Security

Well, you will find us almost anywhere!  Our highly trained security officers continuously patrol all of Lipscomb’s campuses and events. Whether day or night, in marked vehicles or on foot, officers are always close by. Most wear a uniform, and all carry credentials and are happy to present them for confirmation upon request.

In addition, dozens of key campus locations are under officer-monitored camera surveillance around the clock from the dispatch office located in the basement of the Beaman Library. In addition to this point of contact, the department’s administrative offices are located in the southeast corner of the Elam Hall lower level.

Finally, you will find us … in training! The security force is trained on at least an annual basis in such areas as terrorism, patrol techniques, defensive tactics, interviewing, firearms, and state law.  Most security staff have college degrees and many have significant prior police and/or military experience, in addition to personal skills and talents they bring to the job.

College campuses are notorious for being inaccessible and confusing when it comes to parking, but we try to simplify it for you. 

There are very few parking spots on campus that are not open to you; we do not do permit-only parking. With the exception of spots specifically reserved with temporary or permanent signage, you can park anywhere. Here are some parking options for you:

1. There are two parking garages near Allen Arena open to the public. One is attached to the arena, accessible from the Granny White Pike side of the campus. The other parking garage is just south of the arena next to the baseball diamond and near Ezell, accessible from the Belmont Boulevard side of the campus.

2. The university leases parking space at the Stokes School building on Belmont just north of the traffic light at Glen Echo.

3. During graduations and major events only, the Granny White Church of Christ on Granny White Pike graciously allows our guests to use their large parking lots if they don’t have something already scheduled.

4. Parking spaces around Lipscomb Academy are also available to you when the academy is not in session.

5. The parking area at the athletic complex at Lealand and Caldwell Lane, about three blocks from campus, is available, however, shuttles are not always provided. When shuttles are running, signage at the edges of campus alerts you to that amenity.

6. If you are bringing a guest with a mobility issues, you are welcome to drop them off at any location before you park elsewhere. Be vigilant; pedestrians have absolute right of way anywhere on campus, and you may not leave an automobile running unattended.

If you have any problems, security personnel are located throughout the area, 24/7. Or you can call the security office at 615.966.7600 any time. Campus maps are in kiosks at most campus entry points. If you have an extreme medical or police emergency, call 9-1-1.

You may download Lipscomb’s parking and traffic regulations, below.
University Parking and Traffic Regulations
Academy Parking and Traffic Regulations

At Lipscomb University, student and employee ID cards serve as a tool to purchase lunches, use mass transit and gain access to particular campus buildings. As a freshman or transfer student, you will be issued an ID card at Lipscomb’s ADVANCE orientation. Faculty and staff obtain ID cards on the first day of employment at one of two campus security locations: the basement of Beaman Library, which is open 24/7; or the basement of Elam, which is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you lose your ID card, a new one can be made for a fee of $15. For more information, contact Lipscomb’s Office of Security and Safety at 615.966.7600.

Use your ID Card to purchase meals on-campus.

At Lipscomb, you will have a variety of dining options and meal plans to accommodate your lifestyle and busy schedule. Choose one of many designated meal plans, and a designated amount of dining hall meals and dining dollars will be applied to your ID card to use throughout the semester. ID cards can be used at any of the Lipscomb University on-campus dining options including the Bison Café, Chick-fil-A, Starbucks, Blue Coast Burrito, Papa John’s, Creekstone Burger Co., Toss and Au Bon Pain. 

Ride the Metropolitan bus for free with a Lipscomb ID Card.

In conjunction with Metropolitan Transit Authority’s Easy Ride Program, Lipscomb students, faculty and staff can ride the bus on weekdays for free, using their Lipscomb ID card. With two conveniently located bus stops, Lipscomb makes public transportation accessible from both sides of campus. Choose from the first stop, located at Granny White Pike, or the second, which is located near the softball field with access from Belmont Boulevard. The second on-campus bus stop also features a temperature-controlled bus shelter and bus turn-around. Download Lipscomb’s Campus Map, or visit Metropolitan Transit Authority’s website for weekend rates, schedules and other conveniently located bus stops.  

Gain access to select campus buildings with your Lipscomb ID Card.

