Colleagues,
Washington State University is committed to maintaining a safe and healthy environment for its faculty, staff, and students. It is a priority in which the university invests significant time and resources. We have emergency plans and procedures that are reviewed regularly and that can be implemented quickly in a crisis or emergency. Our continuing focus on communication resources and practices has enhanced our ability to effectively maintain campus safety. Noteworthy in this regard are the Campus Outdoor Warning System (COWS), the Alert crisis communication system (WSU Alert), the Alert email list serve, and the WSU ALERT website (alert.wsu.edu).
Safety is not the exclusive responsibility of any one individual, department, or office. Every member of the campus community should recognize that it is a shared responsibility and that each of us has a personal role in campus safety. Leaders at all levels must take an active role in working with faculty, staff, and students to foster an environment of safety awareness by providing necessary training and by setting an example for others to follow. Individual faculty, staff, and students should know the appropriate actions to take when an emergency arises, and be prepared to assess their situation when alerted to an incident and to take appropriate action (Alert, Assess, Act). Their understanding of University safety and security procedures will help emergency personnel fulfill their responsibilities when emergencies do arise.
We ask that all faculty, staff, and students take the following steps to become familiar with campus safety and emergency management information.
| » | Review the Campus Safety Plan (safetyplan.wsu.edu) and visit the Office of Emergency Management website (oem.wsu.edu) for a comprehensive listing of university policies, procedures, statistics, and information related to campus safety, emergency management, and the health and welfare of the campus community. Faculty members should provide these links to students by mentioning them in class, including them in every course syllabus, and posting them on course websites. |
| » | Faculty should discuss classroom emergency information with their students for each individual classroom or laboratory where they teach. |
| » | Everyone should also become familiar with the WSU ALERT site (alert.wsu.edu) where information about emergencies and other issues affecting WSU can be found. This site also provides information on the communication resources WSU will use to provide warning and notification during emergencies. It should be bookmarked on computers. |
| » | Finally, all faculty, staff, and students should go to the WSU information system at my.wsu.edu and register their emergency contact information for WSU Alert emergency notifications. Enter your network ID and password and you will be taken to the my.wsu portal page. Look for the Pullman Emergency Information box on the left side of the page and click on “Update Now” to be taken to the registration page where you can enter your cell phone number, landline number, and email contact information as well as arrange for emergency text messages to be sent to your cell phone. |
We are fully committed to keeping our community informed of public safety issues and emergency procedures as well as providing protection, education, and other services that enhance your safety and well-being. We urge you to stay informed of the services and information available on campus and to remain vigilant and aware of your surroundings at all times so that we can work together to ensure a safe working and learning environment. If you need help in evaluating your area in terms of safety and emergency management, or you have recommendations on how we can improve campus safety and security, please contact Mike Gaffney, director of the Office of Emergency Management at 911@wsu.edu or 509-335-7471. For safety and security concerns, please contact Steve Hansen, assistant chief, WSU Police, at hansensj@wsu.edu or 509-335-8548.
We encourage everyone to take the proper steps to stay safe and healthy. Doing so is a major contributor to a productive, successful, and rewarding academic year for each and every one of us.
Sincerely,
Erica Austin and Ron Mittelhammer
Interim Co–Provosts