While institutions of higher education (IHEs) encourage freedom of expression, critical thinking, and the dynamic exchange of ideas, they have also historically been the setting for social and political demonstrations. It is important for university leaders to collaborate closely with safety, security, and emergency management partners. This fact…

Little information is known on crisis prevention and intervention plans in schools across South Dakota. A review of the existent literature revealed gaps within school-based crisis intervention models, their objectives, and their effectiveness in addressing the psychological and physical safety needs of students, staff, teachers, families, and…

The Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools Technical Assistance Center (REMS) has created a list of resources on the role of school nutrition directors in school safety efforts. The list includes the following categories: (1) Food Safety, Food Defense, and Contaminated Food Annexes--Training; (2) Feeding and Food Distribution--Training;…

An effective response to a school, campus, or community emergency requires a thoughtful and coordinated interagency plan to preserve and protect life, as those with both experience and expertise can confirm. Schools and institutions of higher education (IHEs) can prepare for these emergencies by developing an emergency operations plan (EOP).…

Congress provided more than $76 billion in total to eligible institutions of higher education (IHEs or institutions) to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus pandemic through the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), including $40 billion through the American Rescue Plan. This report details HEERF spending in calendar year…

As outlined in the "Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans (School Guide)" (ED571878), multidisciplinary planning teams--composed of school personnel and community partners--can develop a comprehensive school emergency operations plans (EOP) customized to the needs of the students, the staff, and the…

Background: Case investigation and contact tracing (CI/CT) are important public health tools to interrupt COVID-19 transmission. Our study aims to understand how parents and school staff perceive COVID-19 CI/CT. Methods: Using a mixed methods approach, we distributed a community survey and conducted 15 focus group discussions (FGDs) in English and…

The Study Abroad Health and Safety Report informs students and parents about significant health and safety incidents while studying abroad. Incidents, as reported on the Study Abroad Health and Safety Survey, are defined as deaths and hospitalizations that occurred during participation in a study abroad program. Minnesota legislation (Minn. Stat.…

Educational leaders must be prepared to lead during crisis. Leadership has been challenged with multiple crisis in recent years, including issues of school safety, school shootings, medical crises such as SARs, HINI, and the ongoing pandemic. While each of these situations has resulted in multiple plans of actions, none has impacted our society as…

All students have the right to be safe at school. Regulations mandate that schools must establish procedures to ensure the safety of all students during emergency situations. Twenty years ago, a Midwestern school district created Individualized Emergency Evacuation Plans (IEEPs) to address unique safety needs of students with disabilities. A mixed…

Schools have the task of keeping students and staff safe; thus, emergency management planning is critical in rural communities despite the unique circumstances and challenges they may face. "Education Across America: Cities, Suburbs, Towns, and Rural Areas," a Website released by the National Center for Education Statistics, illuminates…

Lockdown drills are routinely conducted in schools across the U.S., yet little is known about the impact of such practices on participants--particularly for the faculty, staff, and administrators charged with student safety. The present study considers the effects of lockdown drills and associated emergency response training on perceived safety…

The goal of this qualitative case study was to determine what institutional processes and practices have been developed in relationship to mass shootings and gun violence, as well as how mass shootings in educational settings impact the way a campus responds and prepares a safety plan. Through speaking with threat assessment team members, student…

The Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance (TA) Center has created a list of resources on the role of special educators in school safety efforts. The list includes the following categories: (1) Access and/or Functional Needs (AFN) and Emergencies; (2) Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) Development; (3) Hazard- and…

School shootings are at an all-time high. That's according to the National Center for Education Statistics, which has been keeping track of the numbers for about 20 years. What are schools to do? Is there a "profile" of the typical school shooter that could help us identify those who might commit a shooting in the future? Is there some…