Universities must learn from handling of shooting

<b>UCLA, other schools should take time now to improve their emergency alert systems</b>

By Lara Loewenstein
Thursday, April 19, 2007

There are a few questions that have been circulating with regard to the Virginia Tech shootings. How many lives could have been saved if the administration had reacted differently? How would UCLA respond if such an event happened?

It&#39;s pretty obvious that the administration of Virginia Tech could have responded differently. But what&#39;s more important than the mistakes the administration at Virginia Tech made is how Virginia Tech and other universities can learn from these mistakes.

In response to the shooting, Interim Chancellor Norman Abrams released a statement on Monday. It began with information that should go without saying - student and faculty safety is a top priority - and then went on to say that UCPD officers are trained to handle shooting scenarios.

But that doesn&#39;t answer my questions because that isn&#39;t the issue. The issue was that students weren&#39;t and couldn&#39;t have been notified of the earlier shooting - when the gunman killed two people in the dormitories - in enough time to allow them to make an informed choice to not go to campus. There wasn&#39;t even a system in place to contact students if the administration at Virginia Tech had decided to close the campus.

Sure, the police officers thought it was a domestic violence issue and that the suspect had left campus, but now that the administration at Virginia Tech knows better, it should be apologizing for the wrong choices it made and its lack of an emergency plan. Instead, it&#39;s just making excuses.

One of the excuses Virginia Tech President Charles W. Steger gave for not closing down the campus and canceling classes was that he didn&#39;t know what the alternative to students coming to class would be.

One has to ask, shouldn&#39;t such an alternative be included in an emergency plan in case of such an incident? Shouldn&#39;t the alternative have been known, available and rehearsed? After all, student and faculty safety is a top priority, is it not?

And does UCLA have such a plan?

Abrams&#39; statement went on to say, "UCLA has an emergency response team and protocols in place to notify the campus community in the event of any circumstances requiring emergency action, such as the closing of the campus."

This gives me the impression that UCLA has such a plan in place. However, what that plan actually is befuddles me because what exactly would UCLA have been able to do differently?

They could have sent the warning e-mail out earlier, sure. But I don&#39;t usually wake up in the morning with the thought of checking my e-mail to see if there&#39;s a gunman on campus.

And as for students whose Internet was down, or don&#39;t have home access, they wouldn&#39;t have received the message at all.

I suppose they could start calling people, but it seems a little unrealistic to call more than 40,000 students and faculty. Besides, I don&#39;t think UCLA even has my cell phone number.

In that case, they wouldn&#39;t even reach me - they&#39;d reach my parents&#39; house, and it&#39;s likely they wouldn&#39;t even be home.

There are concerns that if universities went overboard with safety regulation then students and faculty would have to compromise certain freedoms. But there are plans that wouldn&#39;t impede everyday life that would be more effective than contacting students by e-mail.

According to the Washington Post, a campus spokesperson said that earlier in the semester, Virginia Tech had been working with a company with which they could contact students via text message in case of an emergency. Students would be required to submit their cell phone numbers when they registered for classes.

Whether this plan is going to be carried through wasn&#39;t said.

Considering the number of people who own cell phones, and how often we check them for messages or otherwise, this could reach more people than an e-mail message would.

I don&#39;t know what plan Abrams was referring to in his statement, but I hope it&#39;s better than the one Virginia Tech had in place. And if it isn&#39;t, I hope this so-called plan is reworked - maybe to include a text message notification system or otherwise.

In fact, the president of the University of California, Robert C. Dynes, said in his statement about the shootings that all UC campuses would be reviewing their security policies. He mentioned to the Daily Bruin that this system might incorporate emergency text messages.

This provides some comfort - as long as it happens soon. The next biggest shooting in modern American history could happen anytime, and it could happen on this campus. I want to know that we&#39;re ready for it.

--

Original Source:<a href=http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/news/2007/apr/19/emuniversities_must_learn_handling_shootingem/>The Daily Bruin - April 19, 2007</a>

Lara Loewenstein

2007-07-15

Sara Hood

Saba Riazati <editor@media.ucla.edu>

eng

Shootings spur UC to assess security policies

By Blair Socci
Thursday, April 19, 2007

In the aftermath of the shootings that occurred at Virginia Tech earlier this week, the University of California is now re-evaluating its own security policies.

