Student Health & Safety

Cox Cottage houses the Christian Science Nursing Department and our Christian Science Practitioner’s Office for the College campus. It is accessible to college students seeking Christian Science healing during the academic year. Additionally, Cox Cottage has care rooms that are open to community members who seek healing through Christian Science.

Christian Science practitioners are experienced Christian Scientists who dedicate their lives to praying for others. They have taken an in-depth course in spiritual healing and have a proven track record of helping people experience God’s healing presence and power.

Christian Science nurses provide practical non-medical care that supports a patient’s individual decision to rely on Christian Science for healing. They work in tandem with a Christian Science practitioner, who is engaged by the patient to provide healing treatment through prayer. 

Christian Science nurses support the expectation of a complete and quick healing and maintain an environment that is conducive to spiritual healing. They can assist with things like:

• Personal care and cleanliness

• Standing, walking, moving about

• Encouraging normal nourishment, including preparing food and assisting with eating

• Cleansing and bandaging 

• Moral support and reassuring the patient of God’s care and ever-presence

• Reading aloud from The Bible and the writings of Mary Baker Eddy

While there are no medical options available immediately on the Principia College campus, we can assist all our students with health insurance, medical appointments, and transportation assistance to medical appointments. 

At Principia College, you pay a monthly premium to have health insurance which:

• Offers discounted rates when you go to a doctor or hospital in your insurance network

• Limits your out-of-pocket expenses

• Covers expenses after you pay a copay or meet your deductible

• Provides discounted rates at in-network providers

• Gives you free access to UWill, a college-focused tele-counseling service

Students can schedule a doctor’s appointment with an in-network provider. Need help getting to an appointment? You can book a ride with Tri-County Rural Transit at least 24 hours in advance at 1.844.874.7433. Or, students can book a ride with Student Life by emailing StudentLife@principia.edu. Both are subject to availability, so plan ahead.

For Urgent Care such as broken bones, coughs, cuts, rashes, sprains and minor allergic reactions or medical emergencies, there are medical care facilities all within 15 miles of campus. In these instances, students can rely on the Student Life department or their house Residential Counselors to help with emergency transportation if needed.

All Principia College students receive free access to UWill, a virtual mental health and wellness service that provides video-based and message-based counseling. Uwill offers an immediate connection to a licensed therapist based on student preferences, 24/7/365 crisis connection, and wellness events.

With UWill, you can:

• Receive free, immediate access to teletherapy with a therapist of your choice

• Select a therapist based on your preferences including issue, gender, language, and ethnicity

• Find a time that fits your schedule with day, night, and weekend availability

• Choose your appointment type—video, phone, chat, or message

Principia College prides itself on being a safe campus. All Principia houses have locked outside access doors that can only be accessed with approved key cards, and there are also locks on all room doors and storage spaces. Additionally, every room has one locking cabinet per student. Our houses have an integrated fire-safety system with state-of-the-art sensors and alarms.

Our Resident Coordinators support the security measures of the house by living on-site, and our 24-hour Campus Security makes standard security checks around every building on campus throughout the day and night.

Our on-campus Safety Committee was created as a place for students to voice any safety concerns they may have. The campus has multiple alert systems in place to notify students of emergencies, as well as periodic safety training.

Principia College’s Campus Security office is tasked with providing the protections required to keep our students and community safe. Campus Security officers work around the clock, 24/7, to monitor, guard, and support the emergency and safety needs on campus.

The office handles a wide variety of safety policies and protocols, such as responding to tornadoes and earthquakes, weapons, vandalism, trespassers, fireworks, pets, and wildlife safety. Campus Security is also responsible for ensuring compliance with fire safety requirements set forth by the Illinois State Fire Marshal's Office. 

The main road leading on and off campus is staffed by a Security Officer, who is stationed at Principia College’s front gate. Anyone without a registered campus vehicle decal will be stopped. 

In times of emergency, Campus Security can be reached immediately by dialing ext. 5111 from an on-campus phone or 618.374.5111. Community members may also call 911 from most phones on campus to reach the Jersey County Emergency Dispatcher for police, fire, or ambulance service if needed.

The Campus Security office can help students to secure vehicle registration, become an approved driver, report a theft, get their car jump started, locate missing items on campus, and learn more about campus safety guidelines.