Officials outlined the University’s plan to keep campus safe on Election Day in an email sent to community members Tuesday.
The Office of Emergency Management set up an emergency operations center to assess campus safety and security concerns from Nov. 5 through the end of the week, and officials coordinated additional campus safety and preparedness measures with District, state and federal agencies, the email states. The University is not currently under an active threat, but officials are preparing for protests and law enforcement response given the “significant” nature of the presidential election, according to the email.
Staff will set up the emergency operations center to track campus safety concerns and potential nearby protests, and issue updates to the community via campus advisories and GW Alert notifications, according to the email. The email also states that there will be an “increased presence” of GW Police Department officers and security staff on campus.
Officials will also activate GWorld “safety mode” on Nov. 5, locking campus buildings from the outside so the spaces are only accessible to GWorld cardholders, according to the email. The campus parking garages will also be restricted to those with a GWorld card, except for the Science & Engineering Hall and Medical Faculty Associate garages, which will be open to patients and guests, the email states.
In the runup to the 2020 election, officials recommended students stock up on food and other supplies for up to one week past Election Day. Officials in 2020 also restricted access to certain campus buildings to only personnel who worked in those buildings.
Tuesday’s email also includes a link to an Election Day Safety website that provides information on access, hours and operations of buildings and services across campus like the University Student Center, the libraries, recreation and dining facilities, FixIt, Mail & Package Services and shuttles to the Mount Vernon and Virginia Science and Technology campus due to the University recognizing Election Day as a holiday.
Officials are closing the Student Health Center and GWorld Card office for the holiday, and the Mount Vernon Express will run on a weekend schedule, according to the website. Gelman Library will be open from 7 a.m. until midnight on Nov. 5 with it resuming 24/7 service on Nov. 6, the email states.
University President Ellen Granberg and Chris Bracey announced in August that the University would not host synchronous classes and that offices would be closed on Election Day to allow students, staff and faculty to vote.