Authorities have been quick to assure the UCLA community that they are doing everything they can to assess current security measures, as well as to actively continue to seek out ways to improve safety.

"What happened at Virginia Tech is a reminder that nobody is immune from violence and that we all need to remain vigilant in order to protect ourselves and our institution," UCLA spokesman Phil Hampton said.

"In light of what has happened at Virginia Tech, this campus, as well as other UC campuses, will be solidifying (its) security policies."

In the coming days and weeks, the university plans to review its policies and continue to examine new information that becomes available, UC President Robert Dynes said in a statement Monday.

"As we learn more about the specific circumstances of the Virginia Tech shootings, we will apply those lessons as well," he said in the statement.

At UCLA, authorities are currently devising new ways to improve mediums of response to emergencies and communication with the community, as well as providing care for people following any major incident.

Some new methods being reviewed include notifying students personally on cell phones either by sending text messages or making phone calls, Hampton said.

Another area that is being reviewed is the university&#39;s psychological services.

"We are also giving increased attention to student psychological support services and have begun phasing additional funding for these programs," Dynes said in his statement.

But UCLA officials emphasized that the university already has various ways of dealing with an emergency.

"The university has in place measures to guide us in case of an emergency," Hampton said.

He said UCLA has regular training sessions in which they practice how to respond to and communicate during an emergency, as well as electronic means of notifying the community.

"We have emergency mass e-mail, Web sites such as Gateway and MyUCLA that we can update, recorded telephone information and the campus radio station, which has recently been changed to 24-hour availability," Hampton said.

University police also currently received training on how to respond to an emergency, said Nancy Greenstein, director of police community services for UCPD.

"Our officers are highly trained individuals," she said.

This training includes drills, special emergency-response shooter training and regular briefings educating officers on new security policies and discussion of current security methods.

UCPD also uses a system called "active shooter training," which Greenstein said is based on real-life situations such as the shooting at Virginia Tech.

"We want to be able to determine the cause and have an immediate response," she said.

Greenstein said the state mandates law enforcement be involved in training every week and diligently prepare for all types of emergencies.

She added that UCPD is hoping to learn from the Virginia Tech shooting, noting that as it is only a few days after the fact, changes will likely be made in the upcoming weeks when more information is available.

A vigil co-sponsored by the Undergraduate Students Association Council Office of the President and the Office of Residential Life is planned for 8 p.m. in De Neve Plaza to give students an opportunity to express their condolences for the victims and their families, said Jesse Rogel, chief of staff at the USAC Office of the President.

--

Original Source:<a href=http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/news/2007/apr/19/shootings_spur_uc_assess_security_policies/>The Daily Bruin - April 29, 2007</a>

Blair Socci

2007-07-15

Sara Hood

Saba Riazati <editor@media.ucla.edu>

eng

Chancellor discusses campus concerns

<b>University will focus on solving issues involving wages, safety through transition to Gene Block</b>

By Jackie Barber
Wednesday, May 9, 2007

Acting Chancellor Norman Abrams addressed myriad staff concerns such as Chancellor-elect Gene Block, employee compensation, and campus security on Tuesday afternoon during a staff meeting.

About 100 staff members attended the meeting, hosted by Staff Assembly President Shelley Brown.

Abrams began his speech by praising the staff&#39;s contributions to UCLA, calling the unique sense of community fostered on campus "a treasure" for such a large university and said he is impressed with Block.

"You will find him open, a quick study, and one whose values are all in the right place," Abrams said. "I&#39;m confident he will make a great chancellor."

Abrams said the biggest challenge for Block will be "recruitment and retention of both staff and faculty."

He cited the high cost of housing in Los Angeles as an obstacle in attracting employees from elsewhere, as potential employees have expressed concern about their ability to afford quality local housing.

Each year the university attempts to increase the salaries of its faculty and staff, but these salaries have fallen below market, Abrams said, adding that a long-term goal for the university is to bring salaries back to market value.

Raises for the university&#39;s lowest-paid workers is also a current focus, Abrams added. He said the university has been working with the unions toward this goal.

Abrams called the salary concern "a work in progress," but said he believes Block is up to the task and is familiar with similar issues because of his experience serving as president of the University of Virginia.

UCLA employee compensation is a major concern not only for the UCLA community, but also for the Los Angeles area, said Nicole Moore, lead organizer for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union Local 3299.

