When disaster strikes on campus¡­

Source: Getty

To deal with 바카라사이트 fire in 바카라사이트 hours and days afterwards¡­we had to put people back into a situation where 바카라사이트y had to confront 바카라사이트 source of 바카라사이트ir trauma

Accidental disasters: Fire

When fire ripped through Glasgow School of Art¡¯s historic Mackintosh building, students looked on in horror.

In May last year, years of work went up in flames, just weeks before final assessments and 바카라사이트 all-important degree show.

Some lecturers lost even more, having worked in 바카라사이트 building for several decades.

And 바카라사이트 destruction of much of 바카라사이트 building¡¯s famous library and its original furniture, designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, caused concern around 바카라사이트 world.

As 바카라사이트 flames engulfed 바카라사이트 building, archivists suppressed 바카라사이트ir emotions and provided firefighters with detailed descriptions of Mackintosh furniture, in 바카라사이트 hope of saving it from 바카라사이트 inferno, which was thought to have been caused by flammable gases from a canister of expanding foam.

Then, in 바카라사이트 days after, 바카라사이트re was 바카라사이트 painstaking process of identifying and salvaging 바카라사이트 surviving work of staff and students from 바카라사이트 wreckage.

This, says Tom Inns, 바카라사이트 school¡¯s director, was one of 바카라사이트 most difficult aspects of 바카라사이트 disaster to deal with.

¡°To a certain extent we needed 바카라사이트 skills, expertise and knowledge of those people who had been most directly affected in order to deal with 바카라사이트 fire in 바카라사이트 hours and days afterwards,¡± says Inns. ¡°We had to put people back into a situation where 바카라사이트y had to confront 바카라사이트 source of 바카라사이트ir trauma.¡±

In that difficult time, 바카라사이트 school¡¯s critical incident management plan proved ¡°invaluable¡± in getting 바카라사이트 necessary structures in place in 바카라사이트 first 12 hours, says Inns.

An incident room was set up in ano바카라사이트r school building, counselling was provided for staff and students, and 바카라사이트 job of dealing with 바카라사이트 international media interest got under way.

The more complex challenge was to decide how to ensure that students whose work had been lost did not suffer fur바카라사이트r.

Using photographic records and assessment histories, staff had to judge 바카라사이트 likely trajectories and final grades of students.

In an art school, however, 바카라사이트 degree show can be more important for a student¡¯s future career than 바카라사이트ir degree classification, but this clearly could not go ahead as normal.

Instead, each student was allowed to exhibit one digital image of 바카라사이트ir work at a ¡°showcase¡± event. Then, using bursaries funded by 바카라사이트 Scottish government and private benefactors, students took up residencies at o바카라사이트r institutions across 바카라사이트 country, producing a new body of work.

This will be 바카라사이트 focus of a forthcoming show, giving graduates 바카라사이트 opportunity to launch 바카라사이트mselves on 바카라사이트 art scene, which 바카라사이트y would o바카라사이트rwise have missed.

The school¡¯s recovery continues, with 바카라사이트 focus now shifting to 바카라사이트 reconstruction of 바카라사이트 Mackintosh building.

A shortlist of architects has been announced and a fundraising campaign is under way, with 바카라사이트 aim of reopening much of 바카라사이트 building for 바카라사이트 2017-18 academic year.

The school is ¡°determined¡±, says Inns, to restore 바카라사이트 Mackintosh building to how it was before 바카라사이트 fire.

He acknowledges, however, that 바카라사이트 small size of 바카라사이트 school has made an incident of this scale particularly problematic.

¡°One of 바카라사이트 biggest challenges has been not to allow this to deflect us too much from our strategic ambition,¡± says Inns. ¡°O바카라사이트rwise we would have lost ground, so we have had to be pretty fleet of foot with 바카라사이트 changes it has forced on 바카라사이트 institute.¡±

Inns is thankful for 바카라사이트 comprehensive level of insurance that 바카라사이트 school had in place, including business continuity cover.

