University of Dubuque, Dubuque, Iowa

April 24, 2007

To: The University Community
From: Jeffrey F. Bullock

Re: Events at Virginia Tech and Campus Security

The haunting video from last week’s terrible incident at Virginia Tech adds yet another layer to the gruesome story that continues to unfold. Our hearts go out to the families of those who lost their lives. They are in our prayers along with those injured, the entire Virginia Tech family, as well as the devastated family of the perpetrator.

The security and safety of students, faculty, and staff is of paramount concern to me and to the Trustees of this University. We are in the process of doing a thorough review of our emergency and crisis response procedures to make certain that they are as comprehensive as possible, incorporating what can be learned from the tragic Virginia Tech experience.

As we begin reviewing University safety and security procedures, there are measures each of us can take right now to help make the campus more secure. I have asked David Olivares, director of safety and security, to share some recommendations:

• Report suspicious behavior to Security (3135), even if it’s “just a hunch.” Your tip may be one of many being received about a situation, but every bit of information about a perceived potential threat is important.

• Don’t prop open residence hall doors or doors to other campus buildings. Propping doors open compromises the overall security measures for the building.

• Don’t admit people who you do not recognize when entering your residence hall. Even though it can be hard to confront a stranger and deny that person access, your diligence will help keep everyone that much safer.

• Lock your residence hall room door. Even though you “know everyone on your floor,” you don’t know guests and visitors who are in the hallway. Always ask who is at your door before opening it. The same goes for off-campus residences. You never know who might make their way into your neighborhood.

• Be careful about the information you choose to share online. Whether it is in an “away message” or on a social networking site, more people have access to your profiles than you think.

• Blue Cap emergency phones are located throughout the campus - know where they are on your usual travel routes. After dark, walk with a colleague or friend or call Campus Security to escort you to your destination. They are pleased to assist.

In the event of a major emergency affecting the campus similar to that which Virginia Tech experienced, the following plan would be activated:

>Upon receiving the report of an occurrence and making a rapid assessment, the University would immediately call Dubuque Emergency Center to dispatch law enforcement personnel and emergency medical services. The city’s emergency center would also send a Warning Order to Finley and Mercy Hospitals to place them on alert.

>Simultaneously, the University’s Emergency Response Team would be assembled, and a Command and Control Center would be established in the Office of the President or at an alternate location, if necessary.

>An emergency message would be transmitted to the campus via voice mail, internet, “person-net,” and, all available means of communication to announce a campus-wide lock down (securing locations and limiting access to the campus). Updates would follow using similar channels.

>Pre-determined plans involving local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies would be operationalized.

No college or university can guarantee that an incident like that at Virginia Tech will not happen. Working together, we can do our very best to make this campus as safe and secure a place as possible in which to work, live, and study.

A Private University Founded in 1852