Campus Alerts
4/11/2024 - 2:15 PM:
Update on Active Shooter Threat
On April 11, 2024 at approximately 9:20 am, a suspicious phone call with a threat of an active shooter on campus was received by police dispatch. There is no longer an active threat to campus. Law enforcement is continuing to investigate the suspicious phone call.
Read Press Release Recap
4/11/2024 - 1:10 PM: All remaining buildings at SUU - have been searched and cleared by law enforcement. It is now safe to exit all remaining buildings and clear the area, while following law enforcement instructions. You may receive multiple or delayed text message notifications, please reference emails that are also being sent with the same information. All classes and activities are canceled for today.
4/11/2024 - 12:57 PM: EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION Bennion, Geo Science, Library, PE, Institute, Business, LEC, and Heat Plant - have been searched and cleared by law enforcement. It is now safe to exit those buildings and clear the area while following law enforcement instructions. Please wait until your building has been named before exiting any additional buildings on campus. You may receive multiple or delayed text message notifications, please reference emails that are also being sent with the same information.
4/11/2024 - 12:38 PM: EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION - Old Main, Education, Hunter Alumni, Music Tech, Auditorium, Founders, and UCS - have been searched and cleared by law enforcement. It is now safe to exit those buildings and clear the area while following law enforcement instructions. Please wait until your building has been named before exiting any additional buildings on campus. We’ll send another alert soon with more buildings that can be exited. Thank you for your cooperation. We take the safety of our campus very seriously.
4/11/2024 - 12:28 PM: EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION - General Classroom and both Science Buildings - have been searched and cleared by law enforcement. It is now safe to exit those buildings and clear the area while following law enforcement instructions. Please wait until your building has been named before exiting any additional buildings on campus. We’ll send another alert soon with more buildings that can be exited. Thank you for your cooperation. We take the safety of our campus very seriously.
All classes and activities are canceled for today. Campus is closed for the rest of the day and evening. Regularly scheduled classes and activities will resume tomorrow, Friday, April 12.
4/11/2024 - 12:24 PM: EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION - South Hall, Music Center, Braithwaite, and ELC - have been searched and cleared by law enforcement. It is now safe to exit those buildings and clear the area while following law enforcement instructions. Please wait until your building has been named before exiting any additional buildings on campus. We’ll send another alert soon with more buildings that can be exited. Thank you for your cooperation. We take the safety of our campus very seriously.
4/11/2024 - 12:07 PM: EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION - Shakespeare Administration Offices, Anes Studio, Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre, Randall L. Jones, SUMA, Burch Mann House and The Cottages - have been searched and cleared by law enforcement. It is now safe to exit those buildings and clear the area while following law enforcement instructions. Please wait until your building has been named before exiting any additional buildings on campus. We’ll send another alert soon with more buildings that can be exited. Thank you for your cooperation. We take the safety of our campus very seriously.
All classes and activities are canceled for the rest of the day and evening. Regularly scheduled classes and activities will resume tomorrow, Friday, April 12.
4/11/2024 - 11:21 AM: EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION - Buildings at SUU are still being searched and cleared by law enforcement, but they are NOT yet being evacuated. Please continue to stay in place and follow lockdown procedures, by going into the nearest room and locking the door. If you are not on campus stay away. Police are on the scene and investigating. We will continue to update as we receive new information. Thank you for your continued cooperation.
4/11/2024 - 11:01 AM: EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION - As buildings at SUU are still being cleared by law enforcement, continue to follow lockdown procedures, by going into the nearest room and locking the door. If you are not on campus stay away. Police are on the scene and investigating. We will continue to update as we receive new information.
4/11/2024 - 10:39 AM: EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION - The buildings at SUU are still being cleared by law enforcement. If you are on campus, continue to follow lockdown procedures, by going into the nearest room and locking the door. If you are not on campus stay away. Police are on the scene and investigating. We will continue to update as we receive new information.
4/11/2024 - 10:33 AM: EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION - The buildings at SUU are still being cleared by law enforcement. If you are on campus, continue to follow lockdown procedures, by going into the nearest room and locking the door. If you are not on campus stay away. Police are on the scene and investigating. We will continue to update as we receive new information.
4/11/2024 - 10:30 AM: EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION - The Science Buildings have been fully cleared at SUU. There has been confirmation that NO SHOTS were fired. ALL buildings still remain on lockdown. If you are on campus, follow lockdown procedures, by going into the nearest room and locking the door. If you are not on campus stay away. Police are on the scene and investigating. We will continue to update as we receive new information.
4/11/2024 - 10:25 AM: EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION - The Science Buildings at SUU are currently being cleared. ALL buildings still remain on lockdown. If you are on campus, follow lockdown procedures, by going into the nearest room and locking the door. If you are not on campus stay away. Police are on the scene and investigating. We will continue to update as we receive new information.
4/11/2024 - 10:19 AM: EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION - The Science Buildings at SUU are currently being cleared. ALL buildings still remain on lockdown. If you are on campus, follow lockdown procedures, by going into the nearest room and locking the door. If you are not on campus stay away. Police are on the scene and investigating. We will continue to update as we receive new information.
