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Ann Frechette
973-655-4333
frechettea@mail.montclair.edu

Montclair, N.J: – Montclair State University (www.montclair.edu) today was awarded the nation’s most prestigious campus safety award for being the first University in the U.S. to offer students a GPS-based mobile phone that allows students to alert campus safety with their location anytime they are feeling unsafe. The Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Award, established in 1994, is presented each year by Security On Campus, Inc to honor schools and individuals who have taken extraordinary measures to prevent violence, substance abuse and other crimes in college and university campus communities across the United States. The award is named after Jeanne Clery, who was raped and murdered in her dorm at Lehigh University in 1986 during an attempted robbery.

In presenting the award to Montclair State President Susan Cole in an on-campus ceremony on September 5, Security on Campus, Inc. founder Connie Clery said, "Montclair State is the first educational institution in the country to pilot an exciting new mobile phone technology that turns student’s cell phones into a personal alarm device connecting them to a caring, sworn police force." She also cited the University for "funding a full time coordinator of the Center of Non-Violence and Prevention Programs: Students Against Violence and forming the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) which is modeled after New Jersey State standards and provides services to victims of sexual assaults."

"The Mobile Guardian safety service, developed in collaboration with Rave Guardian, connects our students with the Montclair State University Police Department through their mobile phones, and improves their safety anytime and anywhere," said Dr. Susan A. Cole, president, Montclair State University. "Our students lead active lifestyles, so whether they’re running to class or meeting a friend at night, they have peace of mind in knowing that, if they wish, someone can know where they are and where they are going, and help can be immediately on the way if needed."

Dr. Karen L. Pennington, vice president for Student Life and Campus Development added, "We have an excellent university police force and a dedicated group of students and staff members that have worked very hard to ensure that Montclair State leads the way on safety. We consider technology a vital part of enhancing the quality of our student’s experience and are delighted to have pioneered the use of Rave Guardian."

The award also recognizes other programs at Montclair State that instruct students about taking safety precautions while on campus. The Sexual Assault Response Team (SART), which was the first university based program of its kind in New Jersey and one of a handful on campuses in the nation, is a team comprised of trained sexual assault nurse examiners, University police officers and trained rape care advocates organized to assist the victims of sexual assault. The team is trained to provide victim centered, compassionate, comprehensive care directly on campus. The SART service is provided to any individual who is a victim of sexual assault within the confines of campus grounds.

The University’s advancement in security on campus also includes a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), which was established in 2003. Members of CERT give critical support to first responders in emergencies, provide immediate assistance to victims, organize spontaneous volunteers at a disaster site, and collect disaster intelligence to support first responder efforts. The University also sponsors an Emergency Medical Service with its own ambulance, while University Police and the Health Center have teamed up to create a Point of Distribution (POD) center on campus to service the University and the town of Montclair in the event of a catastrophic occurrence.

The mobile guardian application was developed by Rave Wireless, a leading provider of GPS-based mobile phone applications, and perfected at Montclair State through a series of pilot programs. Students subscribe to Rave Guardian through Campus Connect, a package of applications that Rave Wireless customized specifically for the University and introduced to students in 2005 . The program, available on the Sprint/Nextel national network, gives students resources to manage their academic and social lives. For example, students can identify the GPS location of campus shuttle buses, check class assignment changes, get specials at local merchants and share their GPS location with friends.

Montclair State is New Jersey's second largest and fastest growing university. It offers the advantages of a large university--a comprehensive undergraduate curriculum with a global focus, a broad variety of superior graduate programs through the doctoral level, and a diverse faculty and student body--combined with a small college's attention to students. For more information on Montclair State University, go to www.montclair.edu.

Rave Wireless provides GPS-enhanced mobile applications for communities such as colleges and universities. Rave Wireless’ applications enable a previously unimaginable experience across safety, social networking, academics and commerce. Led by a world-class team, Rave Wireless is headquartered in New York and maintains an office in Cambridge, Mass. For more information, visit www.ravewireless.com.

Security on Campus, Inc. is a national non-profit, grassroots organization devoted to safe campus communities for college and university students. The organization was co-founded in 1987 by Connie & Howard Clery following the murder of their daughter at Lehigh University. For more information, go to http://www.securityoncampus.org.

Montclair State is New Jersey's second largest and fastest growing university. It offers the advantages of a large university--a comprehensive undergraduate curriculum with a global focus, a broad variety of superior graduate programs through the doctoral level, and a diverse faculty and student body--combined with a small college's attention to students.  For more information on Montclair State University, go to www.montclair.edu.

September 8, 2006