Campus Police

Ferrum College utilizes the RAVE alert system to communicate accurately and effectively to our campus community. RAVE allows us to send notifications through multiple channels including email, cell phone, and Twitter.

In our continuing effort to ensure our notifications are received the most effective way, the College is utilizing an opt-out system, which will allow us to send text message alerts automatically to all students, faculty, and staff who have a current cell phone number in our database.

How to Opt Out: You may opt out of email alerts only, SMS alerts only, or the entire service. You can simply reply to any text message from us with the word STOP and only the word STOP.

RAVE Alert System Information (PDF)

In compliance with the provisions of the Federal Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act of 1988 Ferrum College is giving notice of crimes that have occurred on campus.

The Police Department encourages accurate and prompt reporting of all crimes to the campus police or an appropriate police agency.

Anonymous Crime Reporting Form

• Contact the Police Department (540) 365-4444 
• For emergency calls, dial 911!

Annual Security and Fire Safety Report (PDF)

Services Provided by Campus Police

Emergency Telephones

Emergency telephones are located in most buildings throughout campus to call emergency 911 services or the College Police Department (x4444), or from a cellular phone at 540-365-4444. Emergency Call boxes are located as well throughout the college campus. The call boxes are located in the parking lots and have a blue light on the top of the boxes.

Safety Escort Service

The College Police Department (x4444) provides escort services to students, faculty, staff, and visitors who want to be accompanied when walking across campus. The Ferrum College Police Department sponsors a women’s self-defense program during the school year.

Safety and Security Awareness, Programming, and Notification

A well-educated and informed college community can significantly reduce the frequency of crimes. Security procedures, crime prevention, substance use and abuse, fire safety, and sexual assault topics are covered during new student orientation and throughout the academic year. The college also sponsors a special Alcohol and Drug Awareness Week. Student organizations sponsor programs on safety-related topics as well. These programs are offered with the goal of helping the college community to make responsible decisions concerning their safety and well-being.

Security and Access to Campus Facilities

College buildings are patrolled on a regular basis by college police officers. Most buildings are locked by 11 p.m. each evening.

Students are issued an exterior door key and a room key. Residence life staff members provide on-duty coverage in residence halls and routinely check these buildings. A propped-open, locked door, should be reported immediately and is a serious violation of the conduct code. Visitation hours for various residence halls, as well as other residence life policies, can be found in the Student Handbook.

Ferrum College has procedures to ensure that maintenance repairs related to safety and security are completed in a timely fashion. Repairs such as burned-out light bulbs, missing window screens, or broken locks should be reported to a Residence Life staff member or a College police officer. Physical Plant Department staff members are on-call for emergency repairs after normal business hours. They can be reached by calling the College Police Department at (540) 365-4444.

All visitors must register at the Police Department as a guest and obtain a visitors pass if they plan to stay on campus longer than 24 hours.

Timely Warnings Notices

Campus-wide mailings, email notification, (intranet) announcements posted on bulletin boards, and specially called meetings are used to notify the college community about potential safety or security threats. Such actions depend on the particular circumstances of the threats.

Archery/Firearms Registration and Check-In

For students participating in hunting, archery, and the Clay Shooting Club, registration of weapons will be at the Ferrum College Police Department. Check-in/check-out of weapons is facilitated by contacting the on-duty college police officer at (540) 365-4444.  No weapons are allowed on campus, even in vehicles.

Reminders About Safety, Responsibilities & Resources

In addition to the educational opportunities in the classroom, we know that our students will also avail themselves of the wide variety of recreational and community activities.

All colleges struggle to achieve a healthy balance between freedom and responsibility as to the student experience. We want to emphasize that students must be mindful of the risks associated with alcohol and drug use. Further, students need to know about our expectations and commitment regarding sexual respect and sexual misconduct.

The safety and wellbeing of the campus community is something the Ferrum College Police Department takes very seriously. It is important for students to understand that off-campus properties rented or leased to students by private owners and events held at these locales, even if hosted by Ferrum students, are not endorsed by the College. As students, in order for you to make informed decisions about the places you visit near the campus, it is imperative you understand that Ferrum College does not sanction activities or gatherings held at off-campus housing.

As always, to promote personal welfare, we encourage every student to:

• Report suspicious activity to College Police at (540) 365-4444
• Call 911 in the event of an emergency
• Remain vigilant for your own personal security
• Watch out for each other’s safety
• Keep your doors locked to prevent theft (auto and residence hall)
• Remember, “IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING!”

