About Guardian

Safety Timer Session

About Guardian

Rave Guardian provides students, faculty and staff with a quick and easy way to contact the University Police department.

Integration with ShockerAlert System

Users who download Rave Guardian and setup a profile with their @shockers.wichita.edu or @wichita.edu email address will also receive alerts sent via the ShockerAlert system. Alerts can be viewed in the Guardian Inbox.

What email address should I use to register for Guardian?

Students should use their @shockers.wichita.edu email address. Faculty and staff should use their @wichita.edu email address. Users who register with a different number will not be able to take advantage of the functionality of "Send a Tip," "Call WSU University Police" and adding “WSU University Police” as a guardian to a Safety Timer Session.

Where do I get the Guardian App?

Search for “Rave Guardian” in the App Store or Google Play on your mobile device.

Does Guardian require GPS or location services?

GPS will allow for increased tracking capabilities but is not necessary to activate the timer. Although it is not required for the app to function, it is highly recommended that you enable the "location services" setting on your phone so your guardians can see your location when you initiate a safety timer or so the University Police Department is able to see your location when you place a call to UPD.

Is Guardian always tracking my location?

No, your privacy is of utmost importance. You can only be located if your Safety Timer expires or if you place a call to UPD through the app.

Will Guardian let other people like my family or friends track me?

Yes, when you select a guardian and begin a timer session, your guardian will be able to view your location and status on their device. However, if you select "WSU University Police" as your guardian, University Police Department (UPD) will only have access to your information and location when your Safety Timer session expires. UPD does not have access to “look up” or track a user. UPD only has access to user profile information when the user makes an emergency call to UPD or if their Safety Timer session expires.

Can I use Guardian anywhere I go?

Yes. Go to your "App store" on your mobile device and download the app. You may also edit your user profile and your address, photo, and health information if you desire. You are not required to add additional information to your profile if you do not wish to. Please note: the functionality of "Send a Tip," "Call WSU University Police" and adding “WSU University Police” as a guardian to a Safety Timer Session should only be used on Wichita State University campus.

How do I register my phone number?

When registering your mobile number as part of the Guardian sign-up process, you will complete the mobile phone registration process. Once you enter your mobile phone number on the on the My Account tab, Rave Guardian will attempt to send you a text message containing a 4-digit confirmation code. This code is used to verify your wireless number and carrier. Confirmation codes are only sent to your primary mobile number.

Safety Timer Session

What is a Safety Timer session?

A Safety Timer session is a period of time during which you choose to make your status and location available to any number of your guardians. With the Safety Timer, your status and location are available to those you trust. Set it up when you are heading somewhere unfamiliar, meeting with someone you don't know, or any other time you would like someone to check in with you. If the timer runs out and the Safety Timer session expires the app will start notifying the guardian(s) you have selected as part of the Safety Timer session.

How does the Safety Timer session work?

After you register and create a user profile, you may set a Safety Timer by pressing the yellow Safety Timer icon on the home screen. From this screen, you can set the amount of time you believe it will take to reach your destination, and you can also add guardians to your timer session so that they can be notified if your safety timer expires. Upon your safe arrival, simply deactivate the timer from your phone.

If you do not deactivate the timer before it expires, your selected guardians will be notified.

The menu icon contains instructions on how to use Guardian. Click on the Learn More tab and the app will give you a quick tutorial.

Who can use the Guardian Safety Timer session?

WSU students, faculty and staff who have a @shockers.wichita.edu or @wichita.edu email address can use the Rave Guardian Safety Timer session. The system will not allow logins from anything other than a WSU email address, however parents can still download the app and become a guardian. They just won't be able to use the WSU specific version of Guardian.

While it’s preferred that the Send a Tip and Call WSU University Police options are only used on WSU campus, the app will still function away from campus.

Can I use the Safety Timer if I am off campus?

It is principally designed for traveling on the Wichita State campus where the University Police Department patrols. If the app is used off campus, UPD officers may not be able to respond in the event of an expired timer.

