Security alerts prompt Faculty Senate meeting
Kendra Jones
Issue date: 12/5/07 Section: News
The University of Hawai'i at MÄnoa Faculty Senate Committee is scheduled to discuss campus security issues today at 3 p.m. in the Architecture Auditorium. The meeting is open to UH students.
At a Faculty Senate Committee meeting on Nov. 21, the faculty senate unanimously affirmed that the campus community needs to be alerted to threats in a timelier manner while using better methods.
During that meeting, a question arose from the faculty members about the obligation to notify the campus immediately and allow room for people to decide how to react for themselves. There was also concern that an Oct. 25 e-mail alert was too brief, vague and an insufficient way to notify the campus community.
A mass e-mail notification was sent Oct. 25 by Campus Security to UH students and staff regarding a man who was overheard talking to himself about planning to shoot 30 UH students. It was not included in the e-mail that the suspect was known to the Honolulu Police Department and had a history of mental illness.
Laura Saiki-Chaves, vice president of Associated Students of the University of Hawai'i said, "When it comes to alerting students of the possible dangers on campus, we believe that no measure is too small. Though e-mail alerts were sent to students, it was definitely not enough. There were many students who ... had absolutely no idea about the security alert."
"E-mail is useful for those who may be sitting in front of their computer at the time of the incident, but by large is woefully inadequate," said Jerome Comcowich, a committee member from the School of Ocean and Earth Sciences and Technology.
Comcowich said he thought a more effective way to notify the campus would be to have security vehicles use their public address system to broadcast a warning throughout the entire campus.
Gregg Takayama, UH director of communications, said the response would have been more intensive had HPD considered it a serious threat. Enabling the campus-wide PA system would have resulted in major campus disruptions, Takayama added.
Takayama told the committee that had the threat been immediate, the loudspeakers would have been utilized. Radio and TV stations would have been asked to broadcast an emergency message. He also said that many buildings on campus have fire alarm systems that can be enabled to make public announcements.
These systems, however, have not been tested and not all of the fire alarms have been retrofitted to function as PA systems, the committee members were told.
"If we as a nation learned anything about the Virginia Tech shootings (it) is that having an efficient alert system can not and must not be overlooked," Saiki-Chaves said.
UH is currently looking into including mass text messaging as a means of notifying students and faculty of emergencies, Takayama said. Takayama added that Information Technology Services will be testing a mass text-messaging system at the end of this year. If the tests are successful, ITS hopes the system will be available for students to volunteer their cell phone numbers by early next year.
"The idea of sending mass text messages is excellent," Saiki-Chaves said. "A person would not have to be connected to the Internet or checking their e-mail to be notified, as it would happen instantly via their cell phone."
Members present at the student affairs meeting agreed that security should have broadcast the information to the campus community immediately because many people had no knowledge of the threat.
Many people, including Sheri Fong, an assistant professor for anatomy, biochemistry and physiology, have said that had they known sooner, they would have opted to stay away from the campus that afternoon.
"I'm disappointed with UH's general handling of the situation," said senior Caitlin Jackson, a kinesiology major. "I'm stressed out enough with classes; I shouldn't have to worry about my safety being compromised."
In contrast, freshman Troy Muenzer said, "UH Campus Security did a perfect job, and I feel safe seeing that they were taking action and communicating with HPD."
Several people said while they were nervous and felt vulnerable being on campus, they went to class anyway. Stacy Little, a senior speech pathology and audiology major, said, "I did know about it, and I still attended class because I guess we live in a world where we think, 'It won't happen to me.'"
Some other recommendations from Faculty Senate Committee members at the last meeting to improve campus security:
* Set up a campus hot line for emergency situations.
* Consider creating an automated mass telephone alert system to call all campus numbers during an emergency or a threat. An automated warning would give directions, such as directing people to check their e-mail or a designated Web site.
* Use the blue campus phone system as an emergency alert system. The blue lights would flash to cue people to check their e-mail or a campus hot line for further information.
