<p>Thanks very much to all of you. You've been a big help!</p>
<p>Pyewacket</p>
<p>Dartmouth College</p>
<p>Dear Friends,</p>
<p>Dartmouth College extends our deepest sympathies to the Virginia Tech community, and to the families and friends of those who who lost their lives in the terrible tragedy there yesterday.</p>
<p>In solidarity with those who are grieving the deaths at Virginia Tech, the Tucker Foundation and I would like to encourage you to observe a moment of silence at 2:00 pm today, the same time that Virginia Tech will be gathering as a community. This moment will be marked by the tolling of Baker bells. In addition, Rollins Chapel is open all day for those who wish to meditate or pray.</p>
<p>The staff at Dartmouth are committed to maintaining a secure campus. Safety and Security has emergency protocols in place, as do specific departments, and we review these regularly. There may be lessons about campus safety that come out of the tragedy at Virginia Tech, and we, along with other colleges and universities will listen and learn.</p>
<p>Counseling services are available for Dartmouth students and staff. Students should call Counseling Services at Dick's House 646-9442, employees should call the Faculty/Employee Assistance Program at 646-1165. Individuals may also contact the Chaplain's Office in the Tucker Foundation at 646-3350.</p>
<p>Please keep the Virginia Tech community in your thoughts as they face the difficult time ahead.</p>
<ul>
<li>James Wright</li>
</ul>
<p>Messages of sympathy to the Virginia Tech community may be mailed to:</p>
<p>Julie Walters-Steele
Director, University Unions
Virginia Tech
225 Squires University Center (0138)
Blacksburg, VA 24061</p>
<p>Message Regarding Virginia Tech Tragedy from Duke President Brodhead</p>
<p>The following message from President Richard H. Brodhead was released Monday evening</p>
<p>Tuesday, April 17, 2007</p>
<p>Durham, NC -- As you no doubt have heard, a horrific tragedy took place this morning on the campus of Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg, Virginia. As I write this, we have reports that at least 33 people are dead and dozens are wounded, following a shooting spree by a still unidentified gunman. This is the deadliest campus shooting in United States history and a profoundly sad day for everyone directly affected -- and the nation as a whole. On behalf of the entire Duke community, I express my condolences to those who are grieving at Virginia Tech. They are enduring a time of unspeakable loss this evening. </p>
<p>A tragedy of this magnitude affects members of our own community who have colleagues, friends and family members at Virginia Tech, and I want to extend my sympathy to you as well. Student Affairs is in the process of trying to identify every Duke student with Virginia Tech connections and to make personal contact and to offer counseling. Our Religious Life staff also is available for counseling and the Duke Chapel will be open as always for those who wish to seek a quiet place to reflect.</p>
<p>Tomorrow [editor's note -- Tuesday, April 17], you are invited to attend an interfaith prayer vigil in the Duke Chapel at 2:00 p.m., timed to a campus service at Virginia Tech. The Rev. Canon Sam Wells, Dean of the Chapel, will speak briefly and there will be opportunities for prayer and silent reflection. The Chapel Carillon also will toll one tone for each person who died in today's tragedy.</p>
<p>Sincerely,
Richard H. Brodhead
President</p>
<p>From the president of Reed College :
President Colin Diver's Message to the Community Concerning the Tragedy at Virginia Tech on April 16</p>
<p>To the Reed College Community,</p>
<p>I know I speak for all members of the Reed College community in expressing my heartfelt sympathy and condolences for the victims of yesterday’s horrific shootings at Virginia Tech, their families and friends, and all members of the Virginia Tech and Blacksburg, Virginia, communities.</p>
<p>As we mourn for those killed and injured in Virginia, our thoughts are necessarily also drawn to the safety, security, and support required for students, faculty, and staff here at Reed. The college strives above all to maintain at all times a safe learning and living environment for every member of this community. Campus safety requires good communication, appropriate support services, emergency planning, and specific security measures provided by our community safety professionals. We support our Community Safety Officers by promptly reporting suspicious behavior, locking doors after hours, not allowing strangers access to our residence halls, and by being conscious of building and personal security at all times. By working together we can create the safest possible environment for all.</p>
<p>Student Services staff were briefed this morning in anticipation of concerns that might be expressed by Reed students and parents in the aftermath of yesterday’s events at Virginia Tech. The Health and Counseling Center is available to help individuals respond to grief and trauma, and resident directors and house advisors are available to students living in the residence halls as well. Staff and faculty are encouraged to make use of the Employee Assistance Program. </p>
<p>Yesterday’s shootings strike at the very heart of higher education’s noblest ideals—ideals of civility, toleration, and freedom of inquiry. As we reach out in sympathy to the victims of yesterday’s horror, we must strengthen our resolve not to let a random act of violence divert us from pursuit of those ideals.</p>
<p>Sincerely,</p>
<p>Colin S. Diver, President</p>
<p>Johns Hopkins University
(<a href="http://hopkins.typepad.com/hopkins_insider/2007/04/our_thoughts_an.html%5B/url%5D">http://hopkins.typepad.com/hopkins_insider/2007/04/our_thoughts_an.html</a>)</p>
<p>Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,</p>
<p>Like you, I am horrified at the violence today at one of our sister institutions, Virginia Polytechnic Institute. Our hearts are with the families of the victims, and with all the students, faculty and staff of the university. I am making available the services of Johns Hopkins to assist President Charles W. Steger should he so desire.</p>
