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Alcorn State University Responds to the Virginia Tech Tragedy

 

To:       Students, Faculty, and Academic Staff

FR:       Napoleon Moses

            Vice President for Academic Affairs

RE:       The Virginia Tech Tragedy

DATE:   April 16, 2007

 

Our entire campus community shares the shock and sadness caused by Monday’s horrific attacks on students, faculty and staff at Virginia Tech. In our conversations so far, we continue to express our sense of hurt and pain for losing these 33 lives of our peers and colleagues in Virginia’s academic community. Our hearts, prayers, and concerns go out to the love ones and friends of those who lost their lives, and to Virginia Tech’s community.

Our awareness of how campus violence can devastate any university community has been

heightened by these dramatic events in Blacksburg, Virginia. Reports seem to indicate that the shootings began from a form of relationship violence involving interactions between students, faculty and staff at the University. Many will analyze the causes of this American higher education tragedy in the weeks and months to come. For us at Alcorn State University, let us commit ourselves to remain vigilant in reporting potential threats to anyone as we go about our everyday lives in our classrooms, residence halls, and meeting places.

Within our university community and in our larger society, we must work even harder to address the root causes of violence, especially how it can erupt in any relationship on our campus. I encourage each of you to continue your conversations about this tragedy in your classrooms, because we all benefit from honest dialog and sharing of our feelings during times of pain and loss, and there is no better place for this conversation than in our classrooms.

Faculty will gladly use time before, during, and after classes to talk to students about these events and offer perspective, as well as help find additional advisement, as needed. Our professionals in the Office of Counseling and Testing anticipate many from our student body, faculty, and staff to contact them to talk about what has happened and also provide access to external professionals as needed.

We will commit recourses to help those who may be prone to acts of violence. Moreover, we will take even greater measures to identify potential threats and protect potential victims of campus violence.

Our university counseling and advisement services and programs are open and we are there to help all those who want guidance in coping with these matters now or anytime in the days to come. Please contact these professionals in the areas listed or any trusted faculty member to just talk or share concerns. We will listen and offer guidance.

Counseling and Testing 601-877-6230 WWACB, Suite 305

School of Nursing Clinic 601-304-4375 Natchez Campus

Administrative and Student Services 601-877-6142 WWACB, Suite 401

University Health Services 601-877-6460 Felix Dunn Infirmary

Monday’s tragic events have reminded us of how critically important our campus safety efforts are to us. If you notice any suspicious behavior on campus, immediately contact Campus Police at 601-877-3000. Call this number immediately to report any situation that you believe may result in harm to yourself or others, or to seek emergency assistance.

In these saddest of moments, let us all be thankful for our shared commitment to each other to keep our university community safe and free of violence. Let us mourn those who lost their precious lives at Virginia Tech, and let the way that we live our lives give greater meaning to theirs.

/nm