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Original Source: The Voice - Ka Leo
<a href="http://media.www.kaleo.org/media/storage/paper872/news/2007/12/05/News/Security.Alerts.Prompt.Faculty.Senate.Meeting-3133290.shtml">http://media.www.kaleo.org/media/storage/paper872/news/2007/12/05/News/Security.Alerts.Prompt.Faculty.Senate.Meeting-3133290.shtml</a>
Kendra Jones
2008-03-12
Kacey Beddoes
Kumari Sherreitt <editor@kaleo.org>
eng
Area colleges updated alert systems after Virginia Tech
By CHRIS DETTRO
STAFF WRITER
Published Friday, February 15, 2008
Springfield-area colleges have systems in place to alert students to campus emergencies, and most procedures have been updated or were instituted originally in the wake of campus shootings at Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg, Va., last spring.
Thursday's shootings at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb brought the importance of those procedures to the forefront again.
"It's just awful," said Mike Underwood, spokesman for MacMurray College in Jacksonville. "Something like that really hits home."
The University of Illinois at Springfield, Illinois College in Jacksonville and Blackburn College in Carlinville all have some type of emergency notification system where students can receive e-mails, cell phone messages or other electronic notification should there be an emergency on campus.
Michelle Green, spokeswoman for UIS, said the school had a call from one parent within an hour of the NIU shooting expressing concern.
UIS sent out a campuswide message to faculty, staff and students late Thursday afternoon urging them to sign up for the UIS Emergency Notification System it implemented last month.
The university's chancellor or provost, chief of police or someone assigned the task sets the notification system in motion, Green said.
Lincoln Land Community College recently updated its emergency procedures in response to the Virginia Tech incident, said spokeswoman Lynn Whalen.
In addition to having armed campus police on duty 24 hours a day, LLCC has installed emergency phones in each classroom and has enabled all classroom doors to be locked from the inside.
"We also have a good counseling and referral system should anyone need that kind of help," Whalen said.
Jim Murphy, Illinois College spokesman, said more than 400 of IC's 1,000 students signed up to receive e-mail or text-message alerts last fall.
"It was a response to Virginia Tech and established a way to get information to students, faculty and staff as soon as possible," he said.
Blackburn College has an on-campus siren and a system to notify people via e-mail and on the college's Web site.
"When something like this happens, we always review the manual," said Rusty Ingram, public relations director at Blackburn. "We have security procedures we go through, and we can lock down the entrances to campus."
Ingram said the shootings at Virginia Tech "made us more aware," although he believes that because almost all Blackburn students have jobs on campus, they may be more aware.
"Our thoughts and prayers certainly go out to the people at Northern today," he said. "We have a chapel on campus if students here want to talk about it."
Staff writer Sarah Antonacci contributed to this report. Chris Dettro can be reached at 788-1510.
On the Web
For more information on the UIS Emergency Notification System, students can go to
<a href="https://emergency.uis.edu">https://emergency.uis.edu</a>
A previous version of the story misstated the number of students who have signed up for Illinois College's emergency alert system. The correct number is 400.
Licensed under <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/">Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Generic</a>
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Original Source:
<a href="http://www.sj-r.com/News/stories/25291.asp">http://www.sj-r.com/News/stories/25291.asp</a>
CHRIS DETTRO and Sarah Antonacci
2008-02-26
Kacey Beddoes
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Generic
eng
NIU response helped by Virginia Tech lessons
Doug Finke
GateHouse News Service
Fri Feb 15, 2008, 09:31 PM EST
SPRINGFIELD, IL - Northern Illinois University's response to Thursday's shooting rampage may have been helped by what state officials learned from last year's massacre at Virginia Tech University.
A Campus Safety Task Force was created to see what could be learned from the Virginia Tech incident and how those lessons could be implemented here.
