Safe Campus

Welcome to Safe Campus

University of Galway has an initiative on campus #SafeCampus. It is a new initiative that will pull together and centralise Events, Policies, Programmes and Advice on keeping safe while at university.

The #SafeCampus campaign aims to communicate a number of support areas:

• SafeZone is our mobile app designed to help keep you safe and give you extra peace of mind across our campuses.

• Smart Consent - University of Galway's Sexual Health and Support Initiative: Research, Workshops and Campaigns
• Home and Personal Safety
• Students' Union Campaigns and Involvement in Safety
• Smoke Free Zones
• Sustainable Campus
• Pre-departure oversees training for Students

SafeZone is a free-to-download and easy-to-use app. 

Visit Google Play or the App Store and search 'SafeZone' to download.

 You can use SafeZone to:

• 'Check in' any time of day – to keep you safe on campus, such as if you’re studying or working late or alone on campus
• Quickly and discreetly call for assistance – whenever you feel unsafe on campus
• Get medical assistance quickly – whether it’s for first aid, an accident or in an emergency
• Keep up to date – notifications sent directly to your phone if there is an incident on campus
• See it, Say it! – Log relevant non-urgent issues with Security through the tip reporting feature

For more information and FAQs, click Safezone

Smart Consent: Research, Workshops & the Campaign

University of Galway has begun piloting ‘Smart Consent’ workshops and is the first campus to lead on this training and is working with other Higher Education Institutes to roll it out nationally. Consent can be a grey area, as it is often sought and communicated indirectly and these workshops will provide students with the opportunity to talk about positive forms of sexual communication.  

In a recent University of Galway survey, 25 per cent of female students reported that another person had tried or succeeded in having sexual contact with them through the use of force, in comparison to 6 per cent of male students. The survey found that half of female students reported unwanted sexual advances in the past year due to someone’s drinking.  Results also showed that 50% of University of Galway students would not verbalise what they are comfortable with sexually with sexual partners. This new initiative aims to provide information on the support services available to students affected by sexual violence.

Campus Safety

Contact Security for all your campus safety requests. They are available 24 hours a day to help you. Red telephones in the lobby of campus buildings are free to use to contact Security on 3333.

Home and Personal Safety

The Students' Union offer advice on how to stay safe at home, personal safety and water safety. It also runs various training workshops throughout the year.

Students' Union Campaigns and Involvement on Safety

The University of Galway Students' Union runs various campaigns on a regular basis to help raise awareness about safety at home, while out-and-about and on campus. It runs a Sexual Health and Guidance each Semester with lots of freebies, events and workshops free for all to attend.

Smoke Free Zones

We are working together with Students and Staff for a healthier campus. In January 2016, two smoke-free zones came into effect, centred around two new designated smoking shelters outside the Hardiman Building and Engineering Building. The smoke and litter in these areas can have a negative impact on our campus community. Together, we can make University of Galway a cleaner and healthier campus. Learn more about the Smoke-Free zones here.

Green Campus

University of Galway has registered for An Taisce's Green Campus Programme and is actively working towards achieving a Green Flag for our university and is striving to integrate sustainable practises into all aspects of campus and community life. With over 20,000 students and staff on campus, there are small steps we can ALL take to improve our environmental performance.

Pre-Departure Training for Oversees Volunteering

Students travelling abroad with the University to volunteer are required to take overseas training. Pre-departure training takes place on a yearly basis in conjunction with the ALIVE Student Volunteering Office and the international volunteering leaders. The training is free and includes training in Security and Personal Safety (Eurocheck), Child Protection, Ethics, Interculturalism  and awareness of risks of HIV (for Medical and Nursing Students).