In Context: 5 Web Perspectives On A Story In The News

Campus Safety: Virgina Tech quick alerts to shootings compared to 2007

(Indy Star) It is being said that Virgina Tech's response to a deadly shooting of a campus police officer on campus yesterday was much more effective than five years ago after the bloody massacre that left 33 people dead. Virgina Tech officials were in Washington yesterday looking to fight the fine on the school for failing to alert students and faculty quick enough in 2007. Students and parents reported Thursday that they received detailed emails and text messages from school administration minutes after the shooting occurred in a campus parking lot. The messages had important details on the incident, the gunman, and what people should do to stay safe. Everyone on campus was told to stay indoors, and the school was locked down quickly. Virgina Tech is currently fighting federal charges laid under the Clery Act, which requires universities to disclose campus security threats and crime statistics. This begs the question: why have college campuses come so far in dealing with campus safety? Do federal laws like the Clery Act work, or is it because of so many violent incidences on school campuses in recent years?

1.

NH university gives students option to skip class on day of gun protest

Washington Post
A recent example of a university following the Clery Act and completely disclosing a possible campus security threat to students in advance, instead of discussing it behind closed doors. An email was sent to students of Plymouth State University from the school's president Thursday saying they will not be penalized for skipping class on Friday Dec. 9 because activists may be carrying guns on site. Protestors are planning to protest against the university's ban of guns on campus by showing up with loaded guns. The protestors claim the ban is unconstitutional.

2.

Complying with the Joanne Clery Act

Security on Campus
Just what is the Clery Act and where did it come from? Security on Campus outlines the background of the act, which was introduced in 1990. The act was named after a 19 year-old university student, Joanne Clery, who was raped and murdered while asleep in her residence building in 1986. Clery's parents later discovered that students were not informed about 38 violent crimes on campus in the three years before their daughter's murder. Other campus crime victims joined the fight with the Clerys and approached congress to enact a new law. The law was originally known as the Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990. The Security on Campus website gives a full overview of the act and information on compliance with it.

3.

Safety and security on Virgina Tech campus

Virgina Tech
An overview of the security and alert systems in place on the Virgina Tech campus. This offers great insight into the changes that were made on campus following the 2007 massacre. Security features such as safety phones, well-lit sidewalks, door alarms, smoke detectors, and descriptions of advisors that the security team work with are listed. There is also a description of the Virgina Tech police force and officers credentials. Also, look at the campus safety news column on the right, and check out initiatives and projects the school has launched to increase campus safety.

4.

Penn State facing charges under Clery act for sex abuse scandal

Penn State Live
An article written by Penn State's online news source about the government's investigation into the recent sex abuse scandal. The school is facing potential charges under the Clery Act for failing to report the alleged sexual abuse on campus by Jerry Sandusky over a 15-year period. This is an interesting look at a completely different type of campus security breach compared to a situation where a gunman opened fire as in the Virgina Tech incidents. The article outlines how the school is being investigated and gives background information into the Clery Act. There is also a live link to the Nov. 9 letter from the Department of Education outlining details of the review.

5.

The US campus gun debate: a timeline of campus shootings

The Telegraph
Published in February 2011, a New York writer for The Telegraph put together a timeline of U.S. campus shootings and talked about gun statistics. In 38 U.S. states, guns are banned at schools, universities and colleges. Eleven states let schools decide for themselves whether or not to ban firearms. When the article was written, the law in Utah allowed gun owners to carry loaded weapons on campus, but only qualified gun owners. The timeline begins in April, 2007 with the Virigina Tech massacre that left 33 people dead, including the gunman. It ends in October 2010 in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, when a student in a dorm room fatally shot another student over a personal conflict. There are 22 shooting incidents on the timeline.