Representatives from state colleges and universities, including NIU, attended task force meetings. One of the most important lessons discussed was getting information to students as quickly as possible.
"The response at Northern Illinois, from our standpoint, was extraordinary," said Mike Chamness, chairman of the Illinois Terrorism Task Force.
Students were notified within 20 minutes that a shooting occurred, to take cover and stay away from some parts of the campus, Chamness said. At Virginia Tech, it took more than two hours to issue an alert.
Students at NIU also were relaying text messages to each other. One idea discussed by the task force was that colleges should use multiple means to convey an emergency message to students, including encouraging the use of text messaging.
Rep. Rich Myers, R-Colchester, said Western Illinois University in his district just went through a drill to notify students in case of emergency.
"They sent text messages to cell phones, voice mail, e-mail," Myers said. "As I understand it, it was a very successful test."
What to do after an emergency is only part of the task force's responsibility. It is also examining prevention. A full report is scheduled to be delivered April 1.
"A mental health survey is still being completed," Chamness said. "That purpose is to look at ways to identify potential issues and how to deal with those, how to get help to those people."
That will probably require the assistance of students themselves.
"Be alert. If you see something that looks suspicious, don't be shy or embarrassed about picking up the phone and calling law enforcement authorities," Chamness advised. "You may be the person who helps prevent something."
At the same time, Chamness said there didn't seem to be the "red flags" in the NIU case that there were at Virginia Tech.
"I don't think there's a panacea out there for how you stop this," he said. "You're talking about somebody who walked into a classroom."
Chamness said state officials will meet with NIU staff in coming weeks to assess what happened and what parts of the response plan worked and if any didn't.
Rep. Dan Brady, R-Bloomington, said he wants two House committees — Higher Education and Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness — to convene a joint session in a few weeks to review the NIU situation.
"I want to have a joint hearing once reports are released and more information can be obtained as to how we can be better informed and better prepared," said Brady whose district includes Illinois State University. "Even though it looks like everyone worked in synch, there's always something to learn."
Doug Finke can be reached at (217) 788-1527.
Licensed under <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0</a>.
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Original Source:
<a href="http://ghns.ghnewsroom.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/news/x230383197">http://ghns.ghnewsroom.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/news/x230383197</a>
Doug Finke
2008-02-26
Kacey Beddoes
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0
eng
Campus security reacts to shootings
ND looks into cell phone text messaging to alert students of emergencies
Kaitlynn Riely, Aaron Steiner and Ken Fowler
Issue date: 4/19/07 Section: News
Notre Dame has procedures in place to respond to major incidents and crises, but the University is not commenting on most specifics of those plans, officials said Wednesday.
Nationwide, universities have been asked about - and have offered self-evaluations of -emergency protocols in the aftermath of Monday's mass slayings at Virginia Tech University. A lone gunman apparently shot and killed two students in a dorm on the Blacksburg, Va., campus two hours before opening fire and killing 30 more people in one of the school's academic buildings half a mile away.
"Suffice it to say, that plans do exist," University spokesman Don Wycliff said. "They are constantly being reviewed in light of the Virginia Tech experience, and we would be [foolish] if we do not attempt to review those plans."
Wycliff said he expects Notre Dame to comment on campus security plans in the future, but he couldn't give an exact date.
Notre Dame Security/Police (NDSP) Director Phil Johnson declined to comment on NDSP's procedures for crisis management plans and referred all questions to University representatives in the Office of News and Information.
Wycliff declined to comment on what offices have the authority to lock down buildings or entire portions of campus in the event of an emergency. He would not say if the University has a campus broadcasting system it could use to transmit emergency messages to faculty, students and staff.
But Gordon Wishon, the University's chief information officer, said Notre Dame has been looking into the possibility of compiling a database of cellular phone numbers to send text messages to in the event of a campus emergency.
Wishon said the University is preparing to launch a pilot program of the text messaging system, and it will test the service throughout the remainder of this semester and summer. He said the University expects to have this service fully ready by the fall.
