Collegiate Times

A Chronicle of Higher Education article is discussing the findings of a study on the lingering psychological aspects of a campus shooting at Dawson College.

One student was killed and 19 were injured in a shooting at the downtown Montreal school. However, many more were in the building, and that is the focus of the study.

Among the highlights of the findings:

• Post-traumatic Stress Disorder was less common than expected.
• Serious depression was higher than expected
• 40% of the people in the building were psychologically effected
• Women were twice as likely to be effected, but that is with the disclaimer that many men were “reluctant” to seek treatment.

It notes the history of psychological studies in the aftermath of campus shootings. Columbine refused to do such a study because of a fear of bringing the tragedy back into the minds of the students.

However, the article said Virginia Tech is undertaking a similar study at this time, so we will await the results of that study.

It is the first official word I have heard on the actual existence of such a study. I will try and get some more information on that and bring it to you as soon as I can. Zc

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held today to give the public a first glance at Blacksburg Transit’s new additions.

Marketing manager Ken Tucker gave me some information on the expansion.

The Blacksburg Transit headqarters, formerly 60,251 square feet, now occupies 94,655 square feet.

Among the new additions is a larger maintenance area with underground pits for servicing vehicles and an expanded bus bay. All buses can now be stored inside.

The building was also equipped with a generator that allows the facility to be an emergency operations center.

A conference center to hold 300 people was also part of the renovation.

Tucker made note of the extreme growth the BT has experienced.

Since its start in 1983, it has moved from a single trailer into the newly renovated facility.

A fleet of six original buses has grown into 50 and a work force of 3 full-time and 10 part-time employees has turned into 36 full-time and 107 part-time workers.

The ceremony also included a luncheon for the Blacksburg community and was open to the general public. Zc

Yesterday’s accident that left a townhome in Blacksburg with an unfortunately large living room is not the first of its kind in Blacksburg.

A teenage girl lost control over her vehicle and smashed into a local townhouse. The details of the crash have not yet been released, but similar accidents have been common occurrences. In fact, four cars have hit buildings in the past two years.

In April, I reported on an accident where another local teenager crashed his car through the Starbucks on University City Blvd. and hit a customer sitting in an armchair.

Another vehicle hit the Sub Station two years ago. Ceritano’s porch also took a hit, but that accident did more damage to the car than the building.

Certainly an interesting and dangerous phenomenon occurring in Blacksburg. Zc

Following up last week’s protest (story here), the Iranian Society at Virginia Tech gathered again Monday night to remember those who have been lost fighting for democracy in Iran.

The group gathered around the April 16 memorial in front of Burruss Hall, placing lists of those killed, injured or arrested fighting for freedom in Iran in front of the memorial.

Green and black balloons were released over the Drillfield, and then candles were lit as the sun went down.

There was a speaker and a moment of silence before the balloon release.

Here is are selections of the speech:

We gather here to remember those who have been killed, injured or arrested in Iran.

We will not forget what you did for us. We are proud Iranians because of your courage and bravery.

We will have images from the event up sometime soon. Zc

A memorial for April 16 victims created by a visiting professor at West Virginia University was welcomed to the Virginia Tech campus yesterday.

The traditional Hungarian monument will be displayed outside of Cheatham Hall.

You can read more about the memorial in this article published earlier in the summer. Zc

Current Baylor University Dean for Student Learning Frank Shushok Jr. will be coming to Virginia Tech to fill the post left open when Ed Spencer moved up to Vice President of Student Affairs.

Shushok has held his current position at Baylor since 2004. Prior to that he was the university’s director of Housing and Residence Life.

He completed his undergraduate education at Baylor, then proceeded to receive a Master’s degree from Ohio State and a Ph.D from the University of Maryland in 2002.

Shushok is scheduled to begin work at Tech on Aug. 17. Zc

A teenage girl crashed her car into a townhome this afternoon at the corner of Marlington Street and Grissom Lane.

Blacksburg’s Gabrielle Stephenson, 16, has been charged with failure to maintain control of her vehicle.

Police say she was turning right onto Grissom Lane when she struck the house and drove into the living room.

Three people inside the building were unharmed in the accident, but Stephenson and a passenger were taken to Montgomery Regional Hospital and released.

The incident, which occurred at about 4:30 this afternoon, caused an estimated $32,000 worth of damage.

Stephenson will appear in Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court on September 11, 2009. Zc

Looking a little deeper into the Emergency Management for Higher Education program that I mentioned in the Eastern Michigan post, I thought I would give a better summary of the program.