College police are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call (540) 365-4444. You can also call 911 in the event of an emergency.

If you ever encounter suspicious persons or vehicles or any activity that makes you feel uncomfortable, immediately contact College Police. If you are walking on campus you can also reach College Police by pressing the button at the Blue Light Call Boxes located between Riddick and Susanna Wesley on Lakeside, at the tennis courts on Wiley Drive, and in the College Police station parking lot.

Important Safety Tips when walking on campus:

• Travel in groups
• Familiarize yourself with campus
• Plan the safest route to your destination and at night stick to well-lighted areas and avoid “shortcuts” through isolated areas
• Avoid wearing dark clothing when walking at night and always wear some sort of reflective gear
• Always tell a friend or roommate where you are going and what time you expect to return
• Stay alert to your surroundings and people around you
• Don’t engage in illegal activity; the consequences can be life-altering

Important Safety Tips in the residence halls:

• Always lock your door when you and/or your roommate are sleeping and any time you leave your room
• Never prop open any residence hall doors
• Do not leave notes on your door stating that no one is home or when you will return; it’s an open invitation to a theft
• Keep wallets, purses, checkbooks, and jewelry out of sight and locked up if possible
• Do not keep large sums of money or other valuables on hand, and routinely check your checkbook to see if any checks are missing
• Never allow strangers into your room
• Do not open your door at any time unless you know who is on the other side
• Always remember that RAs, HRs, and RHEs are excellent resources for advice on problems in your hall.

Title IX

Student Handbook (PDF)

Community Standards & Resident Hall Policies (PDF)

Each parking decal’s number is preceded by a prefix.  A list of those prefixes as well as parking areas is listed below.

No parking is ever permitted in:

• Firelanes/Yellow Curbed Areas
• Behind the Bookstore and Franklin Hall
• Faculty/Staff Parking Areas
• Handicapped Spaces
• Garber Hall, Stanley Library, Health Center, Field House, Vaughn Chapel, and Swartz Gym
• Backing into Riddick, Susannah Wesley, or Chapman Hall parking spaces along the building

You may register your vehicle and pay online by clicking here. Please pick up your decal at the Ferrum College Campus Police Department from 2-6 p.m., Monday through Friday. Before you are given your decal, you will sign off that you received a copy of these parking rules in paper form.

PLEASE NOTE: If you signed up through i-Assistant for a decal, you will still need to visit the department to sign the form and receive your decal.

Here are some links to local agencies that are located in Franklin County. If you have an emergency, dial 911!

Franklin County Sheriff’s Office (Law Enforcement Agency)
Sheriff Billy Overton
70 E. Court Street Rocky Mount, VA 24151
(540) 483-3000
http://sheriff.franklincountyva.org/

Franklin County Department of Public Safety (Fire/EMS Agency)
Director Michael Fowler
1488 Franklin Street Rocky Mount, VA 24151
(540) 483-3091
http://www.franklincountyva.gov/public-safety/front-page

In addition, our department cooperates with the following agencies and assists them as needed:
Virginia State Police, http://www.vsp.state.va.us/
Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/
Virginia ABC, Bureau of Law Enforcement, http://www.abc.virginia.gov/enforce/enforce.htm
Federal Bureau of Investigation, http://www.fbi.gov/

A safe and secure campus is a high priority at Ferrum College. Community awareness and cooperation, along with the guidance and support of a well-trained, professional Campus Police Department, contributes to a positive learning environment. Please read this report, which describes important information about Campus Safety and outlines your responsibilities as a member, or potential member, of our community.

Compilation and distribution of this report is mandated for all institutions participating in the financial aid programs under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965.

To view the most recent Annual Security and Fire Safety Report, click on the link below:

Annual Security and Fire Safety Report (PDF)

Ferrum College Police Department

The Campus Safety office provides 24-hours-a-day security, law enforcement, and safety services to the campus community. Officers have two-way radio communications and conduct foot, ATV, and vehicle patrols of the campus grounds, academic and administrative buildings, and residence halls. Certain areas of the campus are “electronically patrolled” or monitored by use of internet protocol (IP) cameras. Officers are appointed by the Franklin County Circuit Court, and have arrest powers on the college campus and in the Blue Ridge Magisterial District of Franklin County, with authority to make arrests on Ferrum College property and beyond. The College works closely with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, the Virginia State Police, and other state and state and federal agencies. Ferrum College Police Officers are fully sworn and receive law enforcement training at the Cardinal Criminal Justice Regional Academy and comply with the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services training standards. Criminal offenses reported to Ferrum Officers are reported to the national Incident-Based Reporting System, in accordance with federal mandates.