He said the discussions and plans received more attention and support when Notre Dame eliminated standard telephone lines in each dorm room in 2006.
"We began exploring that some time ago ... realizing that the primary mode of communication for college students is cell phones," Wishon said of the text messaging plan.
Wishon noted that the University added voicemail service and each student is given a voicemail number, but officials believed they needed to look into other methods of communication in case of a crisis.
"We knew that wouldn't work in case of an emergency," Wishon said.
In addition to the text messaging plan, Wishon said the Office of Information Technology has looked into and is investigating the possibility of voice messages and video messages - available through e-mails or from a Web site - as well as the idea of utilizing the closed-circuit television system on campus for public service announcements.
Wishon said the University is looking into the possibility of broadcasting an emergency tone on Notre Dame's 10 reserved cable channels to alert the University community of any emergencies if it deemed it necessary.
"The bottom line is that we are looking for as many ways as we can to communicate with students, as well as staff and faculty, in an emergency or crisis situation," he said. "As terrible as Monday's tragedy is, the administration here at the University has been working to refine its crisis management plan for some time."
Wishon said the work to "refine" and review crisis management plans was organized and initiated by the Office of the President.
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Original Source:
<a href="http://media.www.ndsmcobserver.com/media/storage/paper660/news/2007/04/19/News/Campus.Security.Reacts.To.Shootings-2852847.shtml">http://media.www.ndsmcobserver.com/media/storage/paper660/news/2007/04/19/News/Campus.Security.Reacts.To.Shootings-2852847.shtml</a>
<a href="http://media.www.ndsmcobserver.com/media/storage/paper660/news/2007/04/19/News/Campus.Security.Reacts.To.Shootings-2852847-page2.shtml">http://media.www.ndsmcobserver.com/media/storage/paper660/news/2007/04/19/News/Campus.Security.Reacts.To.Shootings-2852847-page2.shtml</a>
Kaitlynn Riely, Aaron Steiner and Ken Fowler
2008-02-25
Kacey Beddoes
Christopher Hine <chine@nd.edu>
eng
Tragedy prompts campus action
Jenkins e-mail explains University security
Ken Fowler
Issue date: 4/20/07 Section: News
Though Notre Dame created a task force in 2006 to review crisis plans, the deaths of 33 people at Virginia Tech Monday "will spur even greater review and preparedness," University President Father John Jenkins said in an e-mail to students Thursday.
Though limited in scope, Jenkins' message was the most in-depth explanation of Notre Dame's security measures since Monday's shootings.
In the 700-word letter, Jenkins said Notre Dame has procedures in place to respond to natural emergencies as well as acts of violence. The University continues to search for the best ways to communicate with students in the event of a campus crisis.
Jenkins noted the Office of Information Technology's pilot program to send text messages to all students who provide their cell phone numbers.
University spokesman Don Wycliff said Thursday that Jenkins' letter did not go into more detail about specific response procedures as a safety precaution, so that security details of the plan would not be compromised.
"There had been a sense all during the week that at some point it would be appropriate to address the issues," Wycliff said. "Today seemed appropriate."
Jenkins reaffirmed the University's desire to have the service fully operational by fall and said officials would encourage students to participate in "this important and innovative communications initiative."
The question of communication is only heightened by the University's decision in 2006 to de-standardize land telephone lines in dorm rooms.
In an interview with The Observer at the beginning of the school year, Director of Integrated Communications Services at OIT Steven Ellis said only 60 students initially paid a $161 fee to have the dorm phones in their room. Every resident assistant, however, does have a landline, provided free.
In the e-mail, Jenkins expressed confidence that Notre Dame Security/Police's (NDSP) 28 police officers and 35 additional security personnel could adequately handle major incidents on campus and work with other local emergency responders to control a crisis scene.
"These men and women receive regular training to address a wide variety of emergency situations, and the department maintains a productive and close relationship with all public safety agencies in the area," Jenkins said.
