As a part of the College’s commitment to campus safety and emergency preparedness, Wooster has adopted Rave Guardian, a free mobile app that turns any smartphone into a personal safety device. The RAVE Guardian app is available for all students, staff, and faculty of the College of Wooster. Guardian allows you to immediately connect with the Department of Campus Safety to share tips, report incidents or accidents, ask for an escort, and many other capabilities. To download the app to your smartphone, click on the image below for step-by-step instructions on downloading, set-up, and capabilities of the system.
The Department of Campus Safety and the Department of Emergency Management also use this platform to communicate emergency information in near real-time to our campus community. We can distribute push messages, texts and emails almost instantly to provide you timely and accurate incident notifications, updates, and next steps.
* information in the RAVE app is not shared with other College systems, such as Colleague or the Wellness Center, so remember to keep your contact information up-to-date in Colleague Self-Service and to let Wellness know about changes in your medical information.
How does the Rave Guardian App work?
- Register and set up an account: Users can add their name, campus address, medical notes and other pertinent information for campus safety in case of emergency.
- Chat feature: Use the chat feature to text Campus Safety dispatchers in real time. You can share photos of suspicious activity and chat anonymously if you choose. It’s a great way to get in touch with Campus Safety silently. You can also report things like an incident on Beall Ave., report concern for another, or request a walking escort back to your Res Hall.
- Add and message guardians: By adding roommates, friends, and family to their network, users can feel safer when walking alone, on or off campus. The student’s emergency contacts can also be messaged directly through the app.
- Set a safety timer: In the event a student feels unsafe, they can set a timer with their current location, indicating where they are going and when they should arrive. If they do not make it there and de-active the timer, their Guardians (or Campus Safety if they’re added as Guardians) will be alerted.
- Send anonymous tips: See something, say something. The app allows users to anonymously text suspicious activity to Campus Safety dispatchers, including photos.
- View Links and Call Directory: The app includes a call directory of important campus numbers as well as a list of links such as the Wellness Center and the Anonymous tipline.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who can use the RAVE Guardian app and how much will it cost?
- Any currently enrolled student, staff or faculty member with a valid Wooster email account and an Android or iOS smartphone can sign-up for this free app.
- If I download this app, is Campus Safety able to see my every move or track me?
- NO! If you need to contact Campus Safety, before you connect the call, the app will ask you if you want Campus Safety to know your current location. You can check or uncheck this function and remain anonymous. However, enabling current location at the time of the call could help us respond to your location quicker.
- Can I use my personal email address when I register?
- No. You must use your College of Wooster (…@wooster.edu) email address in order to use this app.
- I want to submit a tip, but I don’t want anyone knowing I sent it. Can I submit the tip anonymously?
- Yes! Within the Call Directory, there is an anonymous tipline function where you can call or text us anonymously.
- What is this “Scot Safety Timer” button about?
- You can share with friends, roommates, or family members (known as your Guardians) your plans for the evening by setting up a timer. Let’s say you plan to walk from campus, down to Liberty Street to grab some food. You can set a timer and alert your Guardian of your location and progress. If your timer expires before you get back to campus, your Guardian will be alerted. As always, extending your timer if you know you’re going to take longer is always preferred. But think of the peace of mind your Guardian(s) will have knowing you made it back to your room safely.
- What if I just forget to turn off my timer?
- You will receive an alert 5 minutes prior to your preset expiration time. You can extend it if needed, but if you forget, a message will immediately be sent to your designated Guardian so they can attempt to reach you. If the College of Wooster Department of Campus Safety is your chosen Guardian, we will attempt to contact you by phone and send an Officer to your location to verify your safety or assist you if needed.
- How does Campus Safety use this app to send me notifications?
- If you allow notifications, you will be able to receive important notifications such as an imminent weather threat; a major accident or safety incident; delayed or cancelled classes; fire or flood damage; an active shooter incident; or just about anything else related to your safety and wellbeing here at the College.
