Right to Know

The Department of Campus Safety at Muhlenberg College works closely with the Dean of Students Office, the Allentown Police Department and the Allentown Fire Department to create a campus environment that is safe and secure. The Department works to prevent crime, to ensure that the college’s Student Code of Conduct is respected, to provide security patrols, and to respond to the needs of individuals in the campus community.

Located at the main entrance of Prosser Hall, the Department of Campus Safety provides 24 hour, 7-day-a-week service and protection to the Muhlenberg College community. Officers are empowered to make arrests on college property and areas surrounding the college. They carry firearms and are trained in criminal law, crime prevention, first aid, CPR, and human relations. In emergency situations, officers may provide transportation to the college’s Health Center or to local hospitals.

Students, faculty, staff, and guests are encouraged to report any crime, violation of the Student Code of Conduct, and unusual or suspicious incidents to the Department of Campus Safety. When an incident is reported, an officer is dispatched to the scene, where he or she evaluates the situation and contacts the appropriate authorities. An officer assigned by the Director of Campus Safety director handles cases needing additional follow-up investigations. Suspected violations may result in both criminal prosecutions and, in the case of students, college disciplinary proceedings.

In the event of an emergency or substantiated serious crime, the campus community is notified through a text messaging and E-mail system. Pro-active crime awareness flyers are distributed regularly to students, faculty and staff. Additionally, crime prevention tips are printed in the student newspaper periodically and on the OCS web site. Regular crime prevention programs are presented in student residences.

In an effort to provide timely notice to the Muhlenberg College community, and in the event of a serious incident which may pose a threat to members of the Muhlenberg College community, the college will, use whatever communication methods it deems appropriate upon assessment of all available information and risks in specific situations. Timely notices are distributed for the following classifications: murder and non-negligent manslaughter, negligent manslaughter, forcible sex offenses, non-forcible sex offenses, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, motor vehicle theft, arson. Crime alerts may also be posted for other classifications as deemed necessary.

Muhlenberg College makes numerous efforts to advise members of the campus community on a timely basis about campus crime, crime related problems, and other incidents that the College deems necessary to make aware the campus community (such as weather related issues and other major incidents). These efforts include the following:

Annual Reports/Crime Prevention Manual – This crime prevention manual and related material is published annually and widely distributed throughout the campus community and is available to the media and any individual or organization requesting a copy. Muhlenberg College also participates in the Pennsylvania Uniform Crime Reporting Program, providing monthly reports to the Pennsylvania State Police on crimes reported on campus for inclusion in their annual report and for inclusion in the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Programs annual publication of the U.S. Department of Justice entitled Crime in the United States. All monthly reports are compiled and distributed as a year-end report for the previous three years and included in the Annual Reports/Crime Prevention Manual. If you have any questions regarding the statistics or would like more information on the Department of Campus Safety and Security please contact the Director of Campus Safety.

Student Newspaper - Representatives from the Muhlenberg Weekly, meet on a weekly basis with the Director of Campus Safety to discuss crime and other reported incidents on campus. The paper then publishes a weekly log of criminal incidents and non-criminal incidents in “Campus Safety Notes” of every edition. Special articles concerning safety and security issues may also be published.

Public Log – A chronological record of all crimes reported to the Department of Campus Safety, as well as the names of all persons arrested, is maintained at the Department of Campus Safety and Security headquarters and is available for viewing Monday through Friday during regular office hours. This daily crime log is available for review at the Department of Campus Safety in the main entrance of Prosser Hall. The information in the crime log typically includes the nature, date, time, general location, and disposition of each crime.

Special Alerts – The Department of Campus Safety disseminates timely notices, when deemed appropriate, on recently reported crimes, crime trends and crime prevention tips to all students, faculty and staff.