<p>Our own university has suffered more than its share of tragedies in recent years. The members of our community affected by those tragedies remain constantly in our thoughts. </p>
<p>So we know from bitter experience that Virginia Tech will never be exactly the same after today. But we also know that members of the community there will draw great strength from each other. They will support each other and console one another. They will emerge from this tragedy scarred but strong. The resilience of great institutions lies in a shared mission, a shared history and tradition, and a shared sense of purpose. Virginia Tech has all this, and it has something even more important: great people.</p>
<p>I am mindful that there likely are many here at Johns Hopkins who have friends and relatives at Virginia Tech. Please, if you know these members of our community, offer your support. If you are one of them, please be open to that support. If you feel it would be at all helpful, seek out the resources available on your campus, whether it is a counseling service, peer counseling, chaplains, advisers, the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program or some other support mechanism.</p>
<p>We all will hold Virginia Tech and its people in our hearts. </p>
<p>Sincerely,</p>
<p>Bill Brody</p>
<p>Thanks also to you, Xanatos,1 sokkermom, spitfire and Daniel,</p>
<p>All the best,
Pyewacket</p>
<p>U-M's - That's my transfer University, I'll post my current University after.</p>
<p>To the Campus Community:</p>
<p>As we learn more about the awful tragedy that has befallen Virginia Polytechnic Institute, our hearts go out to those who have lost classmates, colleagues, family members and friends. A tragedy of this scope and scale is almost unthinkable, and we are just beginning to fully grasp the impact of what has occurred. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by these terrible circumstances.</p>
<p>Whether or not you are directly touched by these events, they bring great sorrow and stress to our own campus at a time when students are already adjusting to the increased pressures of exams. Many in our University may be feeling vulnerable as more information comes out about the shootings and the events that led up to the tragedy. It is important that we share a sense of community and offer one another the maximum amount of support and tolerance.</p>
<p>I want to remind our students, faculty and staff that resources are available to assist you with any feelings of distress:</p>
<pre><code>* Students may contact Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at 764-8312.
* If you live in campus housing and you need to talk to someone, you may also reach out to a student staff member.
* Faculty and staff may contact the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program (FASAP) at 936-8660.
</code></pre>
<p>Any community member who has a question or concern about the wellbeing of a U-M student may contact CAPS and speak to a counselor about how best to be helpful. More information about helping students in distress can be found on the CAPS website.</p>
<p>I also want to assure you that University officials and safety officers have planned in advance for a wide range of emergencies. Our public safety officers, in particular, are extensively trained and have well-established procedures in place to address any instances of violence. We hope they wont need to use this training, but we ensure they practice regularly so they will know how to respond in the event of a disaster. We also have mutual aid agreements with regional law enforcement agencies, who would quickly assist us if additional personnel were needed.</p>
<p>Our Department of Public Safety officers tell us the most important thing we can do to keep ourselves safe is to be alert to our surroundings, and call police at 9-1-1 immediately if we see any behavior that seems unusual or suspicious. More safety tips can be found in the Campus Safety Handbook.</p>
<p>In an emergency, we would use a range of communication tools to reach our campus community including building-to-building announcements, phone callouts, e-mail, website postings, radio and other mass media, and outreach to key staff including building managers, Housing staff, etc.</p>
<p>You can help us to make sure these channels are effective by visiting Wolverine Access and updating your emergency contact information. It is important that we know your main phone numbers, including cell phones, in case we need to do an emergency callout. We also encourage you to identify contact information for your family members who can be reached in the event of an emergency. The City of Ann Arbor also maintains the CodeRED Emergency Telephone Calling System to notify residents within minutes of an emergency or a potential hazard. The system will call each number and will leave messages on answering machines and cell phones. For more information or to register for CodeRED, visit the Code Red website.</p>
<p>A safe, secure campus will always be a priority at Michigan. If any good is to come from this weeks tragedy, let it be that we learn more about how to prevent such thoughtless violence.</p>
<p>President Mary Sue Coleman</p>
<p>Western Michigan University </p>
<p>President Haenicke responds to Virginia tragedy</p>
<p>April 17, 2007</p>
<pre><code>Dear Colleagues:
Today we all have watched in shock the horrifying news coming from Virginia Tech. While everyone in our larger community is devastated by the reports, I think that those of us who live and work on a college campus observe what has happened with a particular sense of horror. We feel with our colleagues throughout the country that the sense of safety on our campuses and our world of collegial community have been deeply violated.
o I will review immediately all procedures that are in place at WMU for protecting our community from harm. The physical safety of our students, our faculty and our staff are always our highest concern.
o Each one of us will assure our students that we care for their safety.
o We will not waver in our concern to provide the highest possible level of security for all of us.
