Up for Discussion: Campus works to prevent tragedy

The Virginia Tech killings were the deadliest shooting massacre in the nation's history. And a college parent's worst nightmare.

After a troubled student killed 32 and then turned a gun on himself on April 16, you're asking what UC Davis is doing to reduce the likelihood of such a tragedy happening on this campus.

"Ensuring your children's safety is of paramount concern to us and a responsibility that we take very seriously," Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef wrote in a letter to parents, which was posted on the Aggie Family Pack Web site last month.

Indeed, the tragedy reinforces the importance of UC Davis' own programs aimed at intervening before a problem can escalate, as well as its emergency preparedness program.

A special report

Our special report related to the Virginia tragedy will tell you more about these programs. You'll learn how:

• UC Davis has already begun to incorporate the lessons of Virginia Tech into its ongoing emergency training and planning program, including upgrades to its notification systems;
• the Student Crisis Response Team provides immediate and comprehensive response to situations that involve disruption, intimidation or violence;
• the Campus Violence Prevention Program provides crisis intervention, support groups and educational programming aimed at reducing incidents of sexual violence, relationship violence and hate crime;
• Counseling and Psychological Services offers confidential and free assessment, intervention and referral for students and consultation and crisis response for employees, students and parents; and
• you can use tips from college psychologists to help your student, who may be feeling anxious and vulnerable.