Holiday Safety and Security

Holiday schedule

Along with the rest of the campus, the school is reducing operations during the period. The holidays are consecutive Thursdays and Fridays, the 23rd and 24th and the 30th and 31st. Normal schoolwide operations resume on Monday, January 3. The hospital is in emergency-only intake mode during these holidays. The hospital will operate normally prior to December 23rd, and on December 27th, 28th and 29th, but other academic or administrative offices may be affected. The academic calendar can be viewed here.

COVID-19 testing

Covid testing will be available throughout December, with a more limited schedule during the weeks of December 20 and 27. In addition, campus expects the testing facilities to be heavily impacted the week of January 3, and recommends making appointments as early as possible. To view the winter break schedule and other information about testing, please visit this information page.

Theft prevention and security

You may have seen the campus alerts about thefts on campus, including in our area, as well as news stories about theft increasing in general. With the reduced presence of employees and students in buildings, the holiday period is an opportune time for thieves to operate and also when we should be extra vigilant.

We’ve hired two Aggie Hosts to monitor the area surrounding the hospital and its parking areas at night, seven days per week, to help ensure staff get to their cars safely and to help prevent thefts.

We are asking you to consider extra precautions during the break, such as locking facilities that you may generally leave unlocked during business hours, bringing bikes inside (if practical), and keeping an even-more-vigilant eye than normal. If you have questions about changing access to your facilities, please contact Scott Cooling, the school’s director of facilities and safety management at secooling@ucdavis.edu.

Holiday depression

We also want to acknowledge that while we often think of the holidays as a joyous time to connect with our families, in reality, it can sometimes be emotionally hard. If you find yourself having a difficult time this holiday season, remember that we care about you and there are resources that can help. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is open all day, every day even during the holidays at 800-273-8255. Additional resource information for students and others can be found at the Student Health and Counseling Services site.

For immediate crisis support, visit Each Aggie Matters.

Additional bicycle security information

This recent article from TAPS discusses how you can prevent bicycle theft. If you can bring your bike inside while on campus during the holidays, that’s ideal (but not always practical). We strongly advise you not to leave bikes outside overnight. If you do have to leave it outside, make sure you follow the recommendations in the TAPS article.

In addition, it is required for bikes to be registered on campus. You can register your bike here.

Additional transportation and safety information

Unitrans break schedule operates from Dec. 13-17. The weekend schedule operates Dec. 18-Jan. 2. No service operates on Dec. 24, 25, 31, and Jan. 1. For up-to-the-minute schedule information, please visit the Routes page.

Safe Rides, the service available to anyone as an alternative to walking alone or in a small group at night, will be closed from Winter Break, December 18 through January 3.

For general safety tips, please visit the UC Davis Police general safety tips page.