"Custodians (at UCLA) are paid 25 percent below what community college custodians are paid, and many people here are without a living wage," she said. "We have many concerns about the budgeting process. We want to make sure UCLA is not creating poverty in the Los Angeles community."

She said the university must address its role in providing quality jobs and affordable health care.

Abrams enlisted Karl Ross, chief of university police, to address campus security in light of the recent Virginia Tech shootings.

Ross said there are 61 campus officers, and after the Columbine shootings in 1999, these officers have been trained for active-shooter situations.

The department is also "tied into a terrorism early-action task force," Ross said.

Ross said a group from the department meets with Student Psychological Services weekly to monitor possible threats.

The most likely disaster on campus, though, is an earthquake, Ross said.

Abrams pointed to the new Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, which is not yet open, as a positive development this year.

"It&#39;s going to be the most technologically advanced hospital in the United States, and possibly the world," he said.

Brown read anonymous questions submitted for Abrams by the staff, including a question on the "lingering challenge" of course and space availability.

The session also gave Abrams the opportunity to speak about the renovation of Pauley Pavilion, and he said a committee has formed to raise money and make decisions on the project.

The building&#39;s name will not change, nor will the basic structure, but the committee has hired a firm to do preliminary designs, which Abrams has seen and called "very exciting," he said.

Design ideas include reconstructing the bleachers to create better viewing angles and building a concourse to encase the building. Digging underneath Pauley to build a practice court is also a possibility, though an expensive one, he said.

The renovation may be constructed by John Wooden&#39;s 100th birthday in about three years, Abrams said, prompting enthusiastic chatter from the audience.

Dinora Duarte, Staff Assembly historian and secretary and an organizer of the event, said though there were no surprises, she was pleased with Abrams&#39; presentation.

"Considering he won&#39;t be here after July 31, I thought he had a good grasp on where the university is going," she said.

She added she believes the assembly gave the staff a valuable opportunity to hear ideas firsthand from the chancellor.

"We actually really look forward to the event," she said of the annual assembly.

--

Original Source:<a href=http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/news/2007/may/09/chancellor_discusses_campus_concerns/> The Daily Bruin - May 9, 2007</a>

Jackie Barber

2007-07-13

Sara Hood

Saba Riazati <editor@media.ucla.edu>

eng

Administration: Emory to Open Crisis Office

By: Susan McMillan<br />
Issue date: 4/24/07<br />
Section: News


Emory will establish an Office of Critical Event Preparedness and Response to coordinate responses to catastrophic events, University officials announced Thursday. The office, CEPAR, will report directly to University President James W. Wagner.

Although the announcement about CEPAR comes close on the heels of last week&#39;s shooting rampage at Virginia Tech, its director, Alexander Isakov, said the timing is coincidental.

"What brought this to the foreground was the University&#39;s effort in the fall of 2005 to address the challenges of a pandemic strain of influenza," said Isakov, an associate professor of emergency medicine.

The office was recommended by the Avian Influenza Task Force, which evaluated Emory&#39;s ability to respond to a flu pandemic, and it was first officially proposed in January 2006. CEPAR will also work on drawing up plans to deal with natural disasters, campus violence, disease outbreak and other situations.

Isakov will assume his new position on May 1, and funding for the office begins Sept. 1, the start of the University&#39;s fiscal year.

He said the staff of CEPAR will identify current emergency response plans in place across Emory&#39;s divisions and coordinate them to eliminate duplication. By making planning more efficient and cohesive, Isakov said, the University can ensure more effective responses to catastrophic events.

In addition, by bringing together Emory&#39;s emergency planning and response functions, CEPAR will be able to serve as a "central command and control center" in the case of a crisis, Isakov said.

Emory also plans to enhance its emergency notification systems with a handful of new technologies, Emory Police Department Chief Craig Watson said. He said the timing of the announcement of the enhancements is also coincidental, since they emerged as recommendations from a task force last fall.

"We&#39;ve been working on this for quite a while now," Watson said.

One suggestion was a siren and public address system that could be used for inclement weather warnings or voice messages. Another addition would be a computerized paging system that could target key groups, such as building managers, or be used more broadly, like a text-message warning sent to registered cell phones.

Less direct notification systems proposed include banners for Emory&#39;s cable TV system and the creation of an AM radio station that could also provide traffic and campus directions when there is no emergency.

Watson said funding has been secured for these improvements and that they are expected to be in place by the end of 2007, if not sooner.

