To:                   Presidents and Chancellors, Missouri Postsecondary Institutions

 

From:               Robert B. Stein, Commissioner of Higher Education

 

Date:               April 28, 2008

 

Subject:           Follow-Up Survey on Campus Security Task Force Recommendations

 

It has been one-year since the shootings at the Virginia Tech campus occurred. As a result of this tragic event, Governor Matt Blunt appointed a Campus Security Task Force, which was charged with the responsibility of examining the safety and security at Missouri’s higher education institutions and to develop initiatives focused on enhancing ongoing efforts to make every college campus in Missouri a safe learning environment.

 

The Task Force gathered information from participating postsecondary institutions in Missouri via a survey form. The information from this survey provided the foundation of the Task Force’s final report titled: Securing Our Future: Making Colleges and Universities Safe Places to Learn and Grow. The final report listed 34 recommendations (Attachment 1), one of which was the formation of a Higher Education Subcommittee of the Missouri Homeland Security Advisory Council (HES-HSAC). The Subcommittee was formed to ensure that students, faculty, and staff are well prepared prior to, during, and after campus emergencies.

 

The Subcommittee is now conducting a follow-up survey (Attachment 2) on the implementation of the recommendations of the Campus Security Task Force. Please take a few minutes to complete the attached survey. The results will be used to assess the current conditions on Missouri’s collegiate campuses, to determine statewide needs for enhanced campus security, and to guide the work of the Subcommittee in identifying and fostering best practices.

 

Completed surveys should be sent no later than May 22, 2008 to Dr. Ken Vollmar at Ken.Vollmar@dhe.mo.gov. If you have any questions or comments about this survey, please contact Ken at (573) 522-4172. On behalf of the Higher Education Subcommittee of the Missouri Homeland Security Advisory Council, thank you for making the completion of this survey a priority.

 

Best,

 

Robert