tolerate harassment or discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin, age, religion, disability or sexual orientation. Harassment on the basis of sex or any other protected characteristic may affect the terms and conditions of employment or interfere with a student’s work or academic performance and create an intimidating or hostile environment for that employee or student. As such, harassment or discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin, age, disability, religion or sexual orientation is contrary to the values of Lebanon Valley College. It violates the Student Code of Conduct and is a violation of College policy applicable to faculty, administration and staff.

The state of Pennsylvania has recently passed a law that views certain crimes to be more serious when motivated by hatred or malice towards the race, color, religion or national origin of another individual or group. This law provides for a very substantial increase in the severity of the crime if the above conditions can be proved. The Office of Campus Safety fully supports such legislation and will aggressively pursue such action, when an offender and motive can be established.

Another new provision of the Pennsylvania crimes code now allows punishment up to a third-degree felony or second-degree misdemeanor of persons convicted of vandalism or defacement of a church, synagogue, cemetery, school, educational facility, or the grounds surrounding such places. This new provision holds serious implications for any person who might attempt to vandalize or deface Lebanon Valley College property.

Lebanon Valley College specifically prohibits unauthorized solicitation on the campus. Individuals engaged in such activity will be requested to leave the campus immediately. Refusal to leave or a second violation of the regulations will subject the individual to legal action. College personnel who are approached by unauthorized buyers or salespersons should request the individuals to leave and inform the Office of Campus Safety. Only the vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty and the vice president for administration may grant authorization for solicitation on campus.

A guide for victims of sexual assault is available for all students and employees. The guide provides information on what to do if you are sexually assaulted, and includes pertinent information on medical and emergency procedures, counseling and emotional support services, reporting procedures, college disciplinary policy and criminal investigation and charges. Copies of the guide are available from the Office of Campus Safety and the Office of Student Services.

Educational programs to promote awareness and prevention of sexual assault, rape, and other sexual offenses are offered throughout the academic year.

Students 21 years of age or older may possess and consume alcoholic beverages in the privacy of their rooms and only in the presence of other 21-year-old (or older) students, provided that these individuals do not violate the rights or expressed wishes of others in the room and/or the residence hall floor. The occupants of a room will be responsible for ensuring that alcohol is not consumed in the presence of students under the age of 21. They will also be responsible for the actions of his/her guests.

The maximum quantity allowed per student 21 years of age or older is limited to:

• One 12-pack of 12 oz. beer/malted beverage/wine coolers or,
• Two 750ml bottles of wine or,
• One 750ml bottle of liquor.

Any amount of alcohol beyond the above stated quantity will be considered an excessive amount of alcohol and is prohibited.

Kegs, beer balls or an amount of beer equivalent to a keg or beer ball, grain alcohol and open punch bowls (common supply) are not permitted on campus.

Pennsylvania law includes several restrictions on alcohol. Violations of state law may lead to criminal sanctions. The College will cooperate with all agencies responsible for the enforcement of federal, state, and local laws concerning alcohol.

View the full College Policy on Alcohol.

People “under the influence” of drugs are considered dangerous to themselves and others. The use, sale, production or distribution of drugs, controlled substances or other addictive and illegal substances are strictly forbidden on campus. Disciplinary and criminal charges can and will be instituted against violators.

• Keep police and emergency numbers near your telephone.
• Lock all doors and windows whenever you leave. Take your keys with you, even if you are just going “down the hall” to the bathroom, showers, or lounge or if you plan to leave for only a short while.
• Keep all doors and windows locked whenever possible, especially when sleeping.
• Do not lend your keys to service people or anyone whom you do not know well or trust.
• Do not attach your name and/or address to your key chain.
• Always identify visitors by asking for identification before you let them in. Do not rely on a chain lock to prevent entry; it is not sufficient protection.
• If a stranger asks to use your telephone, do not open your door. Instead, offer to call for emergency assistance for him/her.
• Always carry identification with you.
• Report any suspicious or unusual activities immediately to the Office of Campus Safety at Ext. 6111.

• Do not prop open residence hall exit doors.
• Meet visitors and delivery people at the main lobby door.
• Do not allow strangers to enter your room/apartment unless they are properly identified. If a stranger does enter, demand that he/she leave. If he/she refuses, create a commotion and leave quickly.
• Don’t keep large sums of money, jewelry, or other valuable items in your room/apartment. Store valuables elsewhere when the college closes for break.
• If you are accosted in a hallway or public area of a residence hall and feel you are in danger, create a commotion and attempt to contact the Office of Campus Safety at Ext. 6111.