Notifications distributed by a campus-wide text messaging and E-mail system: When deemed appropriate and in the event of an incident, a brief text message can be sent to the campus community, alerting them of directions on how to proceed.
Notification through Residential Advisors: Residential Advisors are contacted via e-mail, voicemail and/or through Residential Services Inter-office mail of an incident and are advised to distribute it as necessary depending on the incident.
Notification through flyers posted in residential facilities: All residential advisors will be notified in the same manner as notification to Residential Advisors and will be directed to post flyers throughout their residential facility/facilities in a manner that is visible to the residents of the facility.
Notification through the emergency/weather hotline: A trained member of the Department of Campus Safety will update the campus hotline (ext. 6000 from a campus phone or from an off campus phone at 484-664-6000). All essential information to the message shall be recorded on the hotline. Up to 40 callers at once can receive information about campus emergencies or weather related information through the hotline. If you receive a busy tone please try hanging up and redialing this number.
Notification through the Campus Radio Station – WMUH (91.7 FM): As a general policy, the College will remain open and fully operational during snow storms and emergencies. The information is provided to the disc jockey that they transmit the information through the radio frequency. Any need for closure of offices would be determined by the President according to College policy. Individual office closing require the approval of the President. Individual class cancellations are determined by the professor and are not posted in any manner through any of the notification options. If the College is closed due to a snow emergency, announcements will be broadcast as early as possible (by 7-7:30 a.m.), on the following radio stations: WAEB(104.1 FM, 790 AM), WLEV (100.7 FM), WKFB (770 AM), WMUH (91.7 FM), WZZO (95.0 FM), WEST (1400 AM), WCTO (96.1 FM), WODE (99.9 FM), WWYY (107.1 FM) and WBYN (1160 AM). Additionally, announcements will be carried on TV Channel 69 (WFMZ), 16 (WNEP), 28 (WBRE) and 22 (WYOU). When applicable the College may use these media outlets to provide information on other campus events. In addition to campus events these stations may provide information on local events and incidents as well.
Notification through the Call Center. The College maintains a 25-station call center (ext. 4000 from an on campus phone and by dialing 484-664-4000 from any non-campus phone) that is available to the Allentown Health Bureau and other agencies for ingoing and outgoing calls in case of a health related emergency either to the campus community or the surrounding area.
Notification through a Campus-wide Alarm: The Miller Carillon in Haas College Center is activated in the Department of Campus Safety. An alarm will send an audible signal for members of the community to check their e-mail, the intranet/message board, and/or the campus cable television network and WMUH for emergency information.

The Office of Campus Safety is responsible for locking and unlocking campus academic buildings. Academic buildings are unlocked during the day, Monday through Friday, throughout the academic year. Access to these buildings at night and on weekends is on an as-needed basis. Students who need access to a building during the hours it is secured need to receive a pass from the appropriate faculty member(s). Visitors to the campus may gain access to buildings, including residence halls, by contacting a campus host or the Department of Campus Safety.

Access to residential facilities is limited to the residents and authorized personnel. Each resident student is given a key card to their residential facility and a key to their individual room. All residential facility entrances are secured by automatic door closures. Doors lock immediately upon closing and are locked 24 hours a day. Students are instructed that guests must be registered by following the Visitor Policy in the Student Policy and Resource Guide. The student host must accompany their guests at all times.

Fire safety is of primary importance to the Department of Campus Safety and to all members of the campus community. Campus Safety and Plant Operations staffs are trained in the use of on campus fire equipment. Fire drills are conducted regularly in all residential facilities. All residential and academic buildings are equipped with smoke detectors and/or other emergency fire equipment. Fire safety and security procedures are reviewed at the beginning of each academic year. Safety and security awareness programs, including fire safety, are made available to students. In addition, the Allentown Fire Department regularly inspects all campus facilities and non-college owned fraternity houses to assure fire code compliance.

The Plant Operations Department maintains the campus buildings and grounds with a concern for safety and security. The staff is trained in safety, security, and fire safety techniques. The normal practices of the department include monthly inspections of the outdoor lighting system, making repairs and providing on-call assistance for off-duty emergencies. The Department of Campus Safety assists Plant Operations personnel by reporting potential safety and security hazards such as broken windows, locks, and burned out lights.

Muhlenberg College complies with federal, state, and local laws, including those that regulate the possession, use and sale of alcoholic beverages, controlled substances, and weapons. Copies of the College's policies concerning alcohol, controlled substances, non-discrimination, sex offenses , sexual and discriminatory harassment, and weapons possession firearms are published yearly in the student handbook and are available from the Dean of Students Office.