Campus Safety Communications
Emergency & Crisis Notification
In the event of a severe substantiated security or safety concern, either on College property or in the near vicinity of the campus, we will alert the campus community with a Timely Warning. Goshen College takes its duty seriously to inform students and campus community members of threatening situations and how they can best protect themselves from harm. Information related to crime-related and other potentially threatening situations is provided in an accurate and timely fashion for use by students and other community members to reduce their chances of becoming victims.
To help ensure the safety of our students and employees, Goshen College has partnered with Omnilert to provide a multi-tier emergency notification system that includes the following options: mobile app notifications, email, siren, SMS (Text messaging), and network notification to Macs and PC’s.
Students are automatically enrolled for emergency notifications sent from Omnilert. Sign up for the SMS service takes place during registration on the Student Information Update web form. All employees are encouraged to download and have ready access to the brief Crisis Management document.
Please download the Omnilert app using the links below. Note, that you will need to enter your unique code. Email safety@goshen.edu if you have not received your code already.
You will be asked to enter this code after installing the app.
Weather Emergencies and Closures
Because of our desire to best serve the educational needs of our students and the investment they have made, the college normally would only consider closing when there is a state of emergency issued by public authorities.
Should campus need to be closed due to extreme weather, we would notify you by 6:30 a.m. via an Omnilert SMS and mobile app notification. A similar alert would be sent out by 2 p.m. should inclement weather strike later in the day causing cancelations of evening classes and activities.
Suppose the campus needs to be closed due to any emergency (weather or otherwise). In that case, we will announce that with an Ominilert notification. We will also communicate to radio stations WGCS-FM (91.1) and WFRN-FM (104.7), and on TV stations WNDU (Ch. 16) and WSBT (Ch. 22). Should severe weather persists, the college would then continue to update you through email and Omnilert notifications about any additional closings or cancelations. We would also provide updates on the Goshen College Facebook page (facebook.com/goshencollege) and our website at here
If the college is closed, the dining hall will continue to be open for meals. The Physical Plant crew will clear sidewalks and parking lots during and after any snowfall.
Though the college doesn’t close often, above all, we seek to help ensure and promote all campus members’ safety during hazardous weather or other adverse conditions. Students and employees are strongly encouraged to use caution and discretion about traveling in such weather. We encourage you to make the decision that is right for you. If the college is open and you cannot make it to campus safely for class or work–please notify your professor, supervisor, and other pertinent contacts.
Professors and students should communicate if there are anticipated class changes or absences due to inclement weather and hazardous travel conditions.
Additional Information & Resources
Crisis Management Guide for Campus
The purpose of this document is to provide an overview of the processes and procedures to be followed in the event of a crisis involving Goshen College.
In most situations the words “crisis” and “emergency” are used interchangeably. Goshen College chooses to make the following distinction in how we use the two words.
Emergency: An emergency is an immediate event, condition, or situation that has the potential to cause harm or an injury to individual(s) and/or damage to property and/or significantly disrupt the operation of the institution. Any person on campus may be called upon to respond to an emergency and should be practiced and prepared to do so when the situation is encountered.
Crisis: A crisis is an event, condition or situation that has the potential to cause harm or an injury to individual(s) and/or damage to property and/or significantly disrupt the operation of the institution, threaten the institution’s financial standing or its ability to fulfill the institution’s mission beyond the immediacy of an emergency. An emergency must be addressed instantaneously whereas a crisis can endure for an extended period of time. An off-campus emergency will be considered a crisis.
Not every crisis is an emergency and not every emergency is a crisis.
Examples:
- A tornado warning is an emergency. It is not a crisis.
- If a tornado hits the campus it remains an emergency for the next short period of time and a likely crisis for many days.
- A gas leak and subsequent evacuation of a building is an emergency.
- If there is an explosion and injuries, then it additionally becomes a crisis.
- If an SST group is involved in a bus accident in Peru it is a crisis. (It is also an emergency in Peru, but not an on-campus emergency).
- If the entire faculty threaten to strike or students stage a mass nonviolent protest in the dining hall, it is a crisis.
- If they start throwing bricks; that is an emergency.
The distinction can break down in any specific scenario, but making the distinction early in an incident determines what the appropriate first response should be and whether or not it is necessary to assemble the crisis management team.
Your primary concern is to save lives and prevent injury, so call 911 immediately.
When any person on campus becomes aware of an obvious emergency (e.g., fire, gas leak, injured person) he/she should:- Call 911, stating your name, location, and nature of the incident, and then
- Immediately call Campus Safety at extension 7599 (answered by Physical Plant during regular business hours). The role of Campus Safety is to monitor and report, not function as “first responders.” They will immediately ask if 911 has been notified.