4/11/2024 - 10:06 AM: EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION - We received reports of hearing noises that sounded like shots fired at the Science Building at Southern Utah University. All SUU Facilities are on lockdown. If you are on campus, follow lockdown procedures, by going into the nearest room and locking the door. If you are not on campus stay away. Police are on the scene and investigating. We will continue to update as we receive new information.
4/11/2024 - 9:52 AM: EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION - We received a suspicious phone call regarding the possibility of an active shooter on the SUU Campus in Cedar City, Utah. Please be aware of a suspect fitting the description of a white male with black hat, black shades, green t-shirt, long hair, blue jeans, 20-25 years old. All SUU Facilities are to be on lockdown. If you are on campus follow lockdown procedures, go into the nearest room and lock door. If you are not on campus stay away. Police are on the scene and investigating.
4/11/2024 - 9:33 AM: We have a suspicious phone call regarding the possibility of an active shooter on the SUU Campus in Cedar City, Utah. All SUU Facilities are to be on lockdown. Police are on the scene and investigating. A suspect is NOT in custody. If you are campus follow lockdown procedures, go into the nearest room and lock door, if you are not on campus stay away. Contact Campus Public Safety. If you see anything suspicious or have information on the case. Wait for the all clear from College officials or local authorities. You will be contacted with additional information and updates.
4/11/2024 - 9:23 AM: There has been an unconfirmed report of an active shooter on the SUU campus in Cedar City. No further details are available at this time. Please be alert and notify authorities of any suspicious activity. Local law enforcement is en route. Avoid coming to campus until further notice.
Past Alerts
10/25/2023, 10:05 AM: Access to the mySUU Portal and other related services (such as Canvas and Banner) have been restored. Thank you for your patience as we worked with our cloud-hosting vendor to get the services back online. Please note that this was NOT a data breach situation. No data was compromised before or during the outage. We appreciate your understanding during this disruption.
10/25/2023, 7:01 AM: The mySUU portal and related services (such as Canvas and Banner) remain down at this time. The IT teams continue to work diligently with our vendor to address the issue. Thank you for your continued patience and understanding. We will let you know when the issue is resolved and the services are back online.
10/24/2023, 4:45 PM: The mySUU Portal and other related services are down. IT is actively working with our vendor to address the issue. We appreciate your patience and understanding during this time and will let you know when the issue is fixed and the Portal is back online.
05/17/2023:
I am following up regarding the arrest warrant that was previously issued for Steven Baggs at the end of 2022. We’ve been notified by law enforcement that Mr. Baggs is now stateside and in custody. SUU Police has and will continue to work with authorities. Mr. Baggs is prohibited from being on SUU property.
I know the circumstances surrounding Mr. Baggs left our campus community feeling uneasy. I hope this update provides closure.
Sincerely,
Mindy
Monday, May 1, 2023
The power is currently out on campus. Rocky Mountain Power (RMP) is working to correct the problem but at this point doesn’t have an ETA when it will be restored. If you are working on campus, feel free to go home and work remotely. For more information visit RMP's website.Sunday, April 9, 2023
SUU PD has issued an all clear notification. After a thorough search of campus no threat was found. The alert has been lifted. This remains an ongoing investigation. If you have information, please contact SUU PD.
Saturday, April 8, 2023
SUU Police are active on campus after receiving an emergency call stating shots had been fired in the library. Police said there's no evidence of a shooting after clearing the library. They are on the scene investigating. Please be cautious and contact SUU PD at 435-586-1911 if you see anything suspicious.
Tuesday, April 4, 2023
Dear T-Birds,
Due to heavy snowfall, there will be a delayed campus opening tomorrow, April 4, 2023. Classes and work will begin at 10am. We will continue to track the weather overnight and notify you if we need to continue adjusting the schedule.
Face-to-face classes will not be held prior to 10am. Faculty should contact their students with details about how to make up for lost instructional time. If you have concerns about driving conditions, please communicate with your faculty and supervisors to make other arrangements. We encourage faculty and staff to be flexible.
We are working closely with the National Weather Service, Iron County School District, Cedar City Officials, SUU Police, and Facilities Management to monitor the situation. Weather is unpredictable, and we want to make the best decision possible.
It’s been a long winter, and I know I’m ready for warmer weather and spring to be here! Be safe out there, T-Birds.
Mindy
March 30, 2023
Dear Campus Community,
Since Southern Utah University’s announcement of Dr. Jeffrey R. Holland as its commencement speaker, I have heard from many students, faculty, staff, community members, alumni, friends, donors, and public officials on all sides of the issue. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and perspectives with me.
Much of the tension we are experiencing on our campus — and that we hear about on campuses throughout the country — is due to the perceived clash of two of SUU’s core values: our staunch support of freedom of expression and our strong desire for inclusion and belonging.
These values are, in fact, mutually reinforcing. We must continue to operate from the critical intersection where freedom of expression and inclusion converge. There are few things more important on a college campus than what we have experienced over the past several days: an allowance for the expression of differing viewpoints and ideas.