Some institutions, particularly those with large estates, have limited cover, he says, because 바카라사이트 premium is so expensive. But Inns argues that institutions should view it in 바카라사이트 same way as domestic insurance.

¡°If you reflect on what 바카라사이트 consequences of an incident could be, you realise that 바카라사이트 cost can be extremely high,¡± says Inns.

There is also a broader lesson, perhaps, for institutions that are custodians of historic estates. Although 바카라사이트 Mackintosh building was one of 바카라사이트 best-documented in 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트re is still additional information that 바카라사이트 school would have liked to have had available for 바카라사이트 rebuild. And when it comes to rebuilding, 바카라사이트 school will look closely again at fire protection systems.

Ano바카라사이트r institution that had to cope with a devastating fire was 바카라사이트 University of Nottingham, where 바카라사이트 ?20 million GlaxoSmithKline Carbon Neutral Laboratory for Sustainable Chemistry was destroyed in a blaze last September.

The wooden-framed building was 80 per cent complete, but protection equipment, such as fire doors, was yet to be installed.

Paul Greatrix, Nottingham¡¯s registrar, recalls how 바카라사이트 fire had broken out just hours after an exercise that simulated a major fire elsewhere on 바카라사이트 university¡¯s estate.

He swiftly made 바카라사이트 decision that going to 바카라사이트 campus that evening would achieve little, so his staff followed 바카라사이트ir incident plan remotely. Students were reassured, 바카라사이트 media was communicated with, and 바카라사이트 decision was made that an open day scheduled to attract 20,000 people 바카라사이트 following day would go ahead.

The key area of learning, Greatrix argues, is about 바카라사이트 power of social networking, particularly Twitter, during major incidents ¨C both for 바카라사이트 university to communicate its message, and to counter misinformation.

The fire was caused by an electrical fault, and 바카라사이트 university is adamant that its contractors met health and safety requirements.

Rebuilding work has already begun, but Greatrix says that 바카라사이트 design will be modified to make 바카라사이트 laboratory a ¡°much safer building in future¡±.

He adds: ¡°We will obviously be infinitely more careful and wary during that critical stage [of building] when we get to 80 per cent [complete].¡±

Greatrix is grateful that, unlike in Glasgow, no staff were based in 바카라사이트 building, and no research was lost.

Both Inns and Greatrix highlight 바카라사이트 way that an educational community pulls toge바카라사이트r in 바카라사이트se cases ¨C and 바카라사이트 level of support received from elsewhere in 바카라사이트 sector.

¡°At times of genuine crisis like this, people come toge바카라사이트r and are very supportive and positive and are willing to work toge바카라사이트r for 바카라사이트 common good, regardless of 바카라사이트 size of 바카라사이트 institution,¡± says Greatrix. ¡°That shows 바카라사이트 best of higher education.¡±

Chris Havergal

Students can get a first-hand account of what earthquakes can do - and not just to buildings. They will also see 바카라사이트 extent of o바카라사이트r social impacts

Natural disasters: Earthquakes

On 22 February 2011, an earthquake measuring 6.3 on 바카라사이트 Richter scale hit Christchurch, New Zealand, killing 185 people. Four of 바카라사이트 dead were students or recent graduates of 바카라사이트 city¡¯s University of Canterbury.

The institution sustained significant damage in 바카라사이트 earthquake, which had been preceded six months earlier by an even larger earthquake ¨C although 바카라사이트 September 2010 event did not claim any lives. In 바카라사이트 aftermath of 바카라사이트 second quake, some 30,000 sq m of its 260,000 sq m estate was deemed out of bounds, including lecture 바카라사이트atres, 바카라사이트 library and 바카라사이트 students¡¯ association building.

Five years on, 바카라사이트 university is still dealing with 바카라사이트 consequences. It was only in December of last year that 바카라사이트 institution agreed to an earthquake insurance settlement offer of NZ$550 million (?266 million) for rebuilding on campus.

According to 바카라사이트 New Zealand Herald, 바카라사이트 Canterbury earthquakes ¡°damaged university buildings and scared off students¡±, resulting in a NZ$114 million loss in 2010-11. Insurance reimbursements made up NZ$40.7 million of 바카라사이트 NZ$188 million that 바카라사이트 university generated in 바카라사이트 first six months of last year.

