<p>From Rice.</p>
<p>04/20/2007</p>
<p>Dear Rice community:</p>
<p>Since Monday's tragedy at Virginia Tech, many people have asked what we at Rice are doing to prevent horrific events like this. The anxiety caused by the shootings and loss of life is understandable. We all feel more vulnerable. So let me take this opportunity to tell you what we in the Rice administration and the Rice University Police Department are doing to keep our campus safe and to find ways to make us even safer.</p>
<p>At this point, the evidence at Virginia Tech points to a severely troubled student who, for reasons hard to understand, decided to inflict extreme violence on his fellow students and teachers. On any university campus, we must be prepared both to identify any such extremely troubled students and to respond protectively and rapidly in the case of any harm or threatened harm. </p>
<p>We are fortunate at Rice to have a community environment that builds close, supporting relationships among students, faculty and staff. Undergraduate students experiencing serious difficulties are likely to be known to college masters, resident associates and fellow students. And when problems come to our attention, Rice has a highly developed system of formal and informal support for all community members -- students, faculty and staff. </p>
<p>Rice University's Police Department has 28 highly trained peace officers licensed by the State of Texas. Our officers are equipped and trained to respond to acts of violence and know how to take immediate and appropriate actions to deal with an individual who poses a threat to the safety and security of campus. Coincidentally, RUPD this week was sponsoring a training session for campus law enforcement personnel on responding to emergency situations. These efforts took on particular urgency in the light of the shootings at Virginia Tech.</p>
<p>Our dedicated police force helps prevent violence as well as respond to it. A key part of our strategy is for our officers to maintain high visibility on campus and to interact often with students in their residential colleges and throughout campus. The officers receive training in managing crisis situations and specifically on how to interact with individuals who may be under emotional and mental distress.</p>
<p>For situations in which additional officers or emergency personnel are needed, we have an agreement with the City of Houston that provides for a notification to and a rapid response from the Houston Police Department. Rice police also work closely with other local police agencies, such as the West University Police Department, the Precinct 1 Constables Office and the South Hampton Patrol, as well as the Houston Fire Department.</p>
<p>Rice has a crisis management team made of representatives from the Police Department, the administration, student affairs, counseling, IT and other critical areas. When responding to an incident, RUPD immediately notifies the president's office and the vice president for administration, and the crisis management team quickly assembles. The team promptly assesses the situation and determines what response and communications are required.</p>
<p>If an urgent campuswide announcement is called for, it is sent through a wide variety of channels, including e-mail, telephone, rice.edu and directly through college masters, who can pass the information on to students. The crisis management team continuously monitors the situation, updates information and determines what additional actions and communications may be required.</p>
<p>The team also meets regularly to assess our preparedness, update policies and procedures, and create contingency plans for campus emergencies. The team met this week, waiting a few days after the Virginia Tech tragedy to allow for more information to come to light, so it could consider ways to strengthen our preparedness and protocols for a similar situation. We are, for example, exploring new technologies and procedures to enable us to reach more people sooner, including the use of cell phone voice and text messaging. </p>
<p>Campus safety is something for which we must all take responsibility. Let us all do what we can to keep Rice safe. Be vigilant for signs of trouble, and report them to RUPD at 713-348-6000. Let me again urge anyone in need of support to contact your college master, graduate adviser, Human Resources or the Rice Counseling Center, which is available at any time at 713-348-4867. We also have Lifeworks, our employee assistance network, which is available for all members of the Rice community and their families. You can reach this program at <a href="http://www.lifeworks.com/%5B/url%5D">http://www.lifeworks.com/</a> or 888-267-8126. Other emergency information is available on the rice.edu Web site at: <a href="http://www.explore.rice.edu/explore/Emergency.asp%5B/url%5D">http://www.explore.rice.edu/explore/Emergency.asp</a>.</p>
<p>We continue to mourn for Virginia Tech's victims and this senseless violence. Perhaps we can find solace in the fact that universities across the country, including Rice, are trying to draw from this tragedy lessons that can reduce the likelihood of it happening again. On behalf of myself, the deans, the masters, Student Affairs, the Rice University Police Department and others in a leadership role at Rice, let me assure you that we will do everything possible to keep you informed and safe.</p>
<p>Finally, I ask Rice students to share this information with their parents and other loved ones. And I encourage all members of the Rice community to feel welcome to share their concerns and suggestions with me, Vice President for Administration Kevin Kirby or Police Chief Bill Taylor. </p>
<p>Sincerely,</p>
<p>David Leebron
President</p>