Shock and horror only begin to describe our reactions at the University of California to the terrible events that have unfolded today at Virginia Tech. Our hearts go out to the families of those whose lives have been lost, and our prayers are with those who have been wounded physically and emotionally by today’s campus shootings.
Clearly, university campuses are not immune from the threats of violence that exist in our broader society. At the University of California, we work to make our campuses as safe as they possibly can be for our students, faculty, and staff. We focus on both prevention and response, and we have worked to apply the lessons of previous incidents such as the Columbine High School shootings of 1999.
Our efforts include the training and equipping of our police forces, the safety information we provide our students, our workplace violence prevention efforts for employees, and our campus communications mechanisms in the event of an emergency. We also are giving increased attention to student psychological support services and have begun phasing in additional funding for these programs.
At this time, there are a great many questions about the details of what occurred at Virginia Tech and about what sparked this outburst of most extreme violence. All of our campuses will be reviewing again their safety programs and procedures in light of today’s events, and as we learn more about the specific circumstances of the Virginia Tech shootings, we will apply those lessons as well. We take these issues extremely seriously and will continue working to provide the safest possible environment for our students, faculty, and staff.
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