Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

App Helps Campus Stay Safe

  • 06/01/15
George Mason University

SchoolDude’s CrisisManager app allows students and faculty at George Mason University to stay abreast of emergencies or dangerous situations — even if cellular service is interrupted.

At George Mason University (GMU) in Fairfax, VA, creating and maintaining a safe environment for 32,000 students across four campuses is a serious priority. The university’s emergency preparedness campaign “Are You Mason Ready?” brings awareness to emergency preparedness plans, including the use of SchoolDude’s CrisisManager, a mobile safety app.

In the event of a crisis on campus, such as a building evacuation, fire, severe weather, violence or medical emergency, finding printed emergency materials and actionable response steps can be a challenge. GMU’s Environmental Health and Safety Office has made great strides in mobilizing safety plans — making them easily available on smartphones.

CrisisManager allows the university to proactively address major and minor emergencies and empowers students, faculty and staff with important steps to take during a crisis. One-tap calling and detailed safety procedures, which can be updated in real-time to reflect any changes on campus, are stored locally on the app.

Emergency plans are even available if cellular service is interrupted. This feature ensures that everyone on campus can access response plans at all times. Safety guidelines on the app mirror information available in online and printed guides; however, the app is more easily accessible.

“By detailing how to prepare for an emergency and take action on a mobile and easy-to-use platform, CrisisManager has helped GMU become a safer campus and learning environment,” says David Farris, George Mason University’s director of safety and emergency management. “The app’s utility, convenience and ease of use makes it one of our most valuable tools for sharing emergency preparedness and response information with the university community.”

GMU is currently expanding the functionality of the app by using it to report incidents to University Police and will make annual security reports available to the community via a PDF published to the app.

www.schooldude.com

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • Campus Safety Requires Using Every Resource Available

    Across the U.S., school and campus leaders are facing a security landscape that has changed dramatically over the past decade. Incidents on school property have increased in recent years, with several consecutive years setting record totals. According to analysis of data by CNN, dozens of shootings now occur on school grounds annually across K-12 and higher education environments.

  • Houston-Area High School Breaks Ground on 117,000SF Multi-Use Facility

    North Shore Senior High School, part of Galena Park ISD in Houston, Texas, recently broke ground on a new multi-use facility for student extracurriculars, according to a news release. The North Shore Multi-Use Facility will include dedicated practice and training space for the school’s athletics and fine arts programs.

  • University of Arizona Approves New Residence Hall

    The Arizona Board of Regents recently approved plans for a new residence hall at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Ariz., according to a news release. The new facility is scheduled to open in fall 2028 and have the capacity for more than 1,200 students, enforcing a new university expectation that all first-year students live on campus.

  • Can AI Help Build Stronger Communities in Student Housing?

    Student housing success is shifting from operational performance to student experience, with belonging now at the center. A recent 2025 report underscores a growing emphasis on student well-being, community, and engagement, signaling that expectations now extend beyond logistics to ensure students feel supported in their living environments. AI is enabling that shift by reducing administrative workload and giving teams more time to focus on meaningful student engagement.