If I initiate a Safety Timer session but don't have location services enabled on my phone, will UPD be able to find me?

If location services are not enabled on your phone, the closest cell phone tower will attempt to approximate your location, which may be up to several blocks away. Enabling location services on your phone is the only way to accurately track your expired Safety Timer’s location. If you choose not to have location services enabled, we recommend adding a note in the status of your Safety Timer session of your intended destination and planned route. This is not the most efficient way to determine your location; however, it will give UPD a general idea of your whereabouts.

How do I set up a Safety Timer session?

To set up a Safety Timer session:

  1. Tap the Safety Timer button. Enter your PIN and touch Activate.
  2. Choose a session duration by selecting the Timer list - the default is 30 minutes and the shortest time allowed is 5 minutes.
  3. Enter your status. (Optional)

    Provide a descriptive status message about your current location, intended destination and route along with any other relevant details. While this is an optional step, this information will greatly facilitate any response actions should an alarm be set off because your timer was not deactivated in time. It can also be helpful in the event of a weak cellular data signal affecting the accuracy of your GPS location.
    1. Select the Primary Guardian list and scroll up or down to highlight the desired guardian. You can add additional Guardians by tapping the Add a Guardian button. (You can set “WSU University Police” as your primary guardian if you are on WSU campus, and UPD officers will respond in the event of an expired Safety Timer session.) If “WSU University Police” is not selected as a guardian, the University Police Department will not be alerted that your Safety Timer has expired.
    2. If you do not receive an immediate response to your invitation you should also send a text notification to the guardian by selecting Guardians, select the invitee and touch the Text button. Enter a message letting them know that you’ve invited them to a timed session. Do not leave for your destination until you've received a notice of acceptance from your guardian. If “WSU University Police” is selected as a guardian, your session will automatically start, and you do not need to wait for confirmation from University Police Department.
    3. If after 5 minutes none of your guardians have responded to your Safety Session invitation, the timed session will be cancelled. If “WSU University Police” is selected as a guardian, your session will automatically start and you do not need to wait for confirmation from the University Police Department.

During the Safety Timer session: Your guardians can check in on you at any point during an active Safety Timer session and you can update your status as many times as you choose. Let your guardians know where you are and what you are doing. During a Safety Timer session you'll receive several reminders to deactivate the timer by entering your PIN as the timer runs down.

Remember to deactivate the session once you are safe.

Activating Duress Alarm during Safety Timer session:

In the unlikely event you are coerced into deactivating your Safety Timer session, instead of entering your regular PIN you can enter a Duress PIN which will immediately put your session into Alert status and will contact the University Police Department. Your duress PIN is your PIN number plus one, e.g., if your PIN is 1234 your duress PIN is 1235.

It is highly recommended that you add guardians and become familiar with timed Safety Sessions before you need to use it in a real situation.

I want to invite someone to be my Guardian. How do I do that?

A guardian is someone you trust to be notified with key information when you are in trouble. Friends, family members, or other people you trust to look out for you can be guardians. You invite these guardians via your phone's contacts. Each guardian you invite will have to download the Rave Guardian app and register. Once they have the app and accept your invitation to be your guardian you can initiate Safety Timer sessions during which your guardians will be alerted to your status and location. WSU University Police will always show up on Rave Guardian as your default guardian contact.

Note: You can only add guardians who are already in your phone’s contacts list.

To add a guardians to your Guardians list:

  1. Open Guardian.

  2. Tap the Guardians button.

  3. Tap the plus sign.

  4. This will open your phone's contacts. Select the person and mobile phone number for whom you want to send a Guardian invitation.

  5. The invitation page will display the person's name and mobile phone number and will give you the option to Send or Cancel the invitation. Tap Send.

  6. Your guardian will receive a text message from you asking them to be your guardian. If they accept you will receive a message saying they accepted and that person will be listed in your list of guardians inside the Guardian app.