Message from President Gretchen M. Bataille regarding UNT's emergency preparedness, April 17, 2007

As we continue to learn more about what happened at Virginia Tech Monday (April 16), it is natural for us to question our own personal sense of safety and the safety of our surroundings, not just on campus but everywhere we gather in large numbers.

In the face of such tragedy, it is important to mourn the senseless, unthinkable loss experienced by our colleagues. I invite all community members to join me at 11 a.m. April 18 at the Schrader Pavilion for a vigil to support and remember the victims and their families, as well as the students, faculty, staff and Blacksburg community members who are suffering.

I also encourage you to share your thoughts and feelings about these tragic events with our Virginia Tech colleagues. Sympathy cards are available in the University Union's One O'Clock Lounge for our community members to sign. The cards will be available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Thursday and from 9 a.m. to noon Friday.

It also is important to look within our own community to take stock of what we do each and every day to keep our campus and community safe.

While I am comforted by the presence of our highly trained and accredited campus police force as well as our crisis communication plan, I also believe it is important that we review our plans for responding to emergencies.

I am ordering an immediate assessment and update of our existing plans, as well as of the communication tools we use to provide information to our campus community — students, faculty, staff, parents, alumni and friends.

I want all members of our community to know that we are committed to doing everything we can to keep them and our campus safe. Learn more about the security and communication measures we have in place.

Parents, please talk with your student about being mindful of their safety and the safety of others. Ask them if they know where the emergency phones on campus are located(PDF) and how they work, if they lock their doors and practice personal safety measures on a regular basis, and if they use the bus system that serves the campus or the escort system, which operates when the buses aren't available.

Students, should you or someone you know need to talk through your feelings or concerns, counselors are available through the Counseling and Testing Center. The center, which is located in Chestnut Hall, Suite 311, is open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays and may be reached by calling (940) 565-2741. Counseling services are free. Learn more at http://www.unt.edu/cat/.

Likewise, should any member of our faculty and staff want to seek assistance, you may call the Employee Assistance Program at 800.343.3822 for free counseling. Learn more at http://www.hr.unt.edu/main/ViewPage.php?cid=89.

Also, the Goolsby Chapel is open and available to the community for reflection and prayer from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Learn more at www.unt.edu/chapel.

Please continue to take care of yourselves during this troubling time.

Gretchen M. Bataille, president