About Emergency Notifications and Timely Warnings
About Emergency Notifications and Timely Warnings
Rowan Alert (Emergency Notification), Rowan Timely Warning, & Rowan Advisory:
There are two types of notifications required under the Clery Act. They are Rowan Alert and Rowan Timely Warning. Rowan also uses the Rowan Advisory which covers non-emergent notifications.
Rowan Alert:
- Broader Focus-any significant emergency or dangerous situation
- For anywhere on campus
- Issued to entire campus or segment(s) depending on incident
- Alert immediately issued upon confirmation
- Usually sent via text and email through mass notification system
Rowan Alert: University immediately notifies the campus community upon confirmation of a significant emergency or dangerous situation occurring on the campus and is considered by the University, in the judgment of the Lieutenant(s) or the Officer in Charge (OIC), to involve an immediate threat to the health or safety of students or employees of the University. This decision is made on a case-by-case basis and may be made in consultation with the Senior Director for Public Safety and the General Counsel. While Rowan Alerts are issued through the Department of Public Safety, the University Relations Office may supply message content. All Rowan Alerts using Rowan’s mass notification system, are prefaced with "ROWAN ALERT" to clearly identify the message. “Immediate”threat includes an imminent or impending threat, such as an approaching serious weather event or a fire currently burning in a campus building.
Rowan Alert examples:
- outbreak of meningitis, norovirus or other serious illness;
- approaching hurricane or other extreme weather conditions;
- earthquake;
- gas leak;
- terrorist incident;
- armed intruder; active shooter
- bomb threat;
- civil unrest or rioting;
- explosion;
- nearby chemical or hazardous waste spill
If there is an immediate threat to the health or safety of students or employees occurring on campus, an institution must follow its emergency notification procedures. An institution that follows its emergency notification procedures is not required to issue a timely warning based on the same circumstances; however, the institution must provide adequate follow-up information to the community as needed.
Rowan Timely Warning:
- Narrower Focus-Clery Act crimes
- For Clery Act geographic area
- Issued to reach entire campus community
- Warning issued as soon as pertinent information is available
- Usually sent via email through the mass notification system
Rowan Timely Warning: Public Safety will issue a Rowan Timely Warning in the event that it receives notice of a “Clery Act” reportable crime that occurred on Rowan University’s “Clery Act” geography (on campus, non-campus property or adjacent public property and is considered by the University, in the judgment of the Lieutenant(s) or the Officer in Charge (OIC), “represents a serious or continuing threat or danger to the students and employees” of the University. This decision is made on a case-by-case basis and may be made in consultation with the Senior Director for Public Safety and the General Counsel. While Rowan Timely Warnings are issued through the Department of Public Safety, the University Relations Office may supply message content. All Rowan Timely Warnings using Rowan’s mass notification system, are prefaced with "ROWAN TIMELY WARNING" to clearly identify the message.
Note: Although the Clery Act does not define “timely,” the intent of a warning regarding a criminal incident(s) is to enable the university community to protect themselves. This means that a warning is issued as soon as pertinent information is available after an incident has been reported to Public Safety. Rowan Timely Warnings are typically issued for the following Clery Act and Uniformed Crime Reporting Program (UCR)/National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS) crime classifications:Rowan Timely Warning examples:
- Murder/Non-negligent manslaughter;
- Sex offenses (rape, fondling, incest, and statutory rape);
- Robbery;
- Aggravated assault;
- Burglary;
- Motor vehicle theft;
- Major incidents of Arson,
- Or other Clery-reportable incidents if the crime represents a serious or continuing threat to the University
Rowan Advisory
This advisory covers situations that do not meet the criteria of required Rowan Timely Warning Notices or Rowan Alerts. These messages are sent through the University's mass notification system, using the text and or email feature (as appropriate) or the Daily Announcer. Rowan Advisory messages are typically prefaced with "ROWAN ADVISORY" to distinguish them.
Rowan Advisory examples include but are not limited to:
- Power Outage, traffic advisory, snow closure, building closure, string of campus thefts, police activity in area