Dear IUP Students,
I know this has been a difficult week for all of us. Thank you for your resilience and for your continued compassion for one another in response to the tragedy this past weekend in the Indiana community.
Even if you were not present at the off-campus event where the violence took place, an incident like this can continue to cause shock, anger, fear, and worry. Please know that we are here for you, now, and in the future.
If you have an immediate need for mental health support, you can call 9-1-1 or the Indiana/Armstrong Mental Health Crisis line 1-877-333-2470 for help (the Crisis line is staffed 24 hours a day/7 days a week).
During the week, the IUP Counseling Center is available by calling 724- 357-2621 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Walk-in hours at the Center are Monday through Friday from 1 to 3 p.m. You can also contact your Navigator or a member of IUP’s Care Team of professionals. The Care Team works together to offer appropriate support to students in distress.
Please continue to help one another by sharing these available resources with friends or classmates who come to you with concerns.
Because your safety and security are our priority, we want you to be informed if there is a dangerous situation on campus or in the community.
Action Requested
To help us provide this information to you in a timely fashion, please make sure you are enrolled in the University’s emergency messaging system, Everbridge.
It is fast and easy to sign up; information on how to register is on the Emergency Notification System page. For your convenience, instructions also are below:
To register – or to make sure you are registered, please follow the steps below:
- Log in to MyIUP using your IUP network account (Duo authentication will be required.)
- From the Personal Info page, click Emergency notification system registration and updates . That will open your Everbridge member profile.
- To edit the information, click Edit located in the top right of the My Profile section.
You can update both your primary and alternate cell and home phone numbers and alternate email. Your IUP email address is already part of your profile; you do not need to enter your email address.
- Click Save at the bottom to save the changes.
- The Everbridge system also offers an free app for both Android and iOS users as an additional way to update your information.
- Users of the app will receive an additional push notification from the app when emergency notifications are sent (you will need to choose “allow push notification” when you download the app).
- Even if you do not allow push notifications from the app, during an emergency you will still receive an email message.
- You will also receive a text message, but you must update that information in your profile.
- Once you have downloaded the app, click Find an organization or subscription and search for IUP or Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Select "Indiana University of Pennsylvania: IUP.”
- You will be prompted to log in to IUP Web Single Sign-On. Once you have completed the sign-in, the app will load.
- Click Manage My Profile to update your information.
Depending on the situation, you may also receive a phone call to your cellphone with the emergency message. Emergency messaging may also be displayed on university computers and be sent to university work telephones.
Parents, family members, and community members who wish to receive emergency messages are welcome to do so. Anyone wishing to be added to the system should text “iupalert” to 888777 to receive text messages during emergency situations.
While preventing violence has no simple solution, there are steps that you can take to help to protect yourself and our community. One of the most simple and important actions you can take is to call IUP Police (724-357-2141) or 9-1-1 at the first sign of trouble.
You can add the University Police phone number to your call list so it’s easy and quick to reach them. Tips also can be reported anonymously at 724-357-2255.
Although this is a time to meet new people, please be very cautious attending large gatherings hosted by people or groups who you do not know. If you are in a situation that makes you feel uncomfortable, please leave. You can contact IUP Police for an escort if you do not feel safe walking back home.
If you are unsure if an event is sponsored by IUP or by an IUP club or organization, you can check it out on the Crimson Connect or the IUP calendar.
I also encourage you to review the proactive crime prevention tips available on the IUP website.
I want you to know that I share your anxiety, fear, and uncertainty that results when violence like this comes to our community. It's important that you know you are not alone in these feelings.
I also want to share with you that after talking with many students and student groups, I am encouraged and proud of the way you have supported and cared for one another. Thank you.
While I know that we may face situations like this in the future, I know we will get through them together – and I think about the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. -- “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”
Respectfully,
Dr. Segar