Communications

Date: February 28, 2012

To: Parents of all U.Va. Students

From: Patricia M. Lampkin, Vice President and Chief Student Affairs Officer

Re: Preparing for Spring Break

• Share contact information and other details with their parents, especially if they are traveling with a non-University program.
• Check the website for Students Abroad, which is hosted by the U.S. Department of State.
• Be aware of the risks of drink-spiking.
• Lock their rooms and apartments before they leave town. It is also advisable to take valuables home or secure them out of sight.
• Follow steps for basic safety if staying in Charlottesville. Although U.Va. buses will be running and certain dining halls will be open, they will be operating on a reduced schedule.
• Sign up for UVAirbus, sponsored by Student Council, if they need one-way or roundtrip transportation to Richmond or Dulles airports.

• Always carry an ID with you.
• Stay with friends, especially if you are in an unfamiliar area.
• Think basic safety wherever you are: Check emergency exits in your hotel. Know the local telephone numbers (usually 911) to get help in a hurry. Do not ride with drivers who have been drinking. Always wear your seatbelt.
• Use only licensed and regulated taxis.
• Be familiar with the laws, customs and standards in a given country or state. Even in the United States, alcohol laws can vary by state.
• If you are staying on Grounds or in Charlottesville, recognize that fewer students in the area may invite more criminal activity. Do not walk alone late at night. Report suspicious activity by calling 911. Be familiar with altered schedules for U.Va. buses and U.Va. Dining.
• Before leaving town, lock the doors and windows of your apartment, house or room. Draw the curtains or shades so valuables will not be visible. If feasible, take valuables with you.

• Never accept open beverage containers, especially from someone you do not know and trust and especially in certain environments such as night clubs, bars and parties.
• Never leave an open drink unwatched. Keep it in your hands at all times. Criminals will attempt to distract potential victims by creating diversions, working in teams with one asking a question and the other drugging the victim’s beverage, or simply spiking the victim’s beverage when he or she leaves a table momentarily.
• Bottled drinks and sealed cans are the safest. Ask to open the bottle or can yourself, or watch it being opened. Know, however, that bottles can be recapped. 
• Beware of free samples of drinks and foods. If the person offering becomes insistent, simply refuse.
• If you think a drink tastes odd or looks unusual, throw it away. 
• Always travel with one person in the group who is not drinking beverages containing alcohol.
• A negative result on test kits advertised to detect drug-spiked drinks does not guarantee that a drink has not been drugged.