From University President, Dennis L. Hefner:
SUNY Fredonia joins with the rest of the higher education community in mourning the many deaths, student and faculty, associated with the shootings that occurred recently at Virginia Tech University. Our hearts are extended to the families and friends of those killed and wounded in this senseless act.
For centuries, universities have served as open sanctuaries for differing ideas, as places where collegial debate is encouraged, and as institutions that respect and celebrate individual uniqueness.
SUNY Fredonia is committed to remaining a vibrant academic community that is open, but safe. This is a time for us to re-examine ourselves and ensure that both of these qualities are preserved. The heart of SUNY Fredonia's response to any public safety emergency is the University Police department. Our officers patrol the campus 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and are fully trained to respond to an active shooter emergency. Furthermore, we have in place a detailed plan for campus safety and disaster preparedness, one that we re-evaluate continuously--especially after an event as tragic as that at Virginia Tech.
Last month, we tested a new system that will enable us to contact every member of our campus community by telephone during an emergency. This system places one phone call (land line or cell, work or home or both) and a text message if possible, to everyone in our database. It is our intention to have this system in place and operating by the fall of 2007.
Openness--both mental and physical--has been a hallmark of the higher education community in the United States.
In the coming days, we will need to strengthen our efforts to maintain this openness, which has served our nation so very well, and to ensure that respect for the rights of others remains a central feature of our daily lives.
(April 18, 2007)