For emergency situations, Jenkins said, the University maintains 48 call boxes throughout campus and keeps telephones in the public areas of each residence hall.
Jenkins did not detail a specific plan of action for NDSP in the event of a major campus incident and did not say what University officials have the authority to declare a lock-down on potions campus or specific buildings.
"Please know that safety is of paramount importance to all of us at Notre Dame," Jenkins said. "While we believe we are ready to respond to a myriad of circumstances, the tragedy at Virginia Tech will spur even greater review and preparedness."
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Original Source:
<a href="http://media.www.ndsmcobserver.com/media/storage/paper660/news/2007/04/20/News/Tragedy.Prompts.Campus.Action-2871131.shtml">http://media.www.ndsmcobserver.com/media/storage/paper660/news/2007/04/20/News/Tragedy.Prompts.Campus.Action-2871131.shtml</a>
Ken Fowler
2008-02-25
Kacey Beddoes
Christopher Hine <chine@nd.edu>
eng
ND upset by NIU shooting
Students ask question, "Could it happen here?"
John Tierney
Issue date: 2/15/08 Section: News
Notre Dame students expressed sadness and shock Thursday night at yesterday's shooting at Northern Illinois. The tragedy, in which at least six people, including the gunman, were killed and 17 were injured, occurred in a lecture hall less than three hours away from Notre Dame's campus.
Although this generation of Notre Dame students has grown up with school shootings ranging from Columbine in 1999 to Virginia Tech last year, students haven't become immune to the tragedy of school massacres.
"It was very tragic and scary. You have to wonder what's going on with those kids. It makes you wonder if something like that could happen at Notre Dame," sophomore Tim Nelson said.
Many students had not heard of the shooting by Thursday evening, including a group of seniors who stood speechless after being informed of the news.
Student body president Liz Brown noted that school shootings are becoming more common. "Unfortunately, this is kind of becoming an occurrence on college campuses across the nation. Hopefully, this trend will stop," she said.
Brown also expressed a sense of grief at the NIU tragedy.
"This is a hard thing to react to," she said. "This sort of thing has become all too common at schools in the United States."
Senior Meghan Jebb, who was studying in Dublin at the time of the Virginia Tech tragedy, questioned the universality of school shootings.
"I don't know if this kind of thing happens in other countries. After the Va. Tech shootings, the kids in Ireland were like, 'why do they have guns?'" she asked.
Colleen Fleshman, who is from Illinois, said that her first reaction after hearing the news was to call her friends who attend NIU to make sure of their safety. She said she was relieved to find that all her friends were alright.
Although the shooter's motivations are not yet known, some students have wondered about the timing of his attack.
"He probably picked Valentine's Day for a reason," junior Ryan Simmons said.
Sophomore Kyle Hagelskamp agreed.
"It's too bad that people don't feel the love and support of the world and resort to doing something like this," he said. "We need to work on providing a loving and supportive environment to try to prevent this sort of tragedy."
Brown stressed that while she obviously hopes that no similar situation would happen at Notre Dame, the University has precautions in place designed to manage a tragedy.
"Certainly we hope it would never happen at Notre Dame," she said. "We think our campus is very safe. But if it were to ever happen, I'm thankful that we do have the correct measures in place to adequately inform the student body and react quickly."
These measures include the Emergency Networking System that will alert students to any emergency situations through text messages, phone calls and emails. These emergency situations include shootings.
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Original Source:
<a href="http://media.www.ndsmcobserver.com/media/storage/paper660/news/2008/02/15/News/Nd.Upset.By.Niu.Shooting-3213406.shtml">http://media.www.ndsmcobserver.com/media/storage/paper660/news/2008/02/15/News/Nd.Upset.By.Niu.Shooting-3213406.shtml</a>
John Tierney
2008-02-25
Kacey Beddoes
Christopher Hine <chine@nd.edu>
eng