Safety

Staying safe on campus

Indiana University is committed to the safety and well-being of all members of the IU community. The campus and city work hard to protect you and make Bloomington a safe place to live. We also encourage you to protect yourself and others whenever possible. However, if you’re the victim of a crime or a scam, it’s not your fault—no matter how safe or unsafe you are.

IU has a dedicated and helpful police department (IUPD). IUPD is a support resource you can use when you have questions related to personal safety.

IU wants to provide a safe and positive environment for everyone. If you think you’re being discriminated against for any reason, you should report the incident.

If you ever feel that you are in danger, you should immediately call 9-1-1 for assistance.

Staying safe and avoiding scams

Download the Guardian app

The Guardian safety app gives you access to personal safety resources and can help you more easily reach police. Get emergency alerts, use a safe walk timer, and more.

Learn more about Guardian

Don’t fall for a scam

Scammers often target international students and scholars, often pretending to be government or immigration officials. Keep your personal information and money safe by knowing what to expect.

Learn more about avoiding scams

Staying safe in personal relationships

Personal relationships differ from country to country. In the United States, we highly value mutual respect. You don’t have to tolerate any violence, including sexual violence, or intimidation even if you’re in a relationship with the person.

If you’ve been the victim of an event the university and local law enforcement can help you. We strongly encourage you to seek help.

Yaolin Wang

The Yaolin Wang Endowment

Yaolin Wang was an IU student whose life ended early because of senseless violence. Her family created an endowment in the hope that her story will help prevent similar tragedies from happening.

Read about the endowment

Anything you report is kept private

If you report a problem or issue to the university, IU won’t tell your family or community. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a U.S. government law about your privacy, means that in general, we are not allowed to share any information with your family unless either of the following is true:

  • You give specific permission for us to do so
  • There is a serious threat to health or safety

Emergency notifications

IU has a system called IU Notify to spread emergency notifications. It sends out warning messages if there is an event on or around the Bloomington campus, like severe weather, fires, violent crimes, and dangerous situations.

Your IU email address is automatically enrolled in IU Notify when you come to campus. You can also add your phone number (for text or call notifications) or other email addresses. You can even add your family members so they receive these notifications as well.

What to do in adverse weather

Sometimes, Bloomington experiences bad weather. It’s important to know what to do before an incident happens.

Severe thunderstorms and tornadoes can occur in Indiana. Although they can happen any time in the year, they are more likely in the spring and summer. The National Weather Service (NWS) provides warnings when severe weather is occurring.

Tornado watch

A tornado watch means weather conditions are favorable for a tornado, and this is a time to be aware and prepared to act.

Tornado warning

A tornado warning means you need to seek shelter immediately by moving to an interior room on the lowest floor with no windows (basements and bathrooms are often your best option).

Winter weather

In the winter, we experience cold temperatures and snowstorms. Usually there is plenty of notice of these events so you have time to prepare (making sure you have enough food and supplies for a couple of days).

Other emergencies

There are other emergency situations that could happen anytime, anywhere. Knowing what to do in a situation could make all the difference.

Learn about other emergency situations
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