April 12, 2011
Christopher Tapfer
Emergency Management Coordinator
Washington State University
Since the tragedy at Virginia Tech last year, a key topic of discussion on college campuses has been emergency communications. Some of the dozens of reports that were developed about the Virginia Tech incident criticized the University for failing to communicate the danger of the situation to its campus community until it was too late. This is a matter of debate, and won’t be discussed here, but the issue did focus attention on the need for a college to have an adequate supply of tools that can be used to inform, warn and notify a campus of emergency situations quickly and efficiently.
During the discussions about the incident at Virginia Tech, the topic of the Clery Act was brought up many times. The key issue related to the Clery Act was the requirements for “timely warnings to the campus community about crimes that pose an ongoing threat to students and employees” and whether or not Virginia Tech failed in their duty to comply with the Act. Again, this is a matter for others to decide, but it is important that you have an awareness of what the Clery Act is and isn’t, and how it can impact a college campus.
Read more
April 07, 2011
Missie McGuire
Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs
Tulane University
Emergency Preparedness begins with an organized university-wide pre-storm and post-storm response to any natural disaster your campus may be susceptible to. There should be three primary objectives to an emergency plan in a collegiate environment: 1) to provide safety and security for students, faculty and staff, 2) to assist in minimizing and mitigating property damage, and 3) to provide a blueprint for the restoration and resumption of academic and business operations.
Read more
April 07, 2011
Making Sure Key People are in the Loop
Jim Langel
Associate Director, Facility Management
University of Northern Iowa
When an emergency takes place in your facility or during a university sponsored event, you want all facets of your Emergency Action Plan to function smoothly and cover every detail to insure the best care possible for those affected. Once every detail of your Policies and Procedures Manual is implemented perfectly and the participant is in the best possible hands you have to ask, “Is there anything left to do?”
Read more
April 05, 2011
Alison Epperson, Coordinator Campus Recreation
Murray State University
Ultimately, it will be up to each individual Institution as to whether or not to utilize Facebook in your program. However, here are some thoughts to keep in mind when making your decision:
Read more