AU Family A publication for families of Aurora University students
Dear Friends, A new year just dawned on campus as we launched the 2020 spring semester. The fall saw a renewed emphasis on campus safety, the opening of the long-promised parking garage and the completion of a baseball facility developed in collaboration with the local park district. Now we turn the corner into a new decade with ambitious plans for ongoing improvement. Here I want to address a serious subject and to seek your support. In February, Aurora will mark the anniversary of the Pratt workplace shooting. As is so frequently the case when such tragedies occur, we learned a great deal. The summer saw major investments in enhanced emergency communication capacity and the fall witnessed a number of drills on campus. We also introduced the “Run. Hide. Fight.” protocol that is the preferred higher education modality for responding to an active shooter. This is quite different from the direction provided in schools. When a student goes to college, s/he
SPRING 2020
takes on more responsibilities — for learning, for making good decisions and for acting in his or her own behalf in an emergency. It is easy to think of college as a continuation of schooling. In fact, it is something quite different. Our goal is to prepare students for the rest of their lives, for the times when they must act for themselves in many different circumstances. This newsletter provides an overview of the recommended higher education protocol — as well as other subjects. Help us make this the best and safest year yet at Aurora University. Sincerely,
Rebecca L. Sherrick, PhD President P.S. As always, we welcome your questions and suggestions about our campus safety efforts and invite you to share your feedback at safety@aurora.edu.
Campus safety remains a top priority The AU Campus Emergency Operations Team continues its efforts to ensure the safety and well-being of students, faculty, staff, and guests. The following is an overview of the most recent safety and emergency preparedness efforts. General Safety Awareness » Safety presentations were conducted for new student orientations and student leadership organizations, with all new incoming students receiving education and training on campus safety procedures. »
Safety key card tags were made available to all students and employees. Tags display general safety information and the “Run. Hide. Fight.” protocol as well as contact information for Campus Public Safety.
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A tornado safety video was created to demonstrate proper response procedures in the event of severe weather or a tornado on campus. It is available at aurora.edu/emergency. continued on next page