SVSU Closes Friday 'Due To Continuing Public Safety Situation'

UNIVERSITY CENTER, MI — A university in Michigan is closed Friday due to a "continuing public safety situation," school officials said.

The Saginaw Valley State University campus is closed and police will continue to be on campus responding to "an individual in distress" in one of the school's buildings, officials said in a statement posted to social media.

No students have been involved in the incident, officials said.

Students have been asked to avoid the campus' Science West and Science East buildings, as well as the school's athletic facilities, the Ryder Center. Pioneer Hall and Zahnow Library are also sites to avoid, officials said.

Remote work and classes may continue, however, and university officials said the school cafeteria and convenient store will remain open.

A university alert was distributed to staff and students at 8:21 p.m. Thursday informing them that “due to a public safety emergency, the campus community is instructed to avoid Science West until further notice.”

At 9:57 p.m., the university sent another alert saying “Police are responding to a person in distress who is isolated in Science West. Everyone is instructed to avoid the building until further notice.”

University Center is located in Saginaw County. Sheriff William Federspiel told MLive that he had deputies at the scene assisting campus police in forming a perimeter Thursday night.