The University Police Department is increasing patrols around campus.

The off-campus attack of an Eastern student on Sunday has caused the University Police Department to step up patrols on campus, Police Chief Adam Due said.

Dan Nadler, vice president for student affairs, said while there is no imminent danger to Eastern students, the university has implemented precautionary measures, including posting a press release from the Charleston Police Department around campus and reminding students to report suspicious activity to the police.

On Wednesday afternoon, the university sent out an e-mail to staff, faculty and students about the incident.

The university stopped all traffic on the Eastern mainframe in order to deliver the e-mail in a timely manner. The e-mail was sent at 3:55 p.m. Wednesday and was in student and staff mailboxes by 4:01 p.m.

“We contacted Charleston Police Department for a copy of the press release and felt it would be helpful to distribute a crime alert to members of the Eastern community,” Nadler said.

Both Nadler and Due believe that letting students know about the attack will enable them to be safer on campus.

“Informed students will be more effective,” Due said.

The university has no set policy when dealing with the victims of crimes.

The university follows up with the victims of crimes and sees if they can offer assistance.

“Each case is very unique because circumstances of a crime and responses to an incident vary greatly,” Nadler said. “The most important thing we can do is outreach, providing assistance and support.”

The Charleston Police Department is handling the investigation and has not been in contact with Nadler since the press release was sent out.

The 20-year-old student that was attacked early Sunday morning was not hospitalized after the assault.

The student was walking alone near Fourth Street and Harrison Avenue when she was attacked, said Charleston Police Detective Gerald Woods. The student was not robbed or sexually assaulted, Woods said.

“We’re not telling specifics of the assault because it is an open case,” he said. “We want to leave details out.”

Woods said the police department was following up on some leads and hopes anyone with information will contact them.

The victim spoke to WEIU-TV on Monday and said that she had a scuffle with the man after she was punched in the face. After the man fled the scene the victim said she walked to a nearby home and called the police.

The student described the suspect as a white male, chubby, 5 feet 10 inches tall, 25 to 35 years old.