In the past few months there has been a lot of talk about school safety and the Virginia Tech shootings. I receive much information about the Virginia Tech shootings through google and other web searches. It is my goal to keep you as up to date as possible about the school’s plans to make the campus safer.
Much controversy has risen about how the school could have handled things differently and if there were signs that were overlooked.
As you know, some of the victims families have asked that the president of Virginia Tech resign or be fired. However, he has no intentions of doing so. What he is doing is trying to make his campus safer.
Recently the United States Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools gave the school a more than $960,000 grant. After the shootings, the school sent a proposal to the department asking for financial help to create a safer campus. Through the grant the school should be able to accomplish some of the following goals:
· Create a workable system for identifying students and/or staff members that may be a potential risk to themselves or others. This will include any mental health services that are needed.
· The school will be capable of carrying out mental health assessments to determine if any students or staff members are in need.
· Conduct classes or education to students and staff members about how to identify potentially dangers persons.
· Participate in discussions with other universities about how to assess and respond to persons identified as being at risk.
I feel that while these measures may be seen as being a little too late for some, I am glad that the campus is taking more precautions now. The school may also serve as an example to other schools by encouraging them to take the same acts of safety.
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