The U offers a number of resources that allow campus community members to raise concerns with lighting and other safety issues, which can be found here. Campus police also are available to escort campus community members to a residence hall or vehicle at night, which can be arranged by calling 801-585-2677.
- Report a light out by clicking here
- Lighting safety information can be found here
- SafeU website
- Campus Police: 801-585-2677
- Facilities Management: 801-581-7221
- OEHS hazard report
By Janelle Hanson, managing editor, University of Utah Communications
The University of Utah recently invested more than $600,000 to improve outside lighting by installing energy-efficient, long-lasting LED bulbs across campus. Next, the university is working to enhance lighting from Hempstead Road to Chapel Glen, thanks to feedback received from volunteers who recently canvased campus looking for dark areas.
Each year, student, staff and faculty volunteers arm themselves with flashlights and a phone to participate in the annual Walk After Dark event that helps identify and address safety and lighting concerns across campus. This past October, using a phone app to geolocate issues, nearly 140 volunteers looked for safety concerns such as broken lights, dark areas, damaged sidewalks and various other issues such as trip hazards.
“It is incredibly helpful to have the volunteers participate in this event because they bring different perspectives and concerns to the table,” said Jennifer Stones, University of Utah occupational safety manager. “We aim to identify and correct issues year-round, but this event allows us to hear directly from those who use our campus and who might have different perceptions of what is a safety concern.”
Facilities management takes the information reported and works diligently to fix those issues.
“Concerns found during the walk are typically fixed within 30 days,” said David Quinlivan, associate director of utilities and energy for Facilities Management. “We also have a team that actively patrols campus twice a month looking for areas of concern.”
To participate in the 2019 Walk After Dark, keep an eye on the “Safe and Sound” section of @theU in September 2019 for a call for volunteers.