Dear members of the Ithaca College community:
We were all stunned and saddened when we heard the news of the tragedy at Virginia Tech this week. As we offer our condolences to the Virginia Tech community, our thoughts also turn to our own campus community. We all can identify with the loss experienced by the families and friends of those who underwent this ordeal -- those who died or were injured as well as those who witnessed this horror.
I thought it was important for us to share information about our procedures
at Ithaca College. While the College has many safety plans in place, we review them on an ongoing basis, to determine what else we can do to ensure the safety of everyone on our campus. We are now focusing on what we might learn from this tragedy in order to improve our policies and procedures in the following areas:
- Expanding communication resources and practices -- immediate and ongoing -- to the campus community and parents in a crisis
- Exploring additional preventive security measures
We are examining the broad range of instant communication tools available with modern technology to determine if and how we might make use of such options as instant messaging, cell phone text messaging, and social networking websites.
Some of the communication tools we already have in place include e-mail alerts that can provide information and instructions, and direct members of the campus community to a website where they (as well as students' families) can get continual updates; an emergency telephone hotline (274-1495) that can be called for a recorded message; residence life professional and student staff who can post notices and go door-to-door in residence halls, if necessary, to provide information; and Public Safety vehicles with loudspeakers that can be used to make announcements.
Regarding preventive safety and security, we have an experienced Public Safety force with full peace officer powers, and which trains and consults regularly with local and state police agencies on emergency response plans. College community members are reminded and encouraged to report any suspicious persons or circumstances on campus to the Office of Public Safety as soon as possible at 274-3333, or 911 from any campus phone or blue-light phone located throughout campus. Calling 911 from a cell phone will connect the caller to the Tompkins County 911 Center. Calls received by the Tompkins Country 911 Center that pertain to the Ithaca College campus will be transferred to the Office of Public Safety.
Ithaca College's Core Emergency Response Team (CERT) continually meets to assess our preparedness and response to crisis situations. In addition, the CERT participates in simulations or exercises of significant crises to test our systems of response. The current version of Ithaca College's Emergency Response Plan is publicly available on our website at https://www.ithaca.edu/emergency. As you can understand, we do not reveal all aspects of our security procedures.
When a crisis does occur, professional (Counseling Center at Hammond Health Center at 274-3136) and pastoral (Muller Chapel at 274-3101) counseling services are available. Those services can be used now by those concerned about the Virginia Tech tragedy.
The reality of what happened at Virginia Tech impacts every college and university throughout the country. We are continuing to exchange information and ideas with our colleagues in the higher education community, in order to identify the best possible response, communication, and preventive measures for these tragic or emergency occurrences.
Our condolences and empathy go out to all those families and to all who are suffering at Virginia Tech. Please know that the safety and well-being of all members of the Ithaca College community will continue to be our highest priority. I hope this information is helpful. As always, please contact the Office of Public Safety at (607) 274-3333 if you have any safety-related concerns or questions.
Sincerely,
Peggy R. Williams
President
(PLEASE NOTE: a similar version of this communication has been sent to all parents of Ithaca College students)
https://www.ithaca.edu/intercom/article.php/20070420151447501