As part of an effort to increase safety on campus, the University of Wyoming has launched a new mobile safety app for students, staff and faculty.

The university says the free mobile app, Rave Guardian, turns any smartphone into a personal safety device. The app allows users to create profiles of information about themselves and invite family and friends to their safety networks. Users can then use the app to request any of their “guardians” to virtually walk with them on or off campus.

“Bringing a safety application to campus has been a potential project for over four years now. This committee got it done in four months,” Asociated Students of UW President Ben Wetzel says in a statement. “I can’t thank them enough for their hard work and dedication. The support of our campus partners in Student Affairs, Information Technology, the UWPD and so many other departments cannot be overstated. We could not have accomplished this without their help.”

Aside from the guardian-summoning aspect of the app, other features include a one-button call to the UW Police Department in an emergency. The app would display the user’s Guardian profile and real-time location, UW says.

Users can also set a safety timer indicating where they are going and when they should arrive. The university police or guardians will be alerted if the person does not make it to their destination and deactivate the timer. The timer can be adjusted if the user makes a stop.  Users can also send anonymous tips to campus police including photos and store important medical information in the event of an emergency. The app can be downloaded for free in the Apple of Google Play stores. More information on the app can be found here.

The launch of the app was announced by an ad-hoc committee of ASUW. The app comes after a number of UW students held a walkout in November to call for administrative action on sexual assault on the UW campus in response to the university’s handing of a sexual assault that occurred in a UW parking lot on Nov. 10.

A petition was also signed by students and delivered to UW President Laurie Nichols, outlining a number of things the university should do such as providing more lighting on campus and a more proactive university police force.

ASUW President Ben Wetzel said at the time that UW currently has a 'No More' Task Force focused on addressing sexual assault on campus.

 

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