I know you will join me in reaching out to our friends and colleagues at Virginia Tech as we offer them our prayers and support while they are moving through the aftermath of this unspeakable tragedy. Our trustees are standing firmly with us as we extend our condolences to our sister institution. At moments such as these we are all one community.
Diether Haenicke
Interim President and President Emeritus
Western Michigan University
</code></pre>
<p>Tragedy at Virginia Tech
Like so many of you, I am shocked and deeply saddened by the lives lost at Virginia Tech today. I know that as a university community our grief is particularly keen, and our hearts go out to the families of those affected. I have extended my condolences to their entire community through a letter to their President Dr. Charles Steger. </p>
<p>The tragedy at Virginia Tech can shatter our individual and collective sense of well-being, purpose, and security. If such horrific and senseless violence can be brought to a lovely campus in Blacksburg, Va. on a spring morning, we wonder where, if anywhere, we can feel safe. The sad reality is that in our world today no community is immune from unpredictable violence. From a federal building in Oklahoma City to a suburban high school in Colorado to a land-grant university in Virginia, we have seen a national, long-held sense of community challenged by purveyors of violence whose true motivations may never be truly known and surely never be understood. </p>
<p>I call upon the MSU community to join me in taking time to reflect upon and to honor the lives lost in Blacksburg. I especially call us to consider how precious we are to each other, no matter how deep and sometimes contentious our disagreements. As an inclusive, connected university, taking care of each other and taking responsibility for the character of our collective experience is part of our mandate. Our commitment to community and its underlying values is the greatest defense we can have against those who would disrupt that community with senseless acts of violence.</p>
<p>President Louanna K. Simon</p>
<p>** A Message from Louisiana Tech University **</p>
<p>Virginia Tech has endured an unimaginable event, and the resulting grief and pain simply cannot be explained or measured. On behalf of the administration, faculty, students and alumni of Louisiana Tech University, we offer our deepest sympathy.</p>
<p>The college experience is for most students the happiest, most memorable time of their lives. For Virginia Tech students, it has become a shadow of grim reminders of horror, fear and pain. Our hope and prayer is that time will heal the wounds of the body and the heart.</p>
<p>The greatness of Virginia Tech is seen even in these dark days. The leadership, the response of the students and faculty, and the compassion of a stunned nation have been inspiring. The nation has embraced the Virginia Tech campus, and the Hokie spirit can be felt across America.</p>
<p>God bless Virginia Tech.</p>
<p>Daniel D. Reneau, President</p>
<p>From Scripps College:</p>
<p>April 17, 2007</p>
<p>Dear President Steger,</p>
<p>On behalf of the entire Scripps College community, I write to express our deep sympathy for the grievous losses suffered by the Virginia Tech community. The intrusion of violence into a place intended for instruction, debate, research and learning is profoundly disturbing to all of us in higher education. The taking of life in so violent, cruel and random a way leaves all of us asking those deep questions that animate the moral and religious perspectives.</p>
<p>We write now not with words of wisdom, since I know of none to offer, but to express our compassion, our sympathy and our wish that you and those on your campus will find the strength to carry on with your great mission. We write to let you know that far across the continent a community dedicated, as you are, to reason, to debate, to mutual understanding and support wishes you and your community the strength to heal, to help each other, and to persevere. Our thoughts are with your entire Virginia Tech family but especially with the families of those whose loved ones have been killed or wounded.</p>
<p>With profound sadness,</p>
<p>Nancy Y. Bekavac, President</p>
<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>
<p>Tragedy at Virginia Tech</p>
<p>To: All Faculty, Staff and Students</p>
<p>From: President Shirley Strum Kenny</p>
<p>The Stony Brook University campus community is shocked
and saddened by the deadly rampage which occurred earlier
today on the Virginia Tech campus. We extend our heartfelt
sympathy to all those who have lost loved ones in such a
senseless and appalling act of violence. Our hearts are
with the Virginia Tech community as they attempt to
comprehend the incomprehensible.</p>
<p>It is regrettable that it must take such circumstances to
serve as a reminder for all of us that there are caring
professionals here who provide confidential counseling
services. I would like to take this opportunity to
encourage any member of our campus community who is
directly or indirectly affected by the Virginia Tech
tragedy or other life issues to reach out to any of the
following resources on our campus:</p>
<p>University Counseling Center at 632-6720
HSC Counseling Services at 444-7760
Wo/Men's and Gender Resource Center at 632-9666
Employee Assistance Program at 632-6085</p>