--

Original Source: <a href=http://media.www.emorywheel.com/media/storage/paper919/news/2007/04/24/News/Administration.Emory.To.Open.Crisis.Office-2876089.shtml> Emory Wheel - April 24, 2007</a>

Susan McMillan

2007-07-11

Sara Hood

"Christopher H. Megerian" <cmegeri@LearnLink.Emory.Edu>

eng

Our Opinion: Gun Control

<strong>Emory&#39;s Campus No Place For Guns</strong><br />
Issue date: 5/1/07<br />
Section: Editorials

The recent controversy concerning funding for a College Republicans&#39; trip to a shooting range has brought the issues of gun control and campus safety to the forefront of the Emory discourse.

Last Wednesday, College Council denied the College Republicans funding to help pay for a trip to a local shooting range. The College Republicans said they hoped the trip would promote safe and responsible gun handling and ownership. College Council legislators say they withheld the funds due to safety concerns, even going so far as to propose an amendment to the organization&#39;s monetary code prohibiting the use of College Council funds to purchase or rent firearms and ammunition.

Generally speaking, we believe College Council should be able to fund activities like a trip to the shooting range. Shooting is a sport recognized by the NCAA, and shooting range sessions monitored by professionals are exceedingly safe. Amending the monetary code to prevent such trips is unwarranted.

It&#39;s unfortunate that the shootings at Virginia Tech took place just weeks before the scheduled date for the trip, but given that the College Republicans had been planning this event for quite some time, we don&#39;t believe the shootings are an adequate reason for the trip to be cancelled. Although some could perceive the trip as insensitive, there is still an immense difference between safely firing a gun at a target and using a gun to commit mass murder. If the College Republicans want to take a trip to the shooting range, then they should receive the same support given to any other group.

What we cannot condone is the College Republicans&#39; plan to request permission from University President James W. Wagner to carry concealed weapons on campus. This idea was proposed by nationally syndicated radio host Lars Larson on whose show Tittsworth appeared to discuss the Council&#39;s decision to deny funding.

Under current Georgia law, it is illegal for a civilian to carry any sort of weapon or explosive compound while on school property. There&#39;s a reason such a law was passed. We understand the need for protection and the value of feeling safe at school, but we do not believe that allowing more guns on campus will help foster the open learning environment we want at the University.

Allowing guns on campus would propagate an atmosphere tinged with the spectre of possible violence. This would make us less safe, rather than moreso. The only people who should be allowed guns on campus are those who have gone through rigorous training to become certified in their use and have taken an oath to protect the citizenry - in this case, the Emory Police Department.

The College Republicans should realize that by tying the issue of funding from College Council to the ludicrous question of concealed weapons on campus, they are only hurting their prospects of getting that money in the future. Who would want to give money for a shooting range trip to a group that has expressed its desire to carry concealed weapons on campus?

As the Second Amendment states, there is a place for guns in our society. The shooting range is one of those places - Emory&#39;s campus is not.

--

Original Source: <a href= http://media.www.emorywheel.com/media/storage/paper919/news/2007/05/01/Editorials/Our-Opinion.Gun.Control-2889391.shtml> Emory Wheel - May 1, 2007</a>

Editorial Staff

2007-07-11

Sara Hood

"Christopher H. Megerian" <cmegeri@LearnLink.Emory.Edu>

eng

Looking Forward

By David J. Skorton
May 2 2007


I had intended this final column of the academic year to be one mainly of gratitude to my colleagues at The Cornell Daily Sun and to readers of the newspaper for permitting me this space and for the tremendously helpful feedback I received as a result of these "From David" columns. I look forward to another year of useful interchange through this column and in many other fora in 2007-08.

I believe we have made progress as a campus this year in confronting important issues, ranging from violence, to mental health, to what it means to be part of an inclusive campus community. Although we have not resolved some issues of importance to this campus, I believe we have learned a great deal together about how to have the sorts of conversations we need to have in order to create change. I am especially heartened by the progress we have made on diversity issues, and I look forward to continuing our progress with the support, leadership and encouragement of the University Diversity Council and through the self-governance processes underway to foster greater community involvement.

