Key issue on campus

Ran on Friday, August 10, 2007

Key issue on campus
In wake of Virginia Tech shooting, officials discuss safety

By Keighla Schmidt
Leader-telegram Staff

About 100 Chippewa Valley residents and officials heard ideas Thursday about how to make state campuses safer.
The state Task Force on Campus Safety met at UW-Eau Claire. Task force members discussed the best ways to handle security and preparedness at all state campuses.
The task force includes faculty and staff from universities and technical colleges, as well as police, students and community representatives throughout the state.
Gov. Jim Doyle formed the group after the murders at Virginia Tech in April. A student, Seung-Hui Cho, killed 32 people before taking his own life.
"How do we protect the safety of the general public at a school?" Doyle asked those gathered in Davies Center.
Among the issues discussed Thursday was whether to identify a student with mental health problems who may pose a threat.
Gary Pavela, who teaches at the University of Maryland and has been honored for his work by the National Association of College and University Attorneys, said there is a fine line between keeping medical information private and protecting the public by identifying someone as a potential risk because of things they reveal to a counselor.
"No one wrote or adopted federal or state (patient privacy) laws with the view toward putting lives at risk," he said, adding that reasonable privacy needs to be applied.
Campuses need to be careful how they react to the Virgina Tech tragedy, Pavela said.
"We could go too far and make implicit connections," he said. "We need to be careful in making dramatic policy changes."
The Virginia Tech tragedy made Doyle think as a parent.
"One of the most troubling aspects of Virginia Tech was that student was a roommate," Doyle said. "I believe people have a right to know their son or daughter will not be put into danger."
The task force is expected to make recommendations to state campus officials before classes begin next month.