Chancellor DePaolo's Talking Points About UNCW Student Deaths
6/8/2004 4:40:08 PM
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News Conference about UNCW Student Deaths
3:30 p.m., Tuesday, June 8, 2004
Alderman 215
Good afternoon, as I’m sure you can appreciate these have been trying weeks for the UNCW community with the tragic deaths of Jessica Faulkner and Christen Naujoks and the unfortunate end of the situation with the death of John Peck.
This has been a sad and trying time for the university, and we are all relieved that this last incident has ended.
I want to compliment the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Department for their diligent, around-the-clock work in trying to bring this matter to an end.
1. Questions have been raised about the university’s role in protecting our students who fear for their safety in instances of domestic violence, sexual harassment, and stalking.
First, let me talk briefly about Christen Naujoks. She was a junior from Solon, Ohio, who transferred here from Mercyhurst College.
On several occasions during the past few months, she did come to us addressing her concerns about John Peck. I have asked University Police Chief David Donaldson to talk with you briefly about their roll in this matter. David.
In addition to our police serving as a resource, Christen also was provided support through our Student Affairs area. While I can’t get into specifics about Christen, let me tell you what types of services UNCW currently offers to students in these cases.
When a student goes to the Counseling Center with issues of personal safety, stalking, or domestic violence, the Counseling Center staff assesses the situation and the student’s safety as well as the student’s support system and resource needs.
They identify appropriate university and community resources that can help, including University Police, Dean of Students Office, Student Health Services, CROSSROADS – Substance Abuse Prevention and Education, Domestic Violence Center and the Rape Crisis Center.
For referrals, they provide appropriate counseling and empower the student to devise and implement a plan of action and follow up as appropriate.
Students who tell the Dean of Students Office they are being stalked are advised to do the following:
Actions Advised:
• Notify University Police
• File a police report and file for a protective order
• File a formal complaint and pursue university judicial action (if alleged perpetrator is a student)
• Consider having an assistant dean of students have an informal conversation with alleged perpetrator
• Seek counseling through the University Counseling Center
Safety Measures Discussed:
*Ask where and when the student feels most vulnerable and address those specific issues (including whether the student believes the alleged perpetrator may harm her or has harmed her in the past).
• Contact University Police about availability of escorts
• Make others (friends, co-workers, family, faculty, etc.) aware of the situation
• Do not walk alone
• Use blue light emergency call boxes on campus or dial 911 off-campus if danger is sensed
• Assess living, work and school environment (Does the alleged perpetrator know where the student lives and works? Do the two students have classes together/in the same building?)
• Make an effort to stay in public places
• Lock all windows and doors
• Closely guard personal information
• Contact the Office of the Dean of Students and University Police should assistance be needed again
2. Even though I am appreciative of what we do currently, I believe we can do more. In light of the recent murders, I am formulating a task force on campus violence to look in-depth at what we are doing now and make recommendations to improve our processes.
I will ask the task force to review the safety and security of the campus community, with particular emphasis on student interactions with each other.
Specifically, the task force will review policies and procedures relating to
• Stalking, harassment and interpersonal relations
• Codes of conduct and disciplinary measures
• Education and training initiatives on dating and domestic violence
• Intervention mechanisms for dealing with potentially dangerous students, faculty, and staff
• Alcohol and substance abuse issues
• Dealing with distressed students and staff
• Crisis management
• Admissions procedures, and
• Safety of our physical campus environment
Within the next week I hope to be able to announce the chair and the composition of the task force on campus violence. I expect the task force to begin work around July 1 and report its recommendations to me by December 17, 2004.
Throughout the work of the task force, a Web site will be maintained to post information and other resources for the campus community and will also receive questions and concerns.
As you are aware, issues of campus violence are not unique to the UNC Wilmington campus. In fact these issues are common to all UNC system universities, as well as to campuses throughout the country. Unfortunately, we now have the experience to allow us to serve as the lead institution for all of the UNC campuses to help try to solve these problems.
3. Finally, I have received numerous e-mails and media inquiries about the question of doing background checks of all applicants for admission as a way to prevent potentially violent students from enrolling at UNCW.
On the issue of background check on student applicants, I asked this same question that many of you have had since the death of Jessica Faulkner.
I have been in communication with President Broad and her others in her office discussing this issue in particular. The issue is complex. We have students from around the nation and all over the world. To do thorough and complete background checks would require searching beyond the reach of NC court records.
Also, the majority of our incoming students have just reached the age of no longer being legally considered a juvenile, and as you know, the records of juveniles are sealed and therefore unavailable to us.
I have discussed with President Broad and her office how we can more accurately obtain information on student applications. She is planning to undertake a system-wide review of these issues, including the possibility of background checks, ad the feasibility of other options and their efficacy.
4. Thank you for your patience. Now I will entertain questions from the media.
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