Policy Number: 5-010

Institutional UF Alert System Policy

Category: Business Affairs Compliance and Ethics

Responsible Executive: Chief Compliance Ethics and Privacy Officer and Vice President for Business Affairs

Responsible Office: UF Compliance and Ethics

1. Purpose

The University of Florida (“UF”) is required to comply with the Timely Warning and Emergency Notification requirements of the Clery Act (34 CFR § 668.46(e)). This Institutional UF Alert System Policy (“Policy”) establishes UF’s process for meeting those requirements and governs the administration of the UF Alert System, including Emergency Notifications, Timely Warnings, and Campus Awareness Messages (collectively, “UF Alerts”).

2. Applicability

This Policy applies to UF, its Direct Support Organizations (“DSOs”) and its affiliated legal entities, including UF Health and its affiliated legal entities.

2.1. UF Health Alert System

The UF Health Alert System is an emergency communications system designed to send messages to hospital staff and subscribed UF affiliates for emergencies occurring at designated UF Health locations.

This Policy applies to all UF Health locations within UF’s Clery Geography, including the UF Health Alert–Jacksonville subscription area supporting the UF Health Jacksonville campus because that campus is considered a Separate Campus within UF’s Clery Geography.

This Policy does not apply to other UF Health Alert System subscription areas that are not within UF’s Clery Geography. If a UF Health location is subsequently determined to be within UF’s Clery Geography, the subscription area supporting that location will become subject to this Policy.

3. Definitions

Campus Awareness Message means a message issued for criminal incidents, emergency situations, or preparedness messages that do not meet the legal standard for issuance of a Timely Warning or Emergency Notification under the Clery Act. Such incidents or situations are those that the UF Alert System Campus Administrator(s) determine warrant notification to the UF community but that are not Clery Act Crimes or did not occur within Clery Geography.

Campus Security Authority (“CSA”) means an individual designated by UF to report Clery Act Crimes based on the scope of their employment or specific role in a UF program. For additional information, see the Institutional Clery Act Policy.

Clery Act Crimes mean the specific crimes outlined in the Clery Act that institutions must report annually to the UF community and to the U.S. Department of Education, including:

Criminal Homicide (Murder, Non-Negligent Manslaughter, Manslaughter by Negligence);
Sexual Assault (Rape, Fondling, Statutory Rape, and Incest);
Robbery;
Aggravated Assault;
Burglary;
Motor Vehicle Theft;
Arson;
Hate Crimes (including the previously listed crimes as well as Larceny-Theft, Simple Assault, Intimidation, or Destruction/Damage/Vandalism of Property that are motivated by bias);
VAWA Crimes (Dating Violence; Domestic Violence and Stalking);
Arrests and referrals for disciplinary action for any of the following:
- Liquor Law Violations,
- Drug Law Violations, and
- Weapon Law Violations; and
Hazing incidents that were reported to Campus Security Authorities or local police agencies.

Clery Geography means the geographic area defined in the Clery Act. Clery Geography includes:

On-campus (34 CFR § 668.46(a)): Any building or property owned or controlled by an institution within the same reasonably contiguous geographic area and used by the institution in direct support of, or in a manner related to, the institution’s educational purposes, including residence halls; and any building or property that is within or reasonably contiguous, that is owned by the institution but controlled by another person, is frequently used by students, and supports institutional purposes (such as a food or other retail vendor).
On-campus Student Housing Facilities (34 CFR § 668.46(a)): Any student housing facility that is owned or controlled by the institution, or is located on property that is owned or controlled by the institution, and is within the reasonably contiguous geographic area that makes up the campus is considered an on-campus student housing facility.
Non-campus Property or Buildings (34 CFR § 668.46(a)): Any building or property owned or controlled by a student organization officially recognized by the institution; or any building or property owned or controlled by an institution that is used in direct support of, or in relation to, the institution’s educational purposes, is frequently used by students, and is not within the same reasonably contiguous geographic area of the institution.
Public Property (34 CFR § 668.46(a)): All public property, including thoroughfares, streets, sidewalks, and parking facilities, that is within the campus, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from the campus.
Separate Campus (34 CFR § 600.2): A location of an institution that is geographically apart and independent of the main campus of the institution. A location of an institution is considered independent of the main campus if the location is permanent in nature, offers courses in educational programs leading to a degree or other recognized educational credential, has its own faculty and administrative or supervisory organization, and has its own budgetary and hiring authority.

Emergency Notification System (“UF Alert System”) means a mechanism that enables UF officials to quickly communicate with students and employees in the event of an emergency.

Emergency Notification means a message that must be issued pursuant to the Clery Act in response to a significant emergency or dangerous situation involving an immediate threat to the health or safety of students or employees occurring on campus. Such notifications may be sent to all members of the UF community and subscribers to the UF Alert System or segmented to specific groups if the emergency or situation affects only a portion of campus.