As Cornellians, all of us can take pride in the achievements of our colleagues and friends this year. Some have won major national and international awards and many more have demonstrated a great willingness to share their skills and talents with the campus and the world — in the classroom, laboratory and studio; on the playing field; through public service; and through music, dance, theater and art. Eli Northrup &#39;07 and Joshua Raff &#39;07 have even come up with a rap to update the Alma Mater, which I heard performed last week by Pants Velour. Whether you are moving on to the next stage of your life or continuing on at Cornell, you have helped make this a vibrant and engaged community, and I congratulate you and thank you for your efforts.

Unfortunately, the end of the academic year has brought with it the incomprehensible, horrific tragedy at Virginia Tech University. In the best Cornell tradition, we have shared the sadness of the moment, extended our sympathy to our colleagues at Virginia Tech, their friends and families and also taken action to improve our systems for dealing with emergency situations that may arise on our own campus.

At least two areas require our continuing attention:

• the mental health and wellbeing of students, faculty and staff.

• the state of campus security and communications and the regulation of firearms and other weapons in the context of our campus communities.

In earlier columns I have touched on the issues of stress and mental health, as well as on violence on campus. In the sphere of mental health services, a balance must be achieved between the rights of privacy of the individual and the more general public interest. As mentioned in my earlier column, at Cornell we are experimenting with a range of approaches for reaching students, including serious efforts to locate counseling and mental health services where students live and gather and to establish effective "early warning systems" that permit us to identify colleagues in distress and to intervene as appropriate. Last week&#39;s op-ed in the Cornell Chronicle by Gregory T. Eels, associate director of Gannett Health Services and director of counseling and psychological services, described what Cornell is doing in this area and also what counseling can and cannot do.

Campus security also requires a delicate balance — one that enhances the safety of our campuses without destroying the openness of either our built environment or the intellectual environment, both of which make the university experience what it is. While we cannot shrink from doing what we can to enhance the safety of our campuses, we also cannot and should not turn the learning environment into a high-security, gated community, where fear trumps openness and threatens the grand experiments that universities offer in what historian Carl Becker called "freedom with responsibility."

For the past several years, long before the Virginia Tech tragedy, those responsible for safety and security at Cornell have been working to optimize emergency procedures and communications through an institution-wide approach. We already have in place a variety of methods for mass notification in the event of an emergency, ranging from telephone trees to message-blaster e-mails, and we are examining additional ways of reaching large numbers of people during the middle of the day through text-messaging, enunciation panels in individual buildings and expanded alarms. In the weeks to come, we will share with the campus the results of accelerated deliberations on these safety and communications issues.

The subject of firearm regulation is, of course, extraordinarily controversial throughout our country. New York State law prohibits anyone from possessing a rifle, shotgun or firearm (or pellet guns, spring guns and certain other weapons) on a school, college or university campus, without written authorization from the institution. The Cornell Police takes that law very seriously and is committed to its enforcement.

Nonetheless, the more general issue of the easy availability of lethal force is one that must be faced squarely in order to reduce the likelihood of other gun-related tragedies, whether on a college campus or in another venue where people feel relatively safe, such as a shopping mall or sporting event. And the interaction between the regulations regarding mental health record privacy and the background check process for weapon purchase requires constant attention.

Whether this marks the conclusion of your time at Cornell or a brief hiatus, I leave you with three messages. First, let&#39;s remember this year for its achievements, but also with new empathy for those who are struggling with the challenges of alienation and loss. Second, please make your own views on gun regulation known to our elected leaders in order to encourage the discussion we, as a nation, need to have in the wake of the most difficult circumstances in Blacksburg, Virginia. Please report acts of violence to those in a position to help, and also express your thoughts about mental health and campus security to me and to others on campus who help shape our policies and procedures. Third, thank you for making my first year at Cornell so enormously rewarding and productive.

--

Original Source: <a href=http://cornellsun.com/node/23320> Cornell Daily Sun - May 2, 2007</a>

David J. Skorton

2007-07-10

Sara Hood

Jonny Lieberman <jdl46@cornell.edu>, <lieberman.jonny@gmail.com>

eng

Security, Duke response raise some concerns

By: Zak Kazzaz
Posted: 4/18/07
Two days after the Monday massacre at Virginia Tech, students nationwide remained on edge Tuesday as more details of the tragedy emerged and additional security threats occurred on several other college campuses.

A bomb threat at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville Monday, just hours after the Virginia Tech shootings, caused university officials to evacuate two buildings there. Another threat received Tuesday at St. Edward&#39;s University in Austin, Texas, prompted the university to evacuate buildings and dormitories and cancel the entire day&#39;s classes.

