2008 Woodie Awards
Editor's Column: Emergency contact plan is a necessary protective measure
Issue date: 9/12/07 Section: Opinion
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The Spring 2007 semester left us very abruptly with tensions and insecurities regarding the safety of college campuses across the nation. The tragedy experienced by the student body at Virginia Tech sent us home for the summer with our hearts heavy with sympathy and fear.
From an administrative perspective, we were left with a very real wake up call. We needed a concrete response to ease the worries of our own student population. The administration has created an emergency preparedness and contingency plan, installing a Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) and implementing an initiative to input student contact information into a database that would allow students to be reached by voicemail and text message moments after a campus wide emergency occurred. These reactions to the terrible tragedy at Virginia Tech are a critical step in the right direction of keeping our own student body safe and informed.
While some consider this initiative to be too invasive, and perhaps even dangerous, claiming that if contact information such as mobile phone numbers got into the wrong hands an even larger disaster could occur, this argument fails to consider how beneficial the plan is.
First, the system is a secure network, not readily available to hackers or other students. Also, students and faculty prompted on MySJU to update their contact information are given the option of what information they do actually provide once they enter the contact information screen. If someone chooses not to provide a mobile phone number, they simply do not have to. However, if these people are not willing to provide such information, they will not have a means of immediate contact with the University and are completely reliant on those around them for information if a situation does occur. That is a decision that has been left up to each individual, as it should be.
Without proactive measures like these, the University would be called into question for not responding effectively to crises and emergencies. It is imperative that the University be able to reach students, faculty, and employees promptly with safety precautions in the event of an emergency in order to keep further disaster from ensuing. For example, if an evacuation is necessary, or a certain building becomes off limits, it is necessary to be able to reach all members of the campus community as quickly as possible. Evacuation instructions and routes can be communicated to all involved in a matter of minutes, rather than the chaos and uncertainty that can ensue if communication cannot get across to everyone in a timely manner.
The University's efforts to keep Hawk Hill informed and safe should be embraced and not regarded with skepticism and fear.
From an administrative perspective, we were left with a very real wake up call. We needed a concrete response to ease the worries of our own student population. The administration has created an emergency preparedness and contingency plan, installing a Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) and implementing an initiative to input student contact information into a database that would allow students to be reached by voicemail and text message moments after a campus wide emergency occurred. These reactions to the terrible tragedy at Virginia Tech are a critical step in the right direction of keeping our own student body safe and informed.
While some consider this initiative to be too invasive, and perhaps even dangerous, claiming that if contact information such as mobile phone numbers got into the wrong hands an even larger disaster could occur, this argument fails to consider how beneficial the plan is.
First, the system is a secure network, not readily available to hackers or other students. Also, students and faculty prompted on MySJU to update their contact information are given the option of what information they do actually provide once they enter the contact information screen. If someone chooses not to provide a mobile phone number, they simply do not have to. However, if these people are not willing to provide such information, they will not have a means of immediate contact with the University and are completely reliant on those around them for information if a situation does occur. That is a decision that has been left up to each individual, as it should be.
Without proactive measures like these, the University would be called into question for not responding effectively to crises and emergencies. It is imperative that the University be able to reach students, faculty, and employees promptly with safety precautions in the event of an emergency in order to keep further disaster from ensuing. For example, if an evacuation is necessary, or a certain building becomes off limits, it is necessary to be able to reach all members of the campus community as quickly as possible. Evacuation instructions and routes can be communicated to all involved in a matter of minutes, rather than the chaos and uncertainty that can ensue if communication cannot get across to everyone in a timely manner.
The University's efforts to keep Hawk Hill informed and safe should be embraced and not regarded with skepticism and fear.
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