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

  • Architectural Power for the Modern Campus Landscape

    For generations, an outdoor classroom only required a textbook and a patch of grass. Today, not only has the laptop replaced the printed pages, the rise of agile learning has turned campuses into study halls with students listening to lectures and researching topics from quads, gardens, and plazas. The challenge for architects and facility managers is to provide connectivity without cluttering the landscape with visual eyesores or creating safety hazards with extension cords.

  • Arizona District Breaks Ground on Community Training, Learning Center

    The Tolleson Union High School District (TUHSD) in Tolleson, Ariz., recently broke ground on a new Training & Learning Center (TLC) for both district professionals and the community at large, according to a news release. The 90,000-square-foot facility has an estimated completion date of spring 2027.

  • Designing Third Spaces That Do What AI Can't

    In 2026, education is evolving faster than ever. With AI reshaping everything from lesson planning to personalized instruction, schools and universities are turning their attention to what AI can’t replicate: spaces that foster collaboration, community, and creativity.

  • Dallas ISD Voters Approve $6.2B Bond Package

    Dallas ISD voters have approved a record-setting $6.2-billion bond package that district leaders say will modernize aging campuses, eliminate portable classrooms and reshape learning environments across one of the nation’s largest school systems.