The University of South Carolina is located in the heart of downtown Columbia, the state's capital, population 116,278 based on the 2000 U.S. census data. The university itself employs about 5,490 (November 2006) faculty and staff combined and the student enrollment is 27,390 (fall 2006). As with any other community the campus is affected by crime.

CRIME PREVENTION AND PUBLIC SAFETY

The university campus is policed by its own force, the University of South Carolina Division of Law Enforcement and Safety http://www.les.sc.edu/index.asp, which is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. Also, we have recently launched an Emergency Notification system called Carolina ALERT (Automated Local Emergency Response Technology). More information is available at http://www.sc.edu/emergency. Outside of this campus, public safety is maintained by the City of Columbia Police http://www.columbiapd.com as well as the Richland County Sheriff Department http://www.rcsd.net.

Students are encouraged to think carefully http://www.sc.edu/healthycarolina/pdf/facstaffstu/safety/CrimePreventionTipsForWomen.pdf and take reasonable precautions http://www.sc.edu/healthycarolina/pdf/facstaffstu/safety/CampusSafetyTips.pdf when on campus much like they would in any situation. Remember that although the campus is littered with emergency call boxes and law and safety officers patrol, it is an open campus. In order to control crime it is important to remember that all members of the university family are responsible to insure that members of the campus community and their possessions are protected as much as possible. Consult the web site of USC Law Enforcement periodically to stay abreast of incidents at The Crime Alert page http://www.les.sc.edu/crimealerts/index.asp.

HEALTH CARE AND HEALTH SERVICES

In addition to physical safety, the university is also concerned with the mental and physical health of its students.

Health Insurance: As a consequence the university requires that all international and graduate students have health insurance which can be obtained through the university http://www.sa.sc.edu/shs/tshc/insurance.shtml or if the student has access to insurance from another source they can obtain a hard wavier once proof is provided.

Immunization: The university requires that all incoming students provide proof that they have been inoculated against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) and strongly recommend the meningitis vaccine. International students must undergo screening for tuberculosis. The other immunizations suggested are Gardasil, hepatitis B, Varicella and tetanus-diphtheria-pertusis. More information is available at http://www.sa.sc.edu/shs/tshc/immunizations.shtml

Health Center: The university also provides healthcare services at the Thompson Health Center http://www.sa.sc.edu/shs/tshc/default.shtml. The center is accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, Inc.

Counseling Services: Counseling services are available through the following offices: Counseling and Human Development Center http://www.sa.sc.edu/shs/chdc/ Sexual Health/Violence Prevention and Research http://www.sa.sc.edu/shs/shvp/default.shtml.

RECREATION AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Physical activity and recreation are coordinated by the Campus Wellness Program http://www.sa.sc.edu/shs/cwp. There are a number of intra-mural sport competitions and events.

Fitness Centers: There are two fitness centers available for students on campus: The Blatt PE Center http://campusrec.sc.edu/PEC/default.html and the Strom Thurmond Wellness and Fitness Center http://campusrec.sc.edu/wfc/default.html.

UNIVERSITY CULTURE

The University is committed to helping all its students acclimate in to the profession of academia smoothly. With this in mind, the Office of Student Judicial Programs http://www.sc.edu/osjp was formed to address concerns that arise from the code of conduct violations.

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND SAFETY

The Office of Environmental Health and Safety http://ehs.sc.edu was created to help University personnel conform to city, county, state and federal safety regulations.

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