January 24, 2026
Dear Members of the HLS Community,
As we begin the spring semester, I am writing today to remind you of the important safety resources Harvard makes available to community members and to let you know that this semester we will be making a point of discouraging “piggybacking” into HLS buildings behind other entrants (i.e., without tapping your own HUID on the card reader).
For this reason, we ask that you always keep your HUID card easily accessible while on campus, and to always tap your HUID on the card readers when entering HLS buildings. This is particularly important for our community’s busiest facility, the WCC. Individuals — including students, staff, and faculty — who do not tap their HUID may be asked to show their card to a member of our Securitas team.
As in the past, if you or your organization will be hosting an invited guest (including panelists and speakers), please make sure to meet them at the building entrance and escort them to their destination.
In addition, for your safety and that of other HLS and Harvard community members, please remember to:
- Sign up for MessageMe, Harvard’s emergency notification tool, at messageme.harvard.edu today, if you haven’t already done so, to receive important security and safety alerts via text message, phone, and email.
- Review the HLS Safety & Security Information Sheet, which summarizes the steps you should take in any emergent situation; the HLS Emergency Information page; and the Harvard University Police Department (HUPD) Safety and Security Guide.
- Review an eight-minute campus safety and security video and HUPD’s related two minute video tutorial that covers the “run, hide, fight” protocol, which is an essential personal safety strategy for responding to any exigent situation, whether on campus or elsewhere.
- Save the number for the Harvard University Police Department (HUPD) on your phone now: 617-495-1212. Never hesitate to call HUPD or alert Securitas staff if you see something that doesn’t look right.
For ease of reference, you can find safety messages I sent to the community last semester on the HLS Campus Safety pages on the HLS website.
Thank you in advance for your continued assistance and for everything you do to help keep our campus and community safe and secure.
Please also expect another email from me tomorrow regarding our campus and class planning for Monday given the winter storm arriving Sunday night.
Best,
Tracee
L. Tracee Whitley
Dean for Administration
Harvard Law School