Your Lipscomb ID card also gives you access to select campus buildings including your residence hall, classrooms within your respective area of study and research labs (if applicable). To learn more, contact Lipscomb’s Office of Security and Safety at 615.966.7600.

How to report an incident:

Call 966-7600 (or 7600 on a campus phone) or by using an blue Emergency call box located in all major areas of campus.

All Lipscomb security and safety officers are trained to respond to any emergency situation, whether medical, criminal, or natural. Just call 615.966.7600 (7600 from a campus phone). Lipscomb security personnel will be immediately dispatched to the scene.

Contacting Lipscomb security before calling Metro is generally preferable since Lipscomb security will triage with Metro, if needed, to get you the quickest assistance and direct them specifically to you.

However, if you feel the incident requires Metro attention first, call 9-1-1 and then call 615.966.7600 immediately afterwards so we can help direct Metro onto the campus and work with them to address the emergency quickly and completely.

Each year Lipscomb Security and Safety works diligently to provide a safe, secure campus for our students, faculty, staff and guests. As part of that work, we prepare and distribute annual campus crime statistics in accordance with the Campus Crime Reporting Act. This information is particularly useful for our potential students and their parents.

This information is published in order to inform those attending or employed by Lipscomb University of the proper procedures that every individual must take in crime prevention and reporting. By reporting crimes accurately and promptly, members of the Lipscomb community are assisting their fellow community members in making informed decisions on personal safety and property protection.

This annual disclosure of crime statistics is accomplished by compiling statistics of crimes reported to Lipscomb Security and Safety and other persons in responsible positions across campus. 

A PDF of the report can be viewed/downloaded here.

Lipscomb’s Department of Security is proud to be a qualified R.A.D. instructor program—Rape. Aggression. Defense.—a basic system of realistic self-defense tactics and techniques taught to women only.

Please note, this program does not indicate in any way that we believe women are solely responsible for their safety or that by offering this class we believe that women are in any way at fault if they do not take it should an attack occur. We also know that this training does not guarantee one will not suffer an attack. It is just one more way we want to help give women an opportunity for an additional margin of control.

The goal of R.A.D. is to provide realistic self-defense options to women regardless of their level of physical conditioning. Students will be given the tools to make an educated decision about personal defense. Students at all levels of ability, age, experience, and strength will be provided with techniques and information that can be effectively used from the first day of class. R.A.D. is not a martial arts program nor does it require students to be athletes in training to succeed. It is the only self-defense program endorsed by the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA).

Fees

Fees include a workbook/reference manual and a lifetime opportunity to attend future sessions at no cost.
$10 fee for Lipscomb students
$15 fee for Lipscomb employees
$20 for non-Lipscomb employees—the public is encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity!
$5 discount for mothers and daughters attending together.

Age policy

Must be at least 13 years old. Students under 16 must have a female parent or guardian also attend. Ages 16-18 without a parent or guardian attending must have a parent or guardian sign a waiver.

Next scheduled classes:

TBD

For more information, contact Assistant Director David Cagle at 615.966.6637 or david.cagle@lipscomb.edu.
 

Should a major emergency occur on campus – and the most often in our area are weather emergencies – the university has several methods for getting the word out quickly to the campus. All three of the following emergency alert systems are used since no single warning method is 100 percent effective 100 percent of the time.

Outdoor Warning Siren/Public Address

The campus is equipped with an outdoor siren and public address system that can be used in major emergencies. In this part of the country, that is most often used when a tornado warning has been issued for the area. In fact, this triggers an evacuation plan whereby students and visitors are directed to safe places on campus until an all-clear is issued.
 

InformaCast – Voice over IP Phone Alert

Supporting this is a phone system whereby all telephones on campus emit audible instructions to go to a safe place. All-clear announcements are issued through them as well.
 

Bison Alert - Text/email messaging system

The university contracts with a specialty firm to provide an opt-in service whereby alerts are sent out via text message to mobile phones, e-mail and/or any personal digital assistance (PDA) device or pager. Or all of the above! There are no fees for this alert although standard messaging rates apply from your mobile provider. To take advantage of this added margin of safety, sign up on myLipscomb.