Mission Statement

The safety of students, staff, faculty, and campus visitors is a top priority of the Universities at Shady Grove.

General Information

The purpose of this public safety webpage is to provide information on the variety of security-related resources offered at USG.  The campus has 24/7 security personnel. They staff the Security Service Desk in Building III and routinely patrol all buildings, grounds, and parking areas. They also provide escorts and monitor and record USG's extensive CCTV camera system.

The campus is also served by police officers from the Montgomery County Police. These officers regularly patrol around the campus and respond to calls for police services on USG.

Safety & Security at USG; a Supplement to Annual Security Reports Published by Partner Institutions

Click here to download the current report.

How should I report a crime on campus?

Crimes should be promptly reported to the Montgomery County Police by dialing 911 from any campus or cell phone; this is especially crucial when reporting a crime in progress. In addition, you should notify USG security personnel by dialing 6065 from any campus phone or 301-738-6065 from a cell phone or outside line.

What should I do in case of an emergency on campus?

You should immediately remove yourself from any dangerous areas and then call 911. In addition, you should notify USG security personnel by dialing 6065 from any campus phone or 301-738-6065 from a cell phone or outside line. For more detailed instructions on specific emergency situations, please see Emergency Preparedness.

How do I report a concern about a distressed or disturbed person on campus?

If you're concerned about a person's behavior on USG, you may contact the Behavioral Assessment Team.  The Behavioral Assessment Team is designed to provide information, assessment, and referrals; it isn't designed to intervene in critical incidents or immediate crisis.  If you are experiencing a critical incident or crisis, or feel threatened, you should immediately remove yourself from any dangerous areas and then call 911. In addition, you should notify USG security personnel by dialing 6065 from any campus phone or 301-738-6065 from a cell phone or outside line.

Emergency and/or weather related closings

In the event of inclement weather or other emergency conditions, you should follow delay and closure notifications for the Universities at Shady Grove, rather than your individual USM institution. Closures and delay texts and emails will be sent over the Omnilert notification system, and will also be posted on the USG website and the USG Facebook page. You may also call USG at 301-738-6000 for recorded updates related to closures or delays. You can sign up for the Omnilert system by going to Emergency/Information Alert Systems.

The university may close, delay opening, or close the campus early in the event that inclement weather conditions pose a serious threat to the health and safety of the university community. A variety of factors are taken into consideration, including the status of campus roads and sidewalks, availability of power and internet access on campus, and conditions on roads and sidewalks off campus and across the region. We prioritize our campus safety while doing our very best to minimize impacts on academics.

When the Universities at Shady Grove is closed, all in-person classes, events, and activities during that time are canceled and all university offices and non-essential services are closed, unless specifically noted. USG employees are not required to telework. The closing may not apply to essential employees. Those employees should contact their supervisor or department head for instructions.

In the case of a late opening or early closing, faculty and instructors are responsible for communicating with students with instructions for participating in their classes if students are expected to report to their classes for any period of time that the university is open.

Maryland Sex Offender Registry

Know your community and take preventative measures to protect you and your family by checking the Maryland Sex Offender Registry.

We need to hear from YOU!

Please send us your suggestions/comments/concerns about safety and security on our campus.