In that spirit, we will honor the invitation extended to Dr. Holland to speak at commencement. His deep roots in southern Utah will help us honor our 125th anniversary. The program will also include remarks from our community, including honorary degree recipient Joan Woodbury, our student speaker, and national alumni council president.
As Thunderbirds, we are interconnected in ways that extend beyond our differences. We have made progress together over the past eighteen months, and I ask you to stay engaged. Important University decisions and directions will emerge because you made your voices heard, including reevaluating how we involve our stakeholders in decision-making processes.
Today we stand at a pivotal moment in our University’s 125-year history. Together we are writing the next chapter in SUU’s inspiring saga. May history say of us that we overcame our differences and found “common ground by moving to higher ground."
Thank you,
Mindy
February 22, 2023
T-Birds,
After reviewing the weather conditions this morning, we will be open today, February 22nd. We will continue to track the weather throughout the day and notify you if we need to alter the schedule. Our amazing Facilities Crew is working hard to keep campus clear and ready for your arrival.
If you have concerns about driving conditions, please communicate with your faculty and supervisors to make other arrangements. We encourage faculty and staff to be flexible. Faculty, please communicate with students about any changes to class delivery.
Your safety is most important to us. Please use your best judgment and take the time you need to safely get to campus. For additional winter safety tips visit our website.
February 21, 2023
T-Birds,
We are closely monitoring the weather and snow forecasted for tomorrow. A decision whether or not to cancel or delay the start of classes will be communicated to campus by tomorrow morning by 6:30 am (Wednesday, February 22nd) via email, text and social media. We will continue to track the weather throughout the day and notify you if we need to alter the schedule.
We are working closely with the National Weather Service, Iron County School District, City Officials, SUU Police and Facilities Management to monitor the situation. Weather is unpredictable, and we want to make the best decision possible. Your safety is important to us.
If you have concerns about driving conditions, please communicate with your faculty and supervisors to make other arrangements. We encourage faculty and staff to be flexible. Faculty, please communicate with students about any changes to class delivery.
For additional winter safety tips visit our website.
February 15, 2023
Good morning T-Birds,
We’ve been closely monitoring the weather conditions and we will be open today, February 15. If you have concerns about driving conditions, please communicate with your supervisors and faculty to make other arrangements. We encourage faculty and staff to be flexible. Faculty, please communicate with students about any changes to class delivery.
Your safety is most important to us. Please use your best judgment and take the time you need to safely get to campus. For additional winter safety tips visit our website.
January 25, 2023
Southern Utah University continues to work with law enforcement. The information the University shared in the January 2nd notification remains relevant. If the University learns of a change that increases the risk to the University community, updates will be made through our standard campus safety procedures, including updates to this safety page. Safety remains the top priority.
January 2, 2023:
Dear Campus Community,
We are following up on the emergency notification that was sent out on December 30th. Safety remains the top priority, and we want to make campus aware of the developing situation. Since the 30th, the University has received credible information that indicates Steven Baggs is no longer in the United States.
The University is actively working with law enforcement, and we will continue to communicate with campus as we learn more. We are increasing law enforcement presence and patrols on campus. All buildings will continue to be monitored and locked nightly. As a general reminder please be mindful of the following -
- Be vigilant and aware of your surroundings
- Report any suspicious behavior
- Sign up to receive emergency notification text messages
- Use the buddy system when going out
- Use campus police and security escorts rather than walking alone.
If you have any relevant information, please share it with the police as soon as possible. You can call, text or email SUU Police at police@suu.edu or 435-586-1911 or text "PD" + message to "32483". To contact the Cedar City Police Department call 435-586-2955 or 911.
Campus will reopen after the holiday break on Tuesday, January 3rd, and we will start classes on-campus Monday, January 9th as planned. We are grateful for the support of the community and the ongoing work of law enforcement. Thank you for your patience and understanding during this time. We will continue to assess and monitor the situation, as well as communicate and provide updates as they are available.
Thank you for being diligent and working together to keep campus safe.
Mindy Benson
December 30, 2022:
Iron County has issued an arrest warrant for Steven Baggs, a lecturer who previously taught in the art department. The recent warrant relates to conduct involving verbal threats towards the campus community at a time when there was reason to believe that Mr. Baggs was in Oregon. Hawaii is his last location known to the University.
If you have communicated with him within the last few days or have reason to believe he is in the Cedar City area, please contact City or University Police as soon as possible. Avoid any interaction with him.
The University has and continues to work with law enforcement authorities. Safety of the campus community remains the top priority.
University Police
police@suu.edu or 435-586-1911
Cedar City Police - 435-586-2955 or 911
November 1, 2022
At SUU, we are committed to fostering an inclusive community, we affirm the inherent dignity and value of every person and we strive to maintain an atmosphere of belonging. Events such as this affect our entire community. We stand against racism and denounce any kind of discriminatory behavior, including what is shown in this video. The individuals in the video have not been identified as SUU students.
As a community partner we are engaging in conversations that help us identify ways to advance a sense of belonging and safety both on and off campus.
September 1, 2022