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Marketing and University Communication UW-Green Bay, CL 815 2420 Nicolet Drive Green Bay, WI 54311-7001 (920) 465-2626 E-mail: hildebrs@uwgb.edu Last update: 9/26/07 |
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In
the News Archive - Year:
May 3, 2007 UWGB chancellor, Shepard, to co-chair security task force Virginia Tech shootings spawn Wisconsin group By Kelly McBride
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Chancellor Bruce Shepard has been selected to co-chair Gov. Jim Doyle's Task Force on Campus Safety. Doyle announced the formation of the new body on Wednesday.
Working with fellow task force co-chair and River Falls Police Chief Roger Leque, Shepard will lead a team charged with establishing best practices for campus security and emergency preparedness.
UWGB has had prevention and emergency response protocol in place for some time, Shepard said Wednesday. But by joining forces with other campuses, leaders at those schools can share their ideas and what they've learned, he said.
"We have, for a long time, looked at our plans for everything from tornadoes to encephalitis to an armed intruder," Shepard said. "A lot of it has to do with how we communicate with our students, with local law enforcement. ... How do we mobilize forces?"
The task force, which has yet to be fully assembled, will make recommendations by the beginning of the school year, Doyle said.
In addition to emergency response, the task force also will examine preventive measures and look at student mental health issues, Shepard said. Virginia Tech gunman Seung-Hui Cho, 23, had been treated for mental illness prior to the April rampage in which he killed 32 people and then himself.
The governor's task force will consist of 10 to 15 students, parents, law enforcement officials, university officials and mental health experts. Among the many issues the body will explore is whether campus security officers should carry guns, Doyle said Wednesday.
"I don't want anything off the table with the task force," he said.
Other options may include campuses holding armed intruder drills, much as fire drills are conducted now, Shepard said. Having such drills, he said, could improve preparedness and enhance peace of mind.
"I think that the people of the state of Wisconsin can feel pretty good about the preparation that was in place, even before April 16," Shepard said. "However, we can always do a better job, and learn from others."
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