The tragic shootings yesterday at Northern Illinois University are a stark reminder of the importance we must all place on safety and security. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of that tragic event and their families. At the same time, we must make every effort to reduce significantly the opportunity for such an incident to occur at UNC Wilmington. The safety and security of our students, faculty, staff and visitors continues to be my highest priority.
I and members of my staff read the Virginia Tech report following that terrible tragedy in an effort to make sure that we addressed the questions and issues it raised. We have taken many steps to strengthen our extensive safety plans and communication procedures already in place.
As an open campus that is proudly part of the larger community, there is no guarantee that we can prevent this kind of unpredictable violence, even with numerous safety precautions in place. However, there are a number of actions that we have taken and continue to take in order to prevent and preempt such incidents.
First, UNCW staff members participate in numerous training sessions and emergency preparedness drills each year related to all forms of potential situations on campus. These drills take participants through a wide variety of scenarios, from an active shooter on campus to a severe hurricane to a pandemic flu outbreak. We do tabletop drills, full hands-on drills, and drills specifically designed to test communication processes and equipment. We then grade our performance and make any necessary changes in our emergency plans and processes.
In addition, we have made a number of improvements in the physical safety of the campus and in our emergency warning and communications systems:
Physical safety improvements include:
- Additional security cameras installed in residence halls
- Multiple improvements to campus lighting and the removal of hiding places or visual impediments, such as tall hedges
- Installation of additional emergency call boxes, bringing the number of units on campus to almost 100 locations
New emergency warning and communications tools:
- Seahawk Warning Siren System, which sounds in certain emergencies as a warning that individuals should seek shelter indoors (shelter in place). The system is tested once a month.
- Campus emergency information Web site, www.uncw-campus.info. This site complements existing communication methods such as the emergency information telephone hotline and campus-wide emergency e-mails. The site is housed on a non-university server outside of North Carolina so that it will remain functional in the event that the UNCW electrical infrastructure is disabled.
- Emergency video and audio messages on all cable television stations for every TV set on campus. This system also is tested monthly.
- An Enhanced-911 (E-911) system that enables the local county 911 Center to identify the specific building and room on campus from which an emergency call is made. This system helps emergency responders reach the scene quickly even if the caller cannot communicate the location.
In addition, one of the most potentially effective new systems we have allows us to send emergency text messages directly to student cell phones. We already have the technical capability to do this, but the system is not as effective as it could be because many students have not provided us with their cell phone numbers. To register your student cell phone number, log onto Seaport, click on the Student tab and then click on Cell Phone Update on the right-hand side of the page. This information will be used only by UNCW and only in emergency situations.
In the aftermath of Virginia Tech, there are many new communications tools and warning systems now available. We are currently investigating the cost and effectiveness of these systems to identify those that will best meet the needs of our campus.
- Emergency pop-up messages that would alert all computer users on campus to a crisis situation and provide them with timely information and instructions
- A system that will automatically "break in" to every cell phone on campus with an emergency message by taking over the cell tower signal
- Loud speakers or warning lights inside campus buildings
All of these new security initiatives require significant funding to implement. To assist with that, the entire University of North Carolina system is assisting campuses in identifying sources for security-related funding. Security funding will be a significant part of the annual operating budget requests to the General Assembly from both the UNC system and UNCW over the next two years. For the 2008-09 fiscal year, UNCW is requesting about $2.2 million in funding related to safety and security initiatives, followed by a request for another $2.5 million for the 2009-10 fiscal year.
Finally, there are a number of other resources I want to share with you for further information.
It tears at all of our hearts each time we hear about another violent tragedy on another campus. The open exchange of ideas, experiences, and information at public universities underpins the democracy that makes our nation strong. We must prevail over those who, by their actions, seek to limit our right to live and learn in a safe, welcoming environment. I ask all of you to redouble your personal commitment to our community's safety and security. In doing so, you will be standing up for the rights we all deserve.