Here is the outline of purposes they provide on the Department of Education website:

This grant program is designed to fund higher education institution projects to develop, or review and improve, and fully integrate all-hazards campus-based emergency management planning efforts. A program funded under this absolute priority is required to use the framework of the four phases of emergency management (Prevention-Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery) to:

1. Develop, or review and improve, and fully integrate a campus-wide emergency management plan;
2. Train campus staff, faculty, and students in emergency management procedures;
3. Ensure coordination of planning and communication across all relevant offices and departments on the campus;
4. Coordinate with local and State government emergency management efforts;
5. Develop a written plan that incorporates medical, mental health, communication, and transportation needs to include those with disabilities, special needs, and other circumstances (such as cultural, language, location relative to campus, etc.) into emergency protocols;
6. Develop or update a written plan that prepares the campus for a possible infectious disease outbreak, such as pandemic influenza, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), or food contamination; and
7. Develop or enhance a written plan for preventing violence by assessing and addressing the mental health needs of students who may be at risk of causing harm to self or others.

Types of Projects
An EMHE grant will enable higher education institution to develop, or review and improve, and fully integrate, all-hazards emergency management planning efforts to include:

1. All four phases of emergency management: Prevention-Mitigation, Preparedness, Response and Recovery;
2. Training for campus staff, faculty, and students in emergency management procedures;
3. Coordination of planning and communication across all relevant departments within the institution of postsecondary education;
4. Coordination with local and State government emergency management efforts;
5. Coordination with the State or local Homeland Security Plan;
6. Support of the National Incident Management System;
7. A comprehensive plan that is based on an all-hazards approach;
8. Support from top leadership within the institution;
9. Pre-established roles for faculty, staff, students and first responders;
10. Drills and exercises for faculty, staff, and students;
11. A plan that meets the needs of students, staff, and faculty-addressing the medical, mental health, communication, and transportation needs to include those with disabilities, special needs, and other circumstances (such as cultural, language, location relative to campus, etc.) into emergency protocols;
12. A written plan that prepares the higher education institution for a possible infectious disease outbreak, such as pandemic influenza, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), or food contamination;
13. A written plan that seeks to prevent violence by assessing and addressing the mental health needs of students who may be at-risk of causing harm to self or others; and
14. Emergency equipment and technology (but not as a majority of the requested funding).

There were 17 original grants awarded through the program and Eastern Michigan recently received a similar award, meeting the original target of 18 awards.

Plans for the funds were to be executed over an 18-month period between September 2008 and February 2010. Not every school was required to be on the same schedule, but the programs should be finishing up during the next school year.

So, about 18 schools should have improved emergency notification systems in place due to federal aid. More coming on this program later, and possible similar programs for the future. Zc

According to this report, the US Department of Education has given Eastern Michigan a grant of nearly half a million dollars to update its emergency plan.

The grant, worth $490,517 to be exact, is to help EMU lay out a plan in response to Virginia Tech’s April 16,2007 shootings and 2008 shootings at Northern Illinois:

The plan is a comprehensive framework for addressing any emergency situation that could arise, a subject of increasing focus on college campuses in the wake of the 2007 Virginia Tech and 2008 Northern Illinois University campus shootings.

The grant will allow EMU to make the plan even more comprehensive and do so more quickly than it otherwise could have, said Ellen Gold, executive director of EMU’s university health services.

It is interesting, I mentioned in an earlier blog post that federal or state assistance would be needed for universities to establish successful emergency notification plans.

Apparently, there is a program for this, to an exteent.

In 2008, applicants were accepted for the “Emergency Management for Higher Education” grant program.

As that page shows, some major universities, including Purdue, Indiana and UConn took advantage. Northern Illinois, reeling from its devastating shooting, also received a grant.

However, the grant program had a set deadline and implementation period.

So, the funds are not being awarded on a regular basis to those in need. Instead, they were awarded once.

Additionally, the funds were limited to $500,000 for even the largest schools. Zc

I got a call from the Iranian Society at Virginia Tech this morning. They are following up last Tuesday’s demonstration outside of Burruss Hall with a second show of support for Iranians.

They originally intended for last week’s protest to include a candlelight vigil and a march. However, the university requires a 10-day notice for events involving candles.

So, the students decided to simply postpone the vigil.

A candlelight vigil, along with a balloon release, is planned for tonight at 8 p.m. outside of Burruss Hall.

According to the event’s Facebook page, the balloon release will be first, followed by the vigil. Zc