While students took a break from classes this summer, Virginia officials and higher education administrators worked to determine how to best prevent another act of campus violence like the April shootings at Virginia Tech. As students return to Grounds and as the governor's commission wraps up its investigation of the tragedy, one question remains: What can be done to keep college communities safe?
Securing Virginia's schools
The commission appointed by Gov. Tim Kaine to investigate the shootings held a private meeting at the University Friday to review its final report, which is scheduled to be released tomorrow. The report's release, originally scheduled for August 24, was delayed after the panel requested additional time to complete its review.
The panel met four times in public and four times in private to discuss what is known about the shootings and what measures Virginia Tech and other universities can take to better ensure the safety of their students. The panel's public meetings included testimonies from public safety experts and emotional appeals from parents of victims.
At an orientation speech Saturday, University President John T. Casteen, III assured new students and their parents that the University will act on the advice of the governor's commission and has already made changes to improve University security. Casteen highlighted changes such as the creation of an Office of Emergency Preparedness and a new multi-platform emergency alert system. The new system expands the old e-mail alert system by utilizing text messages and the University's Web page to notify students in the event of an emergency. Marjorie Sidebottom, newly appointed director of the Office of Emergency Preparedness, touted the system as one way the University is trying to encourage a "culture of emergency preparedness" on Grounds. She noted, however, that despite security changes, academic institutions are inherently open communities and are difficult to lock down.
"I'm going to tell you that what we have is imperfect, but we're going to do all we can to ensure the safety of the University," Sidebottom said.
Commonwealth collaboration
Universities across the Commonwealth have instituted their own preparedness systems. In mid-August, the Governor's Office hosted a conference at Virginia Commonwealth University to discuss campus security. Sidebottom; Leonard Sandridge, University executive vice president and chief operating officer; and Charlottesville Fire Chief Charles Werner participated in the conference, which included representatives from a wide array of Virginia schools -- private and public, two-year and four-year. Davis Walsh, Office of Commonwealth Preparedness staff member, pointed out that each institution has developed its own unique system to secure its campus.
"Preparedness at college campuses is not a one-size-fits-all answer," Sidebottom explained.
Mental health counselors from across the state met in late May to discuss their observations and practices at another statewide forum intended to ?address campus security. In response to the forum, Russell Federman, University director of Counseling and Psychological Services, stressed the importance of this kind of cooperation among institutions.
"I think the more we, as a network of [counseling] directors, are able to collaborate, the better position we are in to help each other," Federman said.
He added that his office at the University has engaged in faculty outreach, such as offering advice about how to appropriately respond to concerns about students and what resources are available to them. Federman most recently gave a presentation to faculty advisors entitled "Responding to Troubled Students" and said he hopes to extend presentations to more faculty across Grounds in response to an expected increase in faculty sensitivity to the mental health of students.
"Students aren't any more or less troubled than they were three months ago or five months ago," Federman said. "What we may find is that staff and faculty across the University are more sensitive to University mental health issues and as a result of that, they might be more ready to refer students to CAPS."
Although Federman cited the need to respond to the Virginia Tech shootings, he emphasized that the University had already developed the Counseling and Psychological Services system with the ability to respond to the mental health needs of students before April 16.
"Because there is one shooting it doesn't mean we have to do everything different," he said. "I am somewhat cautious about the knee-jerk reactions because there was an act of violence an hour down south. What we need to do is be as on target as we can be with our services."
Do students feel safe?
As students arrived on Grounds for the start of fall classes, campus safety awareness was on many students' minds. According to first-year College student Kevin Garrahan, moving on Grounds has been an easy and comforting transition in part because of orientation meetings stressing security in light of last spring's events.
At Convocation Monday, the administration emphasized to Garrahan and fellow first-year students the importance of signing up for emergency alerts via text messages and discussed how the University is taking precautions including the removal of door handles that can easily be chained from all entrances.
Garrahan has not yet signed up for the text alerts, but said he plans to. After hearing Casteen speak at a memorial service last year, second-year College student Ross Howard said he expected heightened security, although he added there were few noticeable security changes on his return this fall.
Christine Gallagher, a second-year Education student who just transferred to the University from Virginia Tech, commented on how comfortable the transition to the University had been, particularly in the area of security. According to Gallagher, orientation leaders and Resident Advisors discussed security policies and procedures but did not barrage her with new policies or "over-emphasize anything."
Gallagher said it was interesting to compare the different security policies at the two universities.She described how the 24-hour required key-card access to dormitories that is used at the University was implemented at Virginia Tech this fall.
"At Tech, during the day you didn't used to have use your card to get into your dorm," Gallagher said."They changed that ... I think Tech should have done that earlier."
Gallagher said she does not blame the Virginia Tech administration or security services for what happened, however, noting that no one could have predicted the outcome.
In Blacksburg, Virginia Tech students are focusing on a return to normalcy. Virginia Tech freshman Ricardo Boulware said he has had a positive experience thus far and emphasized how "normal" his first weeks as a college student have seemed.
"Everything has been great and the atmosphere is safe," Boulware said. "I think our school president and ... the Virginia Tech police force is doing everything they can to keep us safe."
Gallagher returned to Tech August 19 for the service dedicating the Drillfield Memorial and agreed with Boulware's assessment of how similar everything seemed to collegiate life before the shooting.
"I didn't notice a dramatic shift," Gallagher said. "[There was not a] huge increase in the police force but you could notice them.I still felt safe."
In the wake of the events of April 16, students are more aware of their surroundings but many say they do not feel inclined to drastically change their lives.
"Are you going to live you life looking over your shoulder?" Garrahan said. "I don't think you can live like that especially in college where it is supposed to be open."
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