BLACKSBURG – Virginia Tech’s internal review of the campus massacre recommended Wednesday more monitoring of troubled students, classroom locks and other security measures.
University President Charles Steger named committees to look at counseling services, security and communication following the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history.
In calling for creation of a team of police, counselors and other university personnel to monitor students who might pose a threat to themselves or others, the counseling committee said Tech needs a better system to deal with such students.
The university also should improve security with interior locks on classroom doors and Internet-based message boards alerting the campus of emergencies, the security and communications panels said. The university’s security committee recommended instructing students on what to do in emergencies, installing interior locks on 157 general assignment classrooms, removing “drop bar” door handles that can be chained, and possibly installing electronic key card access to academic and administrative buildings.
During the summer, Tech instituted a system that alerts students and staff of emergencies by text messages on cell phones, e-mail and instant message applications.