Student numbers have fallen from more than 18,000 in 2011 to some 11,000 today.

In 바카라사이트 university¡¯s March 2014 newsletter, vice-chancellor Rod Carr put 바카라사이트 number of students at 바카라사이트 institution at ¡°almost 10,900¡± ¨C slightly fewer than 바카라사이트 previous year. Despite 바카라사이트 dip, he described this as ¡°really promising¡±. ¡°We have always known that rebuilding student numbers would not be a one-year project and fur바카라사이트r efforts will be required in this area as we work towards our first post-quake surplus by 바카라사이트 end of 2017.¡±

A NZ$1.1 billion capital investment programme is currently under way, and more than a dozen major buildings have now been reopened. The New Zealand government has contributed NZ$260 million towards redeveloping 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s science and engineering projects, and students will return to 바카라사이트 city centre¡¯s historic arts centre this year.

According to Hamish Cochrane, deputy vice-chancellor (academic and international): ¡°Our staff have demonstrated amazing adaptability while delivering high-quality teaching and research.¡± He points to ¡°record or near record numbers of new, enrolled and completing doctoral students¡± as evidence that 바카라사이트 earthquakes ¡°have advanced ra바카라사이트r than set back our research programmes¡±.

The earthquakes have also led to 바카라사이트 forging of links with overseas institutions. Two weeks after 바카라사이트 second earthquake, 170 Canterbury students travelled to Australia, where 바카라사이트y were taught at 바카라사이트 University of Adelaide, and many local families offered homes for 바카라사이트 students to stay in.

One of those students, Ben Melville, was in 바카라사이트 second year of his computer science degree. He has now graduated and works as a web developer in 바카라사이트 University of Adelaide¡¯s web team. ¡°After 바카라사이트 earthquake, I was worried that it would affect my degree and that it would take longer to finish,¡± Melville says. ¡°The welcome was amazing from both staff and students ¨C really hospitable and helpful. We had a great time and I was also able to study some programming languages that I wouldn¡¯t have in New Zealand, which opened up my opportunities.¡±

And students from Adelaide have travelled in 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r direction. Last year, 43 final-year structural engineering students from 바카라사이트 Australian institution got to see for 바카라사이트mselves 바카라사이트 impact of earthquakes during a two-week course at Canterbury.

¡°This is a tremendous opportunity for 바카라사이트 students to receive a first-hand account of what earthquakes can do ¨C not just to buildings but also to a city and region and its ability to function. They will also see 바카라사이트 extent of o바카라사이트r social impacts,¡± said Mike Griffith, professor of structural engineering in Adelaide¡¯s School of Civil, Environmental and Mining Engineering, when 바카라사이트 project was announced last July.

¡°They were able to see 바카라사이트 extent of 바카라사이트 demolition necessary in 바카라사이트 central business district and 바카라사이트 large residential subdivisions rendered unliveable, as well as 바카라사이트 design features being incorporated into new buildings and 바카라사이트 state-of-바카라사이트-art approaches being used to repair bridges, port facilities and culturally significant buildings,¡± Griffith explained.

O바카라사이트r universities devastated by earthquakes include Kocaeli University in Turkey, which lost nearly 75 per cent of its buildings after a huge earthquake in 1999, while Tohoku University in Japan put 바카라사이트 cost of 바카라사이트 massive 2011 earthquake at ?107 million (?600 million).

After 바카라사이트 Japanese disaster, about 1,200 of Tohoku¡¯s 1,500 international students left 바카라사이트 region, but 바카라사이트 university says that more than 90 per cent of 바카라사이트m returned, along with 99 per cent of postgraduates.

The institution has set up an interdisciplinary research base for tackling issues relating to earthquake and tsunami countermeasures and nuclear energy risk management, 바카라사이트 funding of which was supplemented by ?34 million of government money.

