In the News

Gunfire At UT Highlights Colleges’ Response

Registration is now open for the national Campus Threat Assessment Seminars offered by Margolis, Healy and Associates funded by a grant from the US Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).  The curriculum, developed by nationally recognized experts in the field of threat assessment, campus safety, and student affairs, addresses the behavioral, psychological, legal, and public safety elements of assessing and managing potentially dangerous behavior on campus.  To find out more information and to register for a seminar closest to you, go to www.campusthreatassessment.org

The U.S. Department of Education has clarified the rules for classifying larceny and burglary incidents for the purposes of Clery Act crime statistics disclosure. As a part of this year’s Campus Safety and Security Survey, ED has issued new guidance that reverses the 2005 Handbook’s statement that if it is unknown who took an item and all avenues of investigation have been exhausted, then missing property should be classified as a burglary.

Violence prevention is not rocket science; it’s quite feasible and the average person can do it with the right training, Dr. Marisa Randazzo, president of Threat Assessment Resources International, told an audience at The University of Texas-Pan American.

MH&A Managing Partner Steven J. Healy facilitated the opening plenary session of the 2010 APPA Conference. Titled “Moving Past Tragedy,” the session explored some of the most historic campus tragedies in the last 20 years in order to learn from the experiences. APPA (formerly the Association of Physical Plant Administrators) is the association of choice serving educational facilities professionals. An international association dedicated to maintaining, protecting, and promoting the quality of educational facilities, APPA represents more than 1,500 learning institutions serving over 4,700 individuals. APPA’s membership includes facilities professionals from public and private, two-year and four-year colleges and universities; medical and law schools; seminaries; public and private K-12 schools and districts; museums and parks; military installations; federal, state, and city-county governments.

Staff from The University of Texas-Pan American and other area higher education institutions had an opportunity to learn more about compliance with federal regulations regarding the monitoring and disclosure of crime statistics on campus during a training session conducted June 29 at UTPA.