The College maintains records of criminal activity in accordance with definitions used in the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting system (UCR). Statistics (available at the Ferrum College Police Department Office) represent on campus, in or on non-campus building/property, on public property frequently used, dorms or residential facilities for students, and incidents where activities were recognized by Ferrum College. The Campus Police Department monitors and records data from its campus logs, Franklin County Sheriff’s office, Federal agencies, state agencies, other jurisdictions, and data from other campus and community security authorities (logs available at the Ferrum College Police Department Office).

Students do not have to make a formal police report/investigation to have an incident counted as a statistic. Victims/witnesses can report crime on a voluntary, confidential basis. Some crime victims choose not to report offenses to College law enforcement personnel but choose to report to other officials. However, all criminal activity should be reported in a timely manner so that strong measures, including dismissal from the college, are taken. This includes vandalism and all theft.

Pastoral or professional counselors, employed by the institution, may inform the person being counseled of the procedures on reporting crimes on a voluntary, confidential basis for inclusion in the Annual Security Report.

Nonresident offenders entering the Commonwealth for employment, to carry on a vocation, for volunteer services, or as a student attending school who are required to register in their state of residence or who would be required to register under this section if a resident of the Commonwealth shall, within ten days of accepting employment or enrolling in school in the Commonwealth, be required to register and reregister pursuant to this section. For purposes of this section “student” means a person who is enrolled on a full-time or part-time basis, in any public or private educational institution, including any secondary school, trade or professional institution, or institution of higher education.

Federal Sex Crimes Prevention Act: Sex Offender Registry

The federal Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act, enacted on October 28, 2000, went into effect October 28, 2002. The law requires institutions of higher education to issue a statement advising the campus community where law enforcement agency information provided by a State concerning registered sex offenders may be obtained. It also requires sex offenders already required to register in a State to provide notice, as required under State law, of each institution of higher education in that State at which the person is employed, carries on a vocation, volunteers services, or is a student.

In the Commonwealth of Virginia convicted sex offenders must register with the Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry. The Registry was established pursuant to §19.2-390.1 of the Commonwealth’s Crimes Code. Every person convicted on or after July 1, 1997, including juveniles tried and convicted in the circuit courts pursuant to §16.1-269.1, whether sentenced as adults or juveniles, of an offense for which registration is required shall be required as a part of the sentence imposed upon conviction to register and reregister with the Commonwealth’s Department of State Police as provided in this section.

In addition, all persons convicted of violations under the laws of the United States or any other state substantially similar to an offense for which registration is required shall provide to the local agency all necessary information for inclusion in the State Police Registry within 10 days of establishing a residence within the Commonwealth. Any person required to register shall also be required to reregister within 10 days following any change of residence, whether within or without the Commonwealth.

Information concerning offenders registered with the Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry may be disclosed to any person requesting information on a specific individual in accordance with the law. Information regarding a specific person requested pursuant to the law shall be disseminated upon receipt of an official request form that may be submitted directly to the Commonwealth’s Department of State Police or to the State Police through a local law-enforcement agency. The Department of State Police shall make Registry information available, upon request, to criminal justice agencies including local law-enforcement agencies through the Virginia Criminal Information Network (VCIN). Registry information provided under this section shall be used for the purposes of the administration of criminal justice, for the screening of current or prospective employees or volunteers or otherwise for the protection of the public in general and children in particular. Use of the information for purposes not authorized by this section is prohibited and a willful violation of this section with the intent to harass or intimidate another shall be punished as a Class 1 misdemeanor.

The Commonwealth’s State Police maintains a system for making certain Registry information on violent sex offenders publicly available by means of the Internet. The information made available includes the offender’s name; all aliases that he has used or under which he may have been known; the date and locality of the conviction and a brief description of the offense; his date of birth, current address, and photograph; and such other information as the State Police may from time to time determine is necessary to preserve public safety. The system is secure and is not capable of being altered except by or through the State Police. The system is updated each business day with newly received registrations and re-registrations.