Vassar College - Safety & Security

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College Prowler Take

At Vassar, there is a deep sense of personal safety. Although Poughkeepsie is not the safest of communities, the gated campus stays isolated from the city. Walking around campus at night is not a concern for most students. The majority don’t lock their dorm rooms when they leave. Most students don’t sit down in the basement waiting for their laundry; some leave their clothes down there for days. Students leave laptops and belongings in the library to go get a bite to eat, even though the library is sometimes open to the greater Poughkeepsie community. Most students also feel comfortable in the area surrounding Vassar, at least during the day.

Most academic buildings are accessible for both classes and student groups until late at night. Unlike most college campuses, all Vassar students can gain access to any of the dorms with their V-card, allowing students to visit other dorms easily. Of course, living on campus often encourages disillusionment when students leave. You can’t leave your laptop unattended on a spot of grass in Central Park while you play Frisbee, something you might not hesitate to do on Vassar’s campus. Nevertheless, the benefit of living in an extremely safe and secure environment for four years largely outweighs the adjustment required upon leaving.

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Students Speak Out

Anonymous says:

Vassar security keeps us safe... Vassar security keeps us safe while allowing students the ability to bend the rules in all the right ways. 12345 Safety & Security Report

Anonymous says:

Security officers are always... Security officers are always present. We have students who serve as campus patrol and walk around campus looking for suspicious activity and providing escorts. I have also felt safe with the desk attendants in every dorm, but unfortunately, the school is in the process with doing away with the desk attendant system. 12345 Safety & Security Report

Anonymous says:

I always feel safe while walking... I always feel safe while walking around campus, even in the middle of the night. There are always security guys patrolling, and there are lots of those blue security phones that I think all schools have now. 12345 Safety & Security Report

Anonymous says:

Campus feels very safe. Security... Campus feels very safe. Security is often lax when enforcing no-alcohol policies, but is definitely responsive to safety issues. 12345 Safety & Security Report

Anonymous says:

I feel pretty safe at Vassar.... I feel pretty safe at Vassar. There have been incidents of theft and shady characters in our dorms, so I always lock my door when I am out and when I go to bed. A friend’s laptop was stolen by a local woman who somehow got into our dorm. Although I would say we have a pretty efficient security network, I do think that students need to recognize that not everyone can be trusted. Don’t let strangers into dorms. 12345 Safety & Security Report

Did You Know?

Students are employed by campus patrol to walk around campus and provide escort between the hours of 6 p.m. and 2 a.m. on the weekdays, and until 3 a.m. on weekends.

Many students participate in rape defense (RAD) classes.

Vassar used to designate smoking floors in dorms where students were permitted to smoke in their rooms. In response to smoking restrictions passed in New York State, Vassar now prohibits smoking in its buildings, including the campus club and bar, the Mug.

Vassar College security has bicycle patrol, with four officers assigned to patrol Vassar’s 1000-acre campus on nifty Fuji mountain bikes.

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