Although many Duke students said they are not worried about a similar catastrophe in Durham, several said that there are safety concerns for which the University cannot account.

"What terrifies me, and what I&#39;m sure terrifies most people, is that it was random," freshman Kate Van Buskirk said. "He just went in and started killing people."

Some parents of Duke students also said they have been gripped by fear and anxiety regarding the issue.

"I don&#39;t know what can happen or what can be done," said Ruth Azimi, parent of a Duke freshman and a Virginia resident. "On campus, everybody can get in, nobody asks for IDs, and now that&#39;s kind of scary."

John Burness, senior vice president for government affairs and public relations, said Duke is currently evaluating all of its security and response practices.

He added that the University is considering a system that can send out a mass text message to all students in case of an emergency.

"Let&#39;s remind people what&#39;s going on, and dust [the emergency systems] off, and make sure they still work," Burness said.

Junior Paul Slattery, the incoming president of Duke Student Government, said that text messages, however, might not fully address the issue.

"What if a student doesn&#39;t have service or doesn&#39;t have their cell phone?" Slattery said.

The shooter&#39;s student status at Virginia Tech makes such an incident very hard to predict since universities place trust in their students, Burness said.

"Universities tend to be open places," he said. "With the tragedy at Virginia Tech, it wasn&#39;t an individual from the outside, it was somebody from the inside. I think our folks have planned for the best they can, but you can never plan for everything."

Students said the main concern raised by recent events is the communication between the administration and Duke community.

Several students also said they had been unhappy with Duke&#39;s lack of an immediate response to the situation.

President Richard Brodhead released a response to The Chronicle Monday night but chose not to send an e-mail to the entire community, Burness said.

Nearby ACC colleges, such as the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Wake Forest University, placed their administrators&#39; responses to the shooting on the homepages of their websites. Although Brodhead&#39;s response was posted on Duke&#39;s website, it was not displayed on the homepage.

Burness said the statement was released late in the day Monday because the information about Tuesday&#39;s vigil service had not yet been finalized. He added that the administration thought The Chronicle was the best outlet through which to reach students about the day&#39;s tragedy.

"I would have liked an e-mail to be sent out, given that we&#39;re in such close proximity and there&#39;s a lot of overlap of friends," Van Buskirk said. "People just had access to the news, and personally I had so much conflicting information."

Some parents also said an e-mail should have been sent to both students and parents.

"Right now, I think unity is very important," Azimi said. "We have to realize that being together in this moment means a lot to everyone. An expression extending that through to the parents would have been very nice."

Brodhead&#39;s statement said the Office of Student Affairs would contact students with connections to Virginia Tech. Burness added that Resident Assistants would contribute to this process, ensuring that students are aware of the counseling services available to them.

The majority of students interviewed by The Chronicle, however, said neither group had contacted them.

--

Original Source: <a href=http://media.www.dukechronicle.com/media/storage/paper884/news/2007/04/18/News/Security.Duke.Response.Raise.Some.Concerns-2849465.shtml> Duke Chronicle - April 18, 2007</a>

Sara Hood

Duke Chronicle

2007-06-24

Sara Hood

David Graham <david.graham@duke.edu>

eng

Council hears Duke safety plans

By: Eugene Wang
Posted: 4/20/07
Executive Vice President Tallman Trask spoke about Duke&#39;s emergency response system and Jo Rae Wright, dean of the Graduate School, reported on the future of the school at the Academic Council&#39;s meeting Thursday.

Paul Haagen, chair of the council and professor of law, said he asked Trask to speak about Duke&#39;s preparation for "extraordinary safety-related events," in light of the massacre at Virginia Tech Monday.

Duke has the plans, equipment and notification systems in place to respond to emergencies, Trask said. He added, however, that a response system alone may not have been able to prevent the tragedy.

"In the current circumstances, I can assure you we have taken all prudent preparatory steps to deal with the circumstances," Trask said. He added it is impossible for the University to notify everyone instantly in the case of an emergency.

"We don&#39;t know of any communication systems that can get a message to 27,000 people in three minutes," Trask said.

He also noted that although the electronic door locks can be instantly disabled, there is no way of instantaneously restricting entry to Duke&#39;s campus.

"We don&#39;t even control access to our campus... there are almost 20 different roads anyone could ride down to get into Duke," Trask said.

