SRU Emergency app well received; updates coming soon...'Just in Case'
Nov. 3, 2017
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - When an emergency strikes anywhere at Slippery Rock University, students need only their phones and the ability to tap a button to alert responders.
Just in Case, an application which contains "all the resources and contact information a student could ever need," features direct emergency contacts including: University Police, 911, national crisis hotlines as well as local resources, thereby offering immediate options to those in sticky situations," organizer said.
The app provides information, coping strategies and on-and off-campus resources relating to sexual assault, mental health, self-harm and alcohol. The Just in Case app also provides stress management tips, mental health screenings and guided meditations.
Just in Case, which launched in February at SRU, has lived up to its name during the past nine months, offering quick and readily accessible service to users. Since the launch, organizers report that the app has registered more than 1,000 unique visitors and nearly 8,600 page views.
In light of these impressive statistics, Renee Bateman, health promotion coordinator for the University's Student Health Center, believes that the app has even more potential to expand resources when its contract renewal comes up.
"This has been a positive first step, and we are definitely ready to move forward," said Bateman.
In the meantime, a few changes to the popular app have already been made.
"We took suggestions from our student leaders right from the very beginning. After hearing from them, we were able to move things around on the pages that weren't in the right place or seemed a little awkward to students," Bateman said. "We wanted students to come up with the language they most identified with so that everything was user friendly."
In addition, office names and phone numbers have been updated for ease of identity.
"The biggest change to note is that the former Office for Student Intervention Services is now known as Student Support," Bateman said. "We would encourage students to update the app to carry those changes over to their devices."
Bateman also noted that the Student Health Center may be adding a "Student Referral and Suggestion Guide" for faculty and staff. This feature would allow both parties to identify ways to help students during difficult situations or to refer them for treatment if necessary.
"As always, we want to learn a little more about how our students are benefitting from the app and what ways we could improve it for them," said Bateman. "Students are welcome to contact us with any suggestions as we work to bring Just in Case to the next level."
MEDIA CONTACT: Maizee Zaccone | 724.738.2091 | mxz1016@sru.edu