If you witness an act of violence or terrorist situation on campus:

  1. Get away from the situation as quickly as possible.
  2. If you cannot get away, take cover to protect yourself.
  3. Dial 911 or 765-285-1111 to report the incident. If you are on campus and do not have a telephone, look for one of the emergency telephones located across campus. The phones have a blue light on top and the word “emergency.” To use the phone, press the button and talk into the speaker.

It is the responsibility of appropriate faculty and staff to take a leadership role in their areas/classrooms for the safety of students. All Emergency Alerts should be considered seriously. Alerts are issued only when a threat to the safety of our campus community is determined. Contact the Department of Public Safety for additional training.

If a threat to human safety occurs:

  1. The campus emergency warning sirens may emit a continuous three-minute sound warning.
  2. Emergency warning messages will be sent to campus—including safety instructions for students, faculty, and staff.
  3. You will be instructed to "Shelter in Place." Proceed to a room that can be locked or secured by some other means. Lock all doors and windows and turn off the lights. Stay away from the line of sight through windows and doors. Do not leave your position until the university issues an "All Clear" message.
  4. Updated information about the situation will be posted on the Ball State website (bsu.edu) as available.

If you are involved in a hostage situation:

  1. Dial 911 or 765-285-1111, if possible, and supply as many details as possible including number of persons involved, description of hostage takers, weapons displayed, threats made, etc.
  2. Do what you are told without argument.
  3. Do not attempt to negotiate or argue with the hostage taker.
  4. Try to get others to remain calm. Tell them to do what they are told.