Task Force: UNC Campuses Must Develop Own Safety Guidelines

Chapel Hill, N.C. — A report from the University of North Carolina Safety Task Force called for each campus in the UNC system to develop its own guidelines based on its individual needs, geographically and demographically.

The task force presented its final report Thursday to UNC President Erskine Bowles and state Attorney General Roy Cooper. The panel was established in May 2007 in response to a mass shooting at Virginia Tech. On April 16, 2007, student Seung-Hui Cho shot and killed 32 people on the Blacksburg, Va., campus.

The report recommended creating a trained threat assessment team for each campus. In addition, the report stated that all schools should develop protocol to identify students who might pose a threat to themselves and other with students. Case workers should be hired to work with such students.

The task force recommended that all campuses should develop programs to educate faculty, staff and students on how to best recognize signs of violence, suicide and mental illness. It also urged all campuses to educate community members on issues related to privacy of educational and medical records.

The report stated every campus police department should meet baseline proficiency standards and each campus develop a written plan for safety in student housing.