Some members asked why no mass message was sent to the students and their parents after the massacre at Virginia Tech.

"We deliberately decided not to send a message to all parents... because none of us really know what to say, none of us know the facts," Trask said.

Council members also discussed if Counseling and Psychological Services has the capacity and strategies to deal with students&#39; mental health issues. "We need to be clearer in instructions about what faculty can and cannot do," Trask said.

The council also listened to a presentation by Wright on the "strategic plan" for the Graduate School and the state of the school&#39;s finances. She said her goals for the future are like a "three-legged stool"-to recruit, retain and train the "best and most successful students."

She said the school must improve its financial support packages, including health insurance, stipends and summer research awards, if it hopes to attract talented graduate students. "Having outstanding graduate students is critical to getting outstanding faculty," Wright said. "If we aren&#39;t willing to make that commitment as an institution, then we&#39;re in the wrong business."

She said her priorities for the Graduate School next year include recruiting underrepresented minorities, planning the Graduate Student Center and evaluating teaching assistant training programs. Wright added, however, that the funds to implement these priorities are still uncertain.


--

Original Source: <a href=http://media.www.dukechronicle.com/media/storage/paper884/news/2007/04/20/News/Council.Hears.Duke.Safety.Plans-2871367.shtml>Duke Chronicle - April 20, 2007</a>

Eugene Wang

2007-06-24

Sara Hood

David Graham <david.graham@duke.edu>

eng

Bomb threat deemed no hazard

By: Zak Kazzaz
Posted: 4/23/07
Early Friday morning, Duke University Police Department received an anonymous bomb threat for Bell Tower Dormitory and another building, which does not exist.

The threat-received through a telecommunications device for the deaf-was not found credible by the police, but they investigated the dorm to ensure there was no hazard, said Larry Moneta, vice president for student affairs.

Bell Tower residents were not evacuated and received an e-mail about the threat several hours later.

The incident added Duke to a list of schools and universities across the country that have received security threats since the Virginia Tech shootings a week ago.

Although some universities have chosen to evacuate buildings and cancel classes in response to the threats, others have opted to continue normal activities.

"Threats are made over the course of the year, and [the police] exercise a judgment," Moneta said. "They have expertise in determining that something&#39;s credible or not."

He added that DUPD is currently investigating who called in the threat.

Some Bell Tower residents said they were wary of how the situation was handled.

Freshman Jordan Rice said he saw a police officer searching the dormitory Friday.

"We asked him if he needed any help, and he said no," Rice said. "He looked to be in no hurry."

Rice added that he was unsure whether or not evacuation would have been necessary.

"They deemed it was not credible," he said. "I trust that, but then again, you really don&#39;t want to make the same mistake the Virginia Tech administrators made in not closing down classes or, in this case, evacuating a dorm."

Joe Gonzalez, associate dean for residential life, wrote in the e-mail sent to the residents that there was no reason for students to feel unsafe.

"We do not believe Bell Tower residents have any cause for concern at this time, but we wanted to make you aware of it and encourage extra vigilance on your part," he said.

In addition to Gonzalez&#39;s e-mail, Moneta sent out a message Friday to the entire undergraduate body, referencing the threat and encouraging students to remain safe and cautious.

"Institutions across the nation and world, including Duke, begin hearing murmurs of violent acts to follow at home on one&#39;s own campus," Moneta wrote in the e-mail. "While institutions must take such threats seriously and do their best to explore their veracity, this grim reality underscores our need to be extra vigilant in all that we do."

Freshman Jon Silverman, a Bell Tower resident, said he preferred to remain unaware of threats unless the University chooses to take action.

"I just don&#39;t really want to know that they&#39;re not going to do something," Silverman said. "It&#39;s perceived risk versus actual risk."

He added that, in this turbulent time, bomb threats have the potential to shut down universities and that Duke should only inform students of threats if they are concrete.

"If they do start responding to every single bomb threat, we won&#39;t have finals or classes," Silverman said. "If they just stop responding and don&#39;t let all these copycats take it seriously, then hopefully it&#39;ll die off."

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Original Source: <a href=http://www.dukechronicle.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticlePrinterFriendly&uStory_id=51338667-a7c8-461f-bf9e-7174632b4980> Duke Chronicle - April 23, 2007</a>

Zak Kazzaz

Duke Chronicle

2007-06-24

Sara Hood

David Graham <david.graham@duke.edu>

eng