Of all the books I’ve read reflecting various perspectives and viewpoints, few have been as impactful as After Virginia Tech: Guns, Safety, and Healing in the Era of Mass Shootings (University of Virginia Press). Written by veteran reporter Thomas P. Kapsidelis, who initially covered the shootings for the Richmond Times-Dispatch, this book is an insightful and moving perspective examining the impact of the shootings at Virginia Tech more than 10 years later. It illuminates personal accounts of recovery and resilience that he hopes can offer insights from the survivors, first responders, and community members. Kapsidelis offers their reflections, experiences, and accounts of how they have moved forward to promote changes in gun violence, mental health, and campus safety and security. The book quickly becomes a larger conversation about gun control as attention is also given to other mass shootings on college campuses. Part of my experience after reading this book was that I was forced to examine my own reflections on issues of guns and safety, and I appreciate that by presenting the voices of those from the Virginia Tech community, we now have a path on which to move forward. This book comprises their voices: it is their voices that reflect the perseverance of the human spirit, and it is their voices that honor those killed that tragic day.
This book is well researched and documented, involving conversations with survivors and advocates, but it is also densely worded, with tremendous amounts of data related to gun control, violence, reform, and safety. However, as important as that conversation is to Kapsidelis, for him the book is also about healing and sharing stories as one way to showcase this healing process.
Each of the 17 chapters consists of a personal story coupled with discussion of a national issue such as gun control or mental health. It is a powerful book, but not an easy read. At numerous points, I had tears in my eyes as I read the vivid description of the day of the shooting and the personal reflections from survivors, family members of those killed, and the first responders. It is hard to read these stories without a heavy heart, but I soon realized the book was really about the heroes of the terrible tragedy and how they became advocates for reform. Many of these individuals have become national leaders in gun control reform, taking on local, state, and federal government policies, often at great costs.
This book provides great value for college students and their parents, campus community members, and government officials. I was left with the reminder that safety is a campus priority, not simply a campus security department priority. Institutions must be prepared, and they must ensure that they are responsive to campus needs. Like Kapsidelis and many others have insisted, a safe campus is not safe simply because we say it is. It is a result of extensive communication among all constituents and extends beyond talking about weapons on our campuses to more precise discussion of issues such as mental health that continue to disrupt and traumatize our campuses.
University housing professionals and their collaborators can use this information to help make campus housing a safe community. In fact, using the book might allow groups that do not normally interact to come together to talk about how they are ensuring that campuses are safe places for all groups. One note of caution related to using this book as a professional development opportunity, however, is that it could be triggering to those who have suffered traumatic events, and resources should be available to minimize such an impact.
— Tony W. Cawthon
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Campuses in the United States will have until January 1, 2020, to comply with the final rule increasing the salary threshold for federal overtime pay requirements. The update, announced in September by the Department of Labor, increases the exemption set by the Fair Labor Standards Act from $23,660 to $35,568.
In a September 24, 2019, news release, the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR) specified the campus positions with the greatest number of exempt employees who were paid below the expected threshold. Student residence hall managers (where room and board are included) were among the positions that had the greatest number, with almost 40% being less than the exemption level. CUPA-HR has more information and resources available online.
As traditional revenue sources become less reliable for colleges and universities, a survey of business officers shows that some are looking to core operations, such as housing, as a potential solution.
Earlier this year the news website Inside Higher Ed partnered with Gallup to conduct a survey of chief business officers. Drawing on responses from 416 surveys (218 public, 190 private-nonprofit, and 8 for-profit campuses), the survey focused primarily on topics such as endowments, institutional financial health, tuition, and economic predictions. The question that could most impact campus housing departments asked respondents to choose which alternative revenue sources they thought were most promising for their campus. While the most common selections were to offer alternative credentials (certificates, noncredit certifications) or create programs for new audiences (such as senior citizens), there were also considerations for existing facilities. In the survey 43% noted the potential of “expanded use of our facilities (e.g., rental to other groups, weekend use)” and 19% said “outsourcing of units that are traditional core operations (e.g., parking, student housing).”
Many campuses have long leveraged residence halls and other campus facilities for camps and conferences during academic breaks. In addition, public-private partnerships to create and manage residence halls are increasingly commonplace. The full report is available online.
Following up on their earlier report, “Chasm in the Classroom,” which addressed the rising attention to free speech issues on college and university campuses, PEN America has just released a new online guide and tool kit to assist campuses. “Campus Free Speech Guide” is aimed at students, faculty, and administrators, offering advice for responding to speech-related controversies as well as proactively working to avoid issues before they occur. Among the resources is a compendium of sample campus policies and public statements as well as case studies on how schools have responded in the past. The resource is available online.
University of Miami (Florida): With the entire project to encompass two residence hall clusters, Lakeside Village will hold 1,115 students in 25 interconnected buildings. In Centennial Village, existing residence halls will be replaced or renovated and will hold 2,100 students. Both villages will include common spaces designed to accommodate music and meditation as well as game rooms and student lounges. The entire project is scheduled to last until 2025.
University of Maryland: The College Park campus began work on two new residence halls as part of its 15-year housing plan. The halls are set to hold 902 students, including those in the University Honors program who are guaranteed a spot on the halls’ living-learning program floors. Alongside the two new halls, a new dining hall will also be constructed with space for honors seminars, offices, and a student lounge.
Stevens Institute of Technology (Hoboken, New Jersey): Stevens Institute of Technology has begun construction on a joint residential and academic building projected to be open for the 2021 academic year. The university center building will accommodate different gatherings and activities as well as host dining and retail services. On either side of the university center building, two residence towers will provide living space for 994 students in single, double, and suite-style apartments.