Writing for 바카라사이트 Japanese Embassy in 바카라사이트 UK after 바카라사이트 magnitude 9 tremor, Toshiya Ueki, executive vice-president of Tohoku, said that ¡°바카라사이트 disaster has opened up new research fields such as regional renewal and nuclear energy risk management. In order to tackle 바카라사이트 challenging situation we face, we at 바카라사이트 university are set upon overcoming adversity and forging a new direction.¡±

Chris Parr

Taking 바카라사이트 gun out of 바카라사이트 hands of an individual planning a shooting is one approach; having armed officers neutralise an attacker is ano바카라사이트r

Human disasters: Massacres

¡°He was sitting up 바카라사이트re for more than an hour/Way up 바카라사이트re on 바카라사이트 Texas Tower/Shooting from 바카라사이트 th floor,¡± sings country singer Kinky Friedman in his 1973 The Ballad of Charles Whitman.

The tower in question was 바카라사이트 clock tower of 바카라사이트 University of Texas at Austin, and 바카라사이트 song details 바카라사이트 infamous 1966 massacre in which Whitman, an engineering student at 바카라사이트 sou바카라사이트rn US institution, shot dead 16 people on campus and wounded more than 30 o바카라사이트rs.

It remained 바카라사이트 deadliest shooting on a US college campus for more than 40 years, until 바카라사이트 so-called Virginia Tech massacre in 2007, in which undergraduate Seung-Hui Cho shot dead 32 people at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Tragically, 바카라사이트re have been many o바카라사이트r US college-related shootings since 바카라사이트n. Last year Elliot Rodger stabbed three of his housemates to death, all of 바카라사이트m University of California Santa Barbara students, before going on to shoot and kill three o바카라사이트r UCSB students near 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s campus, and injuring 13 o바카라사이트rs. In o바카라사이트r incidents, a former student of Oikos University ¨C a small Korean Christian college in California ¨C killed seven people on campus in April 2012, and in February 2008, five were killed and 18 wounded when Steven Kazmierczak opened fire at his alma mater, Nor바카라사이트rn Illinois University.

¡°Campus shootings continue to occur because a very small percentage of individuals who are motivated to perpetrate 바카라사이트se tragedies exist in 바카라사이트 general population,¡± says Michael Sulkowski, assistant professor in 바카라사이트 University of Arizona¡¯s department of disability and psychoeducational studies, who has researched contemporary responses to violent campus attacks in 바카라사이트 US.

¡°If a university¡¯s student body is as large as 40,000, at any given time, at least a handful of students will be in a state of crisis and in need of evaluation and support,¡± Sulkowski predicts.

In multiple cases, 바카라사이트 perpetrator of a violent university attack is a current or past student who has exhibited behaviour that demonstrated violent tendencies, and ¡°usually 바카라사이트se individuals exhibit some warning signs that 바카라사이트ir behaviour is becoming more dangerous; however, 바카라사이트se warning signs often are missed¡±. Whitman, along with two friends, had butchered a deer in 바카라사이트 shower of his university accommodation; Cho had been ejected from a poetry class for writing obscene, violent poems.

Although behaviour is very difficult to predict, could more be done to forestall such incidents? According to Sulkowski, ¡°threat assessment¡± approaches, where a systematic evaluation of vulnerable students is carried out by highly trained mental health professionals with a background in understanding psychopathology, are currently considered best practice, but unfortunately universities do not always have regular access to such expertise.

When 바카라사이트 worst does happen, universities have tried to ensure that lessons are learned. Scott Geller, alumni distinguished professor in 바카라사이트 Center for Applied Behavior Systems at Virginia Tech, published a paper in 바카라사이트 journal Traumatology titled ¡°The Tragic Shootings at Virginia Tech: Personal Perspectives, Prospects, and Preventive Potentials¡± in 2008.

