2008 Woodie Awards
Changes are coming
UCF looks to FSU for security ideas
Nada Taha
Issue date: 4/23/07 Section: News
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The shootings on the Virginia Tech campus on April 16 raised many concerns from parents of victims and students who disagreed with the response by school officials and police.
Because of the backlash, schools around the nation and state, including UCF, have taken a closer look at their own security protocols - some faster than others.
UCF has planned to assemble a task force, increase emergency phones and implement an alert system on campus TVs, but seems to lag behind some universities.
While the school has discussed tighter security options, Florida State University has already taken action. In the days after the VT attack, officials at the university said they have implemented seven "proactive" law enforcement programs to ensure safety.
Along with previously implemented text-messaging alerts and e-mail notifications, the university installed a new public address alert system that can be heard throughout the 450-acre campus.
FSU officials also established multiple teams to evaluate security on campus, including a Threat Assessment Team, a Special Situation Resolution Team and a Crisis Management Unit.
However, at UCF, assembly of a task force is only in the preliminary stages. President John Hitt immediately announced plans to form a security task force composed of students, administrators and police after the VT tragedy, but the logistics have not yet been worked out.
The task force, headed by retired U.S. Navy Vice Adm. and Special Assistant to the president Al Harms, will look at systems and procedures already in place and determine what needs to be changed or added.
"I think UCF has done a good job in preparing as best it can for different emergency situations. There's no perfect plan or perfect security measure," Interim Director of UCF News and Information Tom Evelyn said. "The tragedy at Virginia Tech is a good reminder to look at the systems we have in place to see if we can adjust those to make them better."
Because of the backlash, schools around the nation and state, including UCF, have taken a closer look at their own security protocols - some faster than others.
UCF has planned to assemble a task force, increase emergency phones and implement an alert system on campus TVs, but seems to lag behind some universities.
While the school has discussed tighter security options, Florida State University has already taken action. In the days after the VT attack, officials at the university said they have implemented seven "proactive" law enforcement programs to ensure safety.
Along with previously implemented text-messaging alerts and e-mail notifications, the university installed a new public address alert system that can be heard throughout the 450-acre campus.
FSU officials also established multiple teams to evaluate security on campus, including a Threat Assessment Team, a Special Situation Resolution Team and a Crisis Management Unit.
However, at UCF, assembly of a task force is only in the preliminary stages. President John Hitt immediately announced plans to form a security task force composed of students, administrators and police after the VT tragedy, but the logistics have not yet been worked out.
The task force, headed by retired U.S. Navy Vice Adm. and Special Assistant to the president Al Harms, will look at systems and procedures already in place and determine what needs to be changed or added.
"I think UCF has done a good job in preparing as best it can for different emergency situations. There's no perfect plan or perfect security measure," Interim Director of UCF News and Information Tom Evelyn said. "The tragedy at Virginia Tech is a good reminder to look at the systems we have in place to see if we can adjust those to make them better."