Timely Warning means a message issued for a Clery Act Crime that occurs within UF’s Clery Geography and which represents a serious or continuing threat to students or employees that is reported to police, security or a CSA.

UF Alerts means Emergency Notifications, Timely Warnings, and Campus Awareness Messages, collectively.

UF Alert System Campus Administrator(s) means the individuals designated as primary administrators of the UF Alert System. Their responsibilities include determining, authorizing, and issuing Timely Warnings, Emergency Notifications, and Campus Awareness Messages. UF Alert System Campus Administrators receive ongoing training from the UF Department of Emergency Management (UFDEM) and the Clery Compliance Program.

4. Policy Statement

4.1. UF Alert System

UF employs a multi-modal approach to issuing Emergency Notifications, Timely Warnings, and Campus Awareness Messages through its branded Emergency Notification System, referred to in this Policy as the UF Alert System. Because UF maintains a large Clery Geography portfolio involving broad and diverse operations, no single communication method can reach the entire UF community. The UF Alert System typically utilizes email or text messaging to distribute Emergency Notifications, Timely Warnings, or Campus Awareness Messages. In the event of a significant emergency or dangerous situation involving an immediate threat to the health or safety of students or employees, a multi-modal distribution approach may be utilized, including additional communication methods as appropriate.

The UF Alert System has the following subscription areas:

The UF Alert-Systemwide service area provides notification to all locations regarding significant impacts to UF operations or schedules.
The UF Alert-Gainesville service area covers UF’s main campus and other Alachua County facilities such as East Campus.
The UF Alert-Lake Nona service area covers UF Research and Academic Center at Lake Nona campus near Orlando, Florida.
The UF Health Alert-Jacksonville service area covers the UF Health Jacksonville campus in Jacksonville, Florida.
The UF Alert-Jacksonville service area covers the UF Jacksonville campus in Jacksonville, Florida.
The UF Alert-Scripps service area covers The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology campus in Jupiter, Florida.

4.1.1. Emergency Notifications
UF will immediately notify the UF community by issuing an Emergency Notification upon confirmation of a significant emergency or dangerous situation involving an immediate threat to the health or safety of students or employees occurring on campus. Examples of situations that may require Emergency Notifications are included below. This list is not exhaustive.

Outbreak of a serious illness
Approaching tornado, hurricane or other extreme weather condition
Earthquake
Gas leak
Terrorist incident
Armed intruder
Bomb threat
Civil unrest or rioting
Explosion
Nearby chemical or hazardous waste spill

4.1.2. Timely Warnings
As required by the Clery Act, UF will issue Timely Warnings for Clery Act Crimes if (1) the crime is reported to police, security or a CSA, (2) the crime is considered to pose a serious or continuing threat to students or employees, and (3) the crime occurred within Clery Geography. Timely Warnings are intended to promote safety and enable members of the UF community to protect themselves. UF will issue a Timely Warning as soon as pertinent information is available and will withhold the names of victims to the extent required by law.

4.1.3. Campus Awareness Messages
UF may issue a Campus Awareness Message for criminal incidents, emergency situations, or preparedness messages that do not meet the legal standard for a Timely Warning or Emergency Notification under the Clery Act, but are determined by the UF Alert System Campus Administrator(s) to warrant notification to the UF community. Campus Awareness Messages are issued at the discretion of the UF Alert System Campus Administrator(s), who determine whether the incident or situation poses a significant or continuing concern to the UF community. Campus Awareness Messages may also be issued as a preparedness-type message at the discretion of the UF Alert System Campus Administrator(s). Issuance of a Campus Awareness Message does not preclude the subsequent distribution of an Emergency Notification or Timely Warning.

4.2. Issuance Process

UF Alert System Campus Administrators have functional responsibility at their respective campuses for issuing Emergency Notifications and for initiating or facilitating the issuance of Timely Warnings and Campus Awareness Messages. This responsibility does not limit the Clery Compliance Program’s authority to determine that a Timely Warning is warranted and to initiate or direct its issuance without further approval. Authority to determine whether an Emergency Notification should be issued rests with the UF Alert System Campus Administrator(s) for the affected campus.

4.3. Message Content and Distribution

Emergency Notifications, Timely Warnings, and Campus Awareness Messages may include information necessary to help members of the UF community protect themselves, including the nature and location of the incident, pertinent details known at the time of issuance, suspect information when available, and recommended protective actions. Timely Warnings and Campus Awareness Messages will include pertinent safety tips intended to prevent similar crimes, contact information for relevant UF, local, and national resources, and instructions on how to report information to appropriate authorities. Messages may be distributed through email or other appropriate UF Alert System communication methods. Timely Warnings and Campus Awareness Messages are primarily distributed by email, will be identified by the applicable message title, and will include an announcement number, date, and time stamp. Regular status updates will be provided as appropriate for Emergency Notifications. Follow-up messages may be provided for Timely Warnings or Campus Awareness Messages as appropriate. A Timely Warning may serve as a follow-up to an Emergency Notification and will be clearly identified as such.

