Safety and security

The safety of our students is as paramount to us as it is to you. That’s why we’ve heavily invested in multiple measures to make our campus environment as safe and secure as possible.

On-Site Security

We have a long-time, established partnership with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) Two members of the PCSO are stationed at SEU and are intricately familiar with all areas of campus We also employ additional security guards who keep campus under surveillance 24-hours a day with the use of video cameras stationed strategically in the public areas of campus .

Sentinel Program

In 2017, in partnership with the PCSO, Southeastern launched the first-ever Sentinel Program in the State of Florida This program was added as an additional layer of security Highly-trained special deputies, sworn in by the PCSO, are stationed anonymously throughout campus for the sole purpose of reducing the risk of injury in the unlikely event that the campus is threatened by an active shooter situation .

Dorm Card Key Access

Dorms are only accessible via a programmed key card, ensuring that only students who live in a dorm are able to access that room . These cards also serve the dual purpose of ensuring that our residence life staff knows that each member of their floor is home safely .

Text Alerts

Students and parents can sign up for e2Campus text alerts, which provide information directly from our security officers about security-related activity on or near campus, severe weather updates, road closures, and more

As with any area of the country, Florida also has its share of occasional weather events — namely, tropical systems (hurricanes and tropical storms) We have detailed procedures in place to ensure that our students remain safe in the event that impact from a tropical system is expected . These procedures and updates are communicated regularly before, during, and after these weather events via email, our text alert system, website, and social media .

The Southeastern Emergency Response Team is operated in partnership with our on-campus police officers from the PCSO In the event that students must shelterin-place during a storm, members of the PCSO operate a command station on campus to ensure the continued safety of our students .

(Note: SEU is not considered to be in a flood zone and does not usually require off-campus evacuation. Storm damage is rare and generally minimal if it occurs.)