UI vehicle safety researcher Dan McGehee supports the proposal to upgrade distracted driving to a primary offense because, he says, while things like food and pets can draw your attention away from the road, cell phones do it more often, and for longer amounts of time.

This evening, the UI Police will kick-off its first-ever “tweet-along,” beginning at 5 p.m. and including an inside look at the average police officer’s nightly shift.

The Universitiy of Iowa IT support community offers security tips, such as maintaining good physical security of your systems, to prevent cybercrime.

About 17 Mandarin speaking volunteers have completed more than 60 hours of training to staff an online chat suicide prevention hotline through the Johnson County Crisis Center, with the goal of supporting the growing population of Chinese students at the UI.

The UI also has a stalking awareness campaign planned for this spring, with the goal of better educating people on what stalking can look like and how to avoid becoming a victim.

A snow emergency has been declared for Iowa City, effective Monday, Dec. 23 at 8 a.m. through Tuesday, Dec. 24 at 11:59 p.m. If weather conditions warrant, the snow emergency may be extended beyond Tuesday.

On the morning of Dec. 21, the University of Iowa Police received a report from a student that either during the late night of Dec. 20, or the early morning of Dec. 21, the student was sexually assaulted at a residence hall. The student stated she met the suspect through a friend. This case is currently under investigation.

University of Iowa leaders say strategies, policies, and research behind combating the problem of sexual violence continue to evolve and that the university has made significant strides to raise awareness, educate students and employees, centralize and simplify the reporting process, and promptly investigate and alert the public when incidents occur.

Information Technology Services reminds the campus community to be on guard against unexpected or suspicious email at all times—especially during the holidays. Delete messages that could be malicious, or contact a local IT person or the ITS Help Desk before responding.

A small fire was reported in a urology testing lab at the University of Iowa Medical Education and Research Facility Tuesday, Dec. 17.

Although winter doesn’t technically begin until Dec. 21, winter weather is already upon us, which makes it a good time for members of the University of Iowa community to get reacquainted with severe weather policies and make sure their Hawk Alert contact information is current.

The University of Iowa Department of Public Safety will extend Nite Ride service hours during finals week.