When any person on campus becomes aware of a situation that is an uncertain emergency (e.g., unfamiliar sounds coming from a mechanical area, activity in a building that would typically be locked) he/she should:
- Immediately call Campus Safety at extension 7599. The role of Campus Safety is to monitor and report, not function as “first responders.” They will immediately investigate and contact 911 if needed.
In either situation, Campus Safety will then notify the designated campus contact according to the situation. Should the emergency have the potential of becoming a crisis, the Crisis Management Coordinator (CMC) will be contacted. The CMC, in consultation with either a Crisis Management Team (CMT) member and/or the President (when appropriate and possible), will determine whether the situation is an emergency or a crisis.
The Crisis Management Team (CMT) is composed of the following persons by virtue of their responsibility or office:
- Jodi Beyeler, Vice President for Institutional Advancement
- Chad Coleman, Director of Campus Safety
- Ann Venderly, Vice President for Academic Affairs
- Gilberto Perez, Vice President of Student Life and Hispanic Serving Initiatives
- Cynthia Good Kauffman, Director of Planning and Events
- Ben Bontrager, Vice President for Finance and Operations
- Brian Mast, Director of Facilities
Each of these team members can call upon others within their staff as needed, but decisions are made by team members or their designated alternates only. The Crisis Management Coordinator is appointed by the President to coordinate actions of the Crisis Management Team in the event of a declared crisis.
The primary purpose of the CMT is to facilitate the institution’s response to a crisis through coordinated efforts and consistent messages so that routine operations can be restored as quickly as appropriate given the circumstance. The President or her designee will coordinate and disseminate all communication during a crisis.
Ways faculty/staff can assist include: a. Attend any meetings called by the College President or his designee to explain the circumstances of the crisis and give direction to faculty/staff. b. Read a statement prepared by Communications and Marketing to classes, if necessary. c. Provide an opportunity for students to discuss the incident and to express their feelings. d. Acknowledge emotions through discussion and involvement in constructive activities in class. e. Remind students that people may approach them from the media, but they do not need to talk with them if they do not wish to. f. Identify students who are obviously in distress and talk to them or direct them to a group or individual counseling activity. g. Request assistance from the Crisis Management Team if a class has a large number of distressed students. h. Shorten and restructure assignments when appropriate. Postpone and reschedule tests and other projects as necessary. i. Pray individually and pray in groups.
In an emergency, the media is Goshen College’s most important link to the public. Developing and maintaining positive relationships with media outlets is crucial to successful crisis communications.
DO
- Notify the Communications and Marketing Office if you are contacted by the news media.
- Only give the media information that you have received through campus communications.
- Direct or take members of the media to the Media Center (CMC Fellowship Hall).
DON’T
- Do not offer speculations or gossip.
- Do not be condescending or underestimate the reporter’s intelligence, but do make sure the reporter understands your responses.
- Remember you do NOT have to talk with a member of the media.
- Do not place blame for the incident.
- Do not cover up or mislead the media.
- Do not feel you have to handle this alone; ask the Marketing and Communications Office for help.
Private Information
Any media inquiries that involve information about specific students should be directed to the Vice President for Student Life or to the Director of Communications and Marketing. Such inquiries will be handled in strict compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). This federal law protects the confidentiality of a student’s education record and some personal information. Information that may be given includes information found in a directory: the student’s full name, campus address and phone number, dates of attendance and degrees, honors and certificates received, class level (e.g. freshman), and academic major(s). Grades may only be provided to the media if a student wishes to release the information in connection with an award or scholarship. Again, it is vital to direct such requests for information to the Vice President for Student Life or to the Vice President for Insitutional Advancement. As noted above, any information released by the Director of Communications and Marketing is considered appropriate for distribution.
Omnilert Mobile App
Omnilert is a service that we use to inform students, faculty, and staff about important events and safety-related issues on campus. It is critical that members of our community download and install the Omnilert app on their mobile phone as a means to stay informed about campus safety.
The Goshen College Omnilert App provides the following services and resources:
- Call Campus Safety or emergency 911 from right inside the app.
- Receive Timely Warning Notifications about Campus Safety threats, inclement weather, and potential campus closures.
- Something, Say Something: If you observe suspicious activity, a potential threat or a hazard you can quickly say something by easily tipping off
- Report COVID-19 related symptoms to expedite a campus response and care plan (i.e. sick leave, isolation, or quarantine).
- Report non-violent crimes such as theft, vandalism, or burglary to the Campus Safety Office for a later follow up.
- Register your vehicle for campus parking.
- View valuable information linked inside the app about sexual misconduct, bias matters, and student conduct policies.
Please download the app using the links below. Note, you will need to enter your unique code. Email chadc@goshen.edu if you have not received your code already.
You will be asked to enter this code after installing the app.