Threat Assessment Team Created
Dear Colleague/Student,
As universities and colleges nationwide examine ways to increase campus safety, I want to note a recent measure Old Dominion University is enacting to ensure a campus environment where students, faculty and staff can learn, live and work to their fullest potential.
The university is finalizing plans for a Threat Assessment Team, a cross-functional, multidisciplinary group that will be responsible for identifying, evaluating and managing the risks associated with certain behaviors that may pose a threat to the campus community's safety.
The team, which will include representatives from the public safety, student affairs, academic affairs, human resources, equal opportunity and university counsel offices, will review reports of disturbing behavior and determine if an individual or group appears to be planning or preparing to engage in targeted violence. The team will then initiate appropriate actions to ensure campus safety.
When finalized, the mission and policy of the Threat Assessment Team will be communicated to the campus through a variety of sources, including e-mail, University Announcements, university Web site, faculty/staff newspaper, student newspaper and other communication avenues.
In the interim, you are reminded to contact the campus police, your academic dean or the dean of student affairs if you witness any behaviors of concern. Additionally, you can anonymously report suspicious behavior or information about a crime through the Silent Witness Form, which is available online on the Campus Safety and Alerts Web site and the campus police Web site (http://studentaffairs.odu.edu/safety/).
Despite some recent terrible tragedies on campuses, the fact is that universities and colleges remain relatively safe. Still, it is up to everyone at Old Dominion University - faculty, staff and students - to work together, take appropriate safety precautions, and report concerning behavior to help keep our campus a safe place to live, learn and work.
Thank you.
Sincerely yours,
John R. Broderick
Acting President