• Report unauthorized solicitors in the residence hall to the Office of Campus Safety at Ext. 6111. Solicitation is not allowed without a permit, and no one is permitted to sell anything door-to-door on campus. If you suspect someone of being an unauthorized solicitor, call Ext. 6111 immediately. Do not confront him/her.
• Report any suspicious or unusual activities immediately to the Office of Campus Safety.

• Avoid dark, vacant, or deserted areas. If you are followed or see suspicious activity, move to a lighted area or create a commotion. Contact the Office of Campus Safety at Ext. 6111.
• Avoid walking alone at night, if at all possible. Call the Office of Campus Safety for an escort or have a friend escort you.
• Avoid jogging alone, day or night.
• Don’t hitchhike, day or night.
• Dress in clothes and shoes that will allow you to move quickly.
• Tuck gold chains and other jewelry inside your clothing.
• If you carry a purse, briefcase, or backpack, keep only a small amount of cash in it. If possible, do not carry a purse.
• Carry keys, identification, and anything else of value on your person.
• Carry a noise-making device, such as a whistle, and have it ready to use.
• Be alert, observant, and aware of your surroundings and other people on the street with you.

• Use well-traveled routes.
• Be aware of what is going on around you.
• Walk purposefully and briskly.
• Walk in the center of the sidewalk, away from buildings, doorways, hedges, and parked cars.
• When possible, walk on the side of the street facing oncoming traffic. If you are walking with traffic and a car going in the same direction pulls up next to you, reverse your direction.
• Avoid traveling the same route every day.
• If a stranger tries to engage you in a conversation, use discretion before stopping to talk. It is a good idea to say that you are in a hurry to meet someone.
• Have a key to your residence ready as you approach your residence hall.
• If you are dropped off by a taxi or automobile, ask the driver to wait until you are safely inside.

• Avoid entering an elevator occupied by a suspicious or intoxicated-looking stranger.
• If someone in the elevator makes you feel uneasy, get off at the next floor.
• If you are accosted in an elevator, hit the alarm button and as many floor buttons as possible.
• Do not attempt to pry open the doors, tamper with the control panel, or overload the car.

• Have your key ready when you approach your vehicle and check to make sure no one is hiding inside.
• Drive on well-traveled streets.
• Never pick up hitchhikers.
• Keep your car in gear while it is stopped.
• Keep all doors and windows locked.
• Park in well-lighted, designated parking areas.
• Keep valuables in your vehicle out of sight.
• Keep change in your car for emergency telephone calls or carry a cellular phone.
• If you are deliberately forced to stop your vehicle, lock the doors, roll up the windows, and sound the horn for help. If you are followed or harassed by someone in another vehicle, drive to a police department, fire station, or open business and seek help. Do not drive into your driveway or park in deserted area.
• If you are followed as your turn into your driveway at night, stay in your car with the doors locked until you identify the occupants of the other car. Sound the horn to get the attention of your neighbors.
• If your car breaks down, raise the hood and then stay inside with the doors locked. If someone stops to help, do not open your windows or door or accept a ride. Ask them to call for assistance.
• If you see a parked car requiring assistance, do not stop. Go to a telephone and call for aid.
• Keep an aerosol tire inflator in your car for emergencies.

The best response to an obscene phone call is to hang up as soon as you realize the nature of the call. Don’t try to find out who the call is from – even if you think the caller is just a friend playing a joke.

If calls occur repeatedly, keep a log in which you record the date and time each call is received, exactly what the caller said, what you said, and a description of the voice (young, old, hoarse, accent, background noises, etc.). To report an obscene or harassing phone call to the police, dial the Office of Campus Safety at Ext. 6111.

• Assess the situation, then take action.
• Move away from the potential threat. You will have to decide how immediate the threat is and how drastic your action should be.
• Join any group of people nearby. If no one is nearby, cross the street and increase your pace.
• Go to a well-lighted public place and call the police immediately.
• If you believe a threat is imminent and you see people nearby to help you, yell, scream, or create a commotion in any way you can.
• If you see someone else in trouble, call the Office of Campus Safety at Ext. 6111.
• After you have avoided a threatening situation, call the Office of Campus Safety immediately and report the details:
  • Describe the suspect’s appearance: clothing, height, weight, skin coloring, scars, or marks.
  • Describe where the incident took place.
  • If the suspect was on a bicycle or in a car, describe the vehicle, license plate, and direction of escape.