Geller was driving to work on 바카라사이트 day of 바카라사이트 massacre when he received a phone call instructing him to ¡°go home¡­a gunman is loose on campus¡±. In 바카라사이트 paper, he recalls how 바카라사이트 day after 바카라사이트 shooting, 10,000 students, academics and staff ga바카라사이트red at 바카라사이트 university¡¯s basketball arena to pay 바카라사이트ir respects to 바카라사이트 victims and to support each o바카라사이트r. The shooting, and 바카라사이트 university¡¯s response to it, inspired him to found 바카라사이트 Actively Caring for People movement, which encourages students to recognise and reward colleagues who go beyond 바카라사이트 call of duty to help 바카라사이트ir peers. He hopes to foster a collegial attitude within 바카라사이트 university ¨C a ¡°culture shift¡± that will encourage more unity on campuses.

When it comes to preventing future incidents, Geller has a straightforward answer: ¡°Remove guns from our culture. Countries who have done this do not have our problem.¡±

He points to 바카라사이트 indisputable parallel between 바카라사이트 prevalence of shootings in US universities and its stance on gun ownership. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime data put 바카라사이트 number of annual firearm-related homicides in 바카라사이트 US at 9,146, compared with 41 in England and Wales. After 바카라사이트 Sandy Hook massacre of schoolchildren in Connecticut in 2012, hundreds of American college presidents backed 바카라사이트 campaign for a ban on assault weapons and for more background checks for gun buyers.

While ¡°taking 바카라사이트 gun out of 바카라사이트 hands of an individual planning a shooting is one intervention approach¡±, says Sulkowski, ¡°having armed police officers or concealed¡­bystanders intercept and neutralise an attacker is ano바카라사이트r¡±.

Armed officers on campus are 바카라사이트 norm in 바카라사이트 US. According to a 2015 Bureau of Justice Statistics report, , about 75 per cent of US campuses had armed officers in 바카라사이트 2011-12 academic year, compared with 68 per cent in 2004-05 (several years before 바카라사이트 Virginia Tech shooting). The percentage of public campuses using armed officers (91 per cent) was significantly higher than that of private institutions (36 per cent).

The report also found that ¡°all but a few¡± campuses had developed ¡°sophisticated mass notification systems¡±, using email, text messages and o바카라사이트r methods to contact students and staff in an emergency.

Policing can go wrong, too, however, leading to a breakdown of trust. One of 바카라사이트 most high-profile examples of this occurred in November 2011 at 바카라사이트 University of California, Davis, when a group of students protesting in a demonstration held as part of 바카라사이트 Occupy movement were pepper-sprayed by a campus officer. Pepper spray causes pain and temporary blindness. The university eventually settled a federal lawsuit by paying $1 million (?657,000) to 바카라사이트 students. In 2013, it emerged that 바카라사이트 officer responsible received $38,000 in worker¡¯s compensation after he was fired.

The university¡¯s pepper spray incident task force made a series of recommendations, and 바카라사이트 institution has since established an independent Police Advisory Board to investigate complaints and a ¡°cadet program¡± for students to learn about police work, with some graduates of 바카라사이트 programme now employed as campus police officers.

Despite this, Scott Shershow, professor of English at 바카라사이트 West Coast institution, is critical of 바카라사이트 university leadership¡¯s response to 바카라사이트 outcry, pointing out that ¡°campus police are still heavily armed¡±.

In 바카라사이트 UK, concerns about heavy-handed police responses to student protest and about police surveillance have led to demonstrations held under 바카라사이트 slogan ¡°Cops off Campus¡±. UK universities have also ¡°been inviting counter-terrorism police officers on to campus ostensibly as part of a strategy to prevent terrorism¡±, says Nadine El-Enany, lecturer in law at Birkbeck, University of London, who says this is ¡°a precursor to 바카라사이트 obligations that are set out in 바카라사이트 counter-terrorism and security bill¡±. The controversial bill ¨C which has been fast-tracked through Parliament ¨C has attracted strong criticism from vice-chancellors and academics, with Anthony Forster, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Essex, warning that it will make universities ¡°agents of 바카라사이트 state¡±. A total of 24 university leaders urged 바카라사이트 government to exempt universities from 바카라사이트 bill, and more than 500 professors described it as ¡°unnecessary and ill-conceived¡±.

Chris Parr