Duquesne University, located in Pittsburgh, Pa., announced this week that it will resume a “full, on-campus learning environment and regular student life operations” for the fall semester. During the summer, it will integrate faculty and staff back into offices and buildings and make any updates to campus necessary to optimize health and safety practices.
A school resource officer from an elementary school in Westminster, S.C., was fired last week following an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security, according to the Oconee County Sheriff’s Department.
Critical communication and collaboration technology platform Rave Mobile Safety has announced that it supports compliance with Virginia’s Marcus Alert System. The Marcus Alert was established to provide mental health awareness resources and community understanding services around the state, and it was named for a man shot and killed by a police officer while experiencing a mental health episode in 2018.
Central Oregon Community College, located in Bend, Ore., announced this week that it is putting its entire staff of public safety officers on paid administrative leave during an independent, third-party review of department operations. The university declined to comment on the immediate reason for the investigation.
On Wednesday, March 10, the Northeastern Illinois University campus in Chicago, Ill., was locked down after what police called a “shootout” took place in a campus parking lot. There were no reported injuries.
The University of California, Davis is offering its students a monetary incentive to stay home for spring break. Students who opt for a quiet “staycation” over a more traditional college spring break experience will receive $75 in gift cards. The offer comes as the U.S. approaches the one-year anniversary of coronavirus-related shutdowns and restrictions all around the country.
Last week, the Utah Senate passed a bill aiming to improve campus safety at colleges around the state. However, a provision for a student-led commission that would have helped provide input and recommendations to lawmakers was removed from the bill before its approval.
Following Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s announcement that he was revoking the statewide mask mandate the Texas Education Agency (TEA) has updated its public health guidelines for state schools.
On Tuesday, March 2, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced that all Texas businesses will be allowed to reopen to 100% capacity and that he is rescinding the statewide mask mandate. School district superintendents around the state, who say they received no advance warning of the policy change, were left to craft their own regulations as parents and teachers waited expectantly for guidance.
President Joe Biden announced on Tuesday, March 2, that the U.S. is on track to have a vaccine supply sufficient for all adults by the end of May. In the same speech, he also stated that educators—including teachers, childcare workers, and school staff—will be given priority to receive the vaccine in the effort to reopen schools for in-person learning. Biden set the goal to have all such adult workers receive at least one dose of the vaccine by the end of March.
Last week, an ex-Pomona city councilman was sentenced after pleading no contest to one felony charge of possession of child sexual abuse material and one misdemeanor charge of annoying or molesting a child. Rubio Gonzalez, 45, faces three years of probation (two years of felony probation and one year of summary probation) and a minimum of one year of counseling. Gonzalez is also required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
North Carolina law enforcement officers are urging caution after the recovery of a kidnapped 14-year-old girl who communicated with her abductor through a school-issued computer.
A police officer was shot and killed following a confrontation at a high school basketball game on Friday, Feb. 26, in New Orleans, La.
President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill was passed by the House of Representatives on Saturday in a highly partisan vote. The bill now heads to the Senate where—if it passes—it is expected to do so by a similarly razor-thin margin. However, despite significant opposition to the aid package within the halls of Congress, local officials around the country from both parties have expressed support for the federal aid that would come nearly a year into the global pandemic.
At its Feb. 23 meeting, the UNC System Board of Governors approved raising the student fee for campus security. It’s set to change from $30 to $57 per student.
On Saturday, Feb. 20, a University of Arizona student was shot and killed in an on-campus parking garage. The Tucson Police Department is currently investigating the death as a homicide. As students returned to campus on Monday, their attention turned to how campus security and safety measures could prevent another similar incident.
On Thursday, Feb. 18, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte signed a bill into law expanding the rights of law-abiding gun owners in the state. House Bill 102 allows the concealed carry of firearms for self-protection without requiring written authorization from the government (that is, a concealed-carry license). Most relevantly, the new law dictates that the Montana University System adopt the looser restrictions by June 1.
The FBI has arrested a UCLA student who allegedly participated in the U.S. Capitol riots on Jan. 6.
President Joe Biden clarified his goal of reopening the majority of U.S. K-8 schools within the first 100 days of his administration. “I think many of them five days a week,” he said. “The goal will be five days a week.”
Dating, whether casual or serious, is a fundamental part of the college experience. The rotating social circles between classes, extracurriculars, dorm life, campus hangout spots, and bars make it almost too easy to constantly meet new people by sheer virtue of proximity.
Resident assistants (RAs) are the first line of defense and peacekeeping in college dorms around the country.
Policy
As the effort to build enough of a vaccine supply to inoculate the entire U.S. population becomes a reality, public discussion is slowly shifting from the question “Can I get the vaccine?” to “Will I be required to get it?”
Syracuse University has recently informed about 9,800 of its students, alumni, and applicants of a data security breach that might have exposed their names and Social Security numbers.
The University of Texas at Austin Police Department (UTPD) has recently established a University Crisis Intervention Team (UCIT) tasked with responding to students’ mental health crises.
Alertus Technologies has announced a partnership with the Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) to offer an emergency preparedness grant to Texas schools in need of enhancing their safety and notification systems.
With more than 100,000 schools closing in the United States, Americans recognize the need for safer learning environments.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has shattered the “normal” operational practices that educational facilities previously operated under.
Schools are still grappling with the need to invest in technology and intelligent solutions that better provide a safe and healthy learning environment.
Puerto Rico protects more than 850 public schools with the help of Milestone Systems software
Quick access to medical care is essential, especially in emergency situations. Accordingly, our hospitals, healthcare facilities, and their campuses are generally conveniently located, open 24/7, and accessible to the public.