President’s Blog
SOU Crisis Preparedness
January 07, 2008
One of my new year’s resolutions is to help SOU become better-prepared for responding to campus crises. Thankfully, our campus has a very low crime rate; nevertheless, we need to have good communication and preparation for a variety of situations, be it a computer virus, a natural disaster, a real or perceived threat, or a criminal act.
SOU is equipped with Blue Light Emergency telephones; we have Campus Public Safety officers on duty 24 hours a day, 365 days a year; and we’re connected to the 911 emergency system. We conduct periodic drills with the Ashland Police and Fire Departments, as well as with Jackson County Health. We work closely with the Ashland Police Department (APD) to keep our students and campus safe. APD Officers and SOU professionals who work closely with SOU students meet regularly.
As a university community, we take pride in creating a warm, supportive campus environment conducive to teaching and learning. Faculty and staff know our students individually and work with them closely. Both Counseling Services and the Student Health and Wellness Center educate students regarding responsible, legal consumption of alcohol; avoidance of high-risk behaviors; and duties to uphold the law and honor University rules and regulations.
We hold high standards for everyone in our campus community—students, faculty, and staff. The SOU campus is a very safe place to study, work, and live. Nonetheless, no university is immune to the dangers found throughout our society. We see repeatedly across the country that universities are not as quick to respond as they should be when crises arise. We tend to be decentralized organizations; we aren’t particularly nimble when it comes to crisis response. We need to be nimble.
SOU has solid policies and procedures in place, but we need to refine appropriate communication and response strategies for different types of situations. We should conduct periodic exercises and simulations so that, when critical situations arise, we are trained to respond.
To help SOU improve its crisis response, I have appointed a core Operations Team. The team is charged with recommending appropriate responses for varying levels of emergency or potentially critical situations so the right people will be contacted (on and off campus) and appropriate strategies quickly implemented according to the nature of the situation. The team will regularly report progress to the Executive Committee and communicate with the rest of the campus as appropriate. The team will also lead us regularly through tabletop exercises to test and improve our ability as a campus to respond quickly and effectively.
The team, headed by Eric Rodriguez and Steve Ross, also includes Laura O’Bryon, Larry Blake, Teri O’Rourke, Bill Smith, Paul Steinle, and Byron Patton. Treasa Sprague staffs the team, and Jonathan Eldridge serves as liaison to the Executive Committee. We’ll be hearing from the team in the near future.
At SOU, we have a significant responsibility to handle the critical situations that arise in a complex world. I look forward to working with you in this new year to ensure that we handle those situations effectively.
Mary Cullinan