4.3.1. Emergency Notifications
Emergency Notifications will be sent, without delay, and taking into account the safety of the community, determine the content of the notification and initiate the notification system, unless issuing a notification will, in the professional judgement of responsible authorities, compromise efforts to assist a victim or to contain, respond to, or otherwise mitigate the emergency. In this case, the message may be edited appropriately so that law enforcement efforts or investigations will not be compromised or may be sent at a different time. Confirmation of a significant emergency or dangerous situation and authorization to issue an Emergency Notification are incident-specific and time-dependent. Confirmation may require investigation by the UF Alert System Campus Administrator(s) or designee, in accordance with the applicable standard operating procedures for the affected campus, and coordination with local law enforcement or governmental agencies, as appropriate. Although the Clery Act permits an institution to limit an Emergency Notification to the portion of its campus community affected by the emergency or situation, UF does not segment Emergency Notifications. Therefore, the entire UF community will be notified when an Emergency Notification is issued.

4.3.2. Timely Warnings
In the event of a Clery Act Crime that represents a serious or continuing threat to students or employees, a Timely Warning message may be issued through the UF Alert System as soon as pertinent information is available.

4.3.3. Campus Awareness Messages
In the event of a serious or continuing threat to students or employees that does not meet the legal standard for issuance of a Timely Warning, a Campus Awareness Message will be issued. This type of message differs from a Timely Warning in that it is intended to provide information about dangerous situations or criminal behavior that the UF Alert System Campus Administrator(s) determine warrant notification to the UF community, but that may not involve a Clery Act Crime or may have occurred outside of Clery Geography.

4.4. Methods of Distribution

Students and employees may opt in to receive text notifications from the UF Alert System. Students are automatically enrolled when they provide a cellular telephone number for emergency contact during the Student Self Service course registration process and are required to update their information during each semester’s registration. Employees are encouraged to participate by providing emergency contact information in MyUFL. Updates to contact information or UF Alert location preferences may be made in ONE.UF.

Login to one.ufl.edu.
Select your profile icon in the upper right corner.
Select “View and Update Profile Information.”
Add a work or personal mobile number.
Scroll down to the “UF Alerts” section.
Select the “Edit” button.
Choose alert locations and “Submit.”

For emails, students, faculty and staff are automatically enrolled in the system and do not need to register for the service. Messages are sent to UF email accounts. The UF homepage serves as an additional source for emergency information. Lastly, students, faculty, staff, and non-UF affiliates can download the GatorSafe mobile smartphone app. Push notifications may be used on the GatorSafe app for Emergency Notifications, Timely Warnings, and Campus Awareness Messages.

4.5. Tests and Exercises

The Clery Act requires UF to conduct at least one test of the UF Alert System each year. As required by the Clery Act, annual tests will be scheduled and will include drills, exercises, and follow-through activities designed to assess and evaluate emergency plans and capabilities. This test will be conducted during the fall semester and will include an announced and coordinated test message distributed through the UF Alert System.

These tests evaluate Emergency Notification procedures and system performance. In connection with annual testing, UF will publicize its emergency response and evacuation procedures to the UF community. Records of each test will be maintained by UFDEM and the Clery Compliance Program and will include a description of the test, the date and time, and whether the test was announced or unannounced. UF Alert System Campus Administrator(s) will receive initial and periodic training from UFDEM and the Clery Compliance Program on use of the UF Alert System and compliance with Clery Act requirements.

Information about the UF Alert System is available on the UF Alert website and the Clery Compliance Program website.

4.6. Reporting Exemptions

Pastoral and professional counselors are encouraged to advise victims of crime to report potential crimes or threats that may lead to the issuance of an Emergency Notification or Timely Warning. However, they are not required to do so and are not designated as CSAs under the Clery Act. Accordingly, if information that could otherwise lead to the issuance of an Emergency Notification or Timely Warning is disclosed solely to a pastoral or professional counselor acting in that capacity, UF is not required to issue an Emergency Notification or Timely Warning.

4.7. Ownership

UFDEM will serve as the primary owner of the UF Alert System. UFDEM will provide training and technical assistance to UF Alert System Campus Administrators. The Clery Compliance Program will provide compliance oversight for the UF Alert System and will support UFDEM by providing training to UF Alert System Campus Administrators. UFDEM will serve as the primary records custodian for messages sent through the UF Alert System. The Clery Compliance Program will also retain records in accordance with the applicable retention period.

4.8. Questions

Questions about this Policy or reports of suspected violations should be directed to:

UF Department of Emergency Management
emergency.ufl.edu
(352) 273-2100
emergencymanagement@ufl.edu

UF Compliance & Ethics
Clery Act Compliance Program
(352) 294-8270
clery@ufl.edu

5. References and Related Information

Regulatory Authorities

34 C.F.R. § 668.46 Institutional security policies and crime statistics

F.S.S. 1006.601(4) Safety and Security Best Practices

History

History: New 10-2-2026