College and university campuses may be safer environments than the "real world" around them, but recent years have made it clear that they are not immune to frightening and dangerous events, either natural or manmade. Today's campuses and their facilities professionals have to be prepared to respond to crises caused by both nature (think of…

Exercises, drills, or simulations are widely used, by governments, agencies and commercial organizations, to simulate serious incidents and train staff how to respond to them. International cooperation has led to increasingly large-scale exercises, often involving hundreds or even thousands of participants in many locations. The difference between…

On Dec. 1, 2006, the once ambiguous role of e-mails in court cases became much more clear. On that day, the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (FRCP), which govern federal civil litigation, were amended to establish standards for the discovery of electronically stored information, now known as e-discovery. Many corporations began moving quickly to…

As influenza activity throughout the United States continues its gradual rise, H1N1 in particular has been the risk-management topic of the season for most colleges and universities. Among the questions being asked: Can one continue operations in the event of a campus closure? What if a faculty member is too sick to teach? What if students refuse…

Newly released survey results reveal that many colleges are focusing more than ever on preparing for a crisis since the massacre at Virginia Tech, but that they may not be well equipped to handle one. The online survey was conducted by SimpsonScarborough, a consulting firm that focuses on colleges and universities. It invited 546 people who are…

Anne M. Hewitt, Susan Spencer, Danielle Mirliss, and Riad Twal report on a collaborative team initiative to create a virtual world emergency preparedness simulation that focuses on crisis and emergency risk communication (CERC). CERC is a key competency for students enrolled in Seton Hall University's (SHU) Master of Healthcare Administration…

Marquette University, established in 1881, is a private Catholic, Jesuit institution located in the heart of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The university has a student population of more than 11,000 and more than 2,000 faculty and staff. In its effort to continually improve crime prevention and emergency preparedness Marquette's Department of Public…

The unfortunate events at Delaware State University (DSU) on September 21, 2007, were a whirlwind of emotions for everyone at DSU. At 12:54 a.m. Friday morning, a gunman (one of its students) shot two students who were leaving the on-campus cafe. Tragically, the female victim died one month later as a result of her injuries. As the Chief of Police…

Data loss from life's little power calamities may be the most common form of IT disaster any campus can face. According to a 2007 industry association survey(www.connect.educause.edu/library/ecar/shelterfromthestormitandb/41174), 82 percent of higher education institutions reporting a disruptive occurrence in the five years prior to the study…

At even the best-prepared universities, there is no playbook for handling the crush of tough decisions that comes after a mass shooting rocks an otherwise quiet campus. While colleges and universities have always had tragedies, recent occurences like the shootings at Northern Illinois University and Virginia Tech have fundamentally changed the way…

This report was prepared by the National Child Care Information and Technical Assistance Center (NCCIC) in partnership with staff from the Child Care Bureau. NCCIC compiled data reported in approved CCDF Plans and relevant attachments submitted by Lead Agencies for a selected number of questions. The information presented reflects some of the…

"Helpful Hints" offers a quick overview of school emergency preparedness topics that are frequently the subject of inquiries. This issue describes and contains a checklist that can assist schools and school districts in developing a new emergency management plan or refreshing their current one. To use the checklist, individuals should consider…

Taking action now can save lives, prevent injury, and minimize property damage in the moments of a crisis. The importance of reviewing and revising school and district plans cannot be underscored enough. This guide helps in navigating this process by giving schools, districts, and communities the critical concepts and components of good crisis…

Every community college engages in partnerships and collaboration. The trend for community colleges has been to increase the number and diversity of partnerships and collaborations. Current economic conditions, which require community colleges to serve more students with decreased state funding and to assume a larger role in workforce development,…

Sourcing decisions for information services departments have become an integral part of every school's IT strategy. Much has been written on what areas to outsource, which partner to select, and how to negotiate contracts and service agreements. In this article, the author shares the operational lessons learned by Tulane University during the…