Chancellor’s Update: Classroom Safety Offerings

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Dear Faculty and Staff,

UWM faculty and staff have great impact in their work with our students, the region and beyond. Unfortunately, our good efforts can be compromised by actions or incidents that cause people to feel unsafe. To ensure we are prepared to respond well in such circumstances, the Dean of Students Office and UWM Police Department will offer training sessions on classroom and campus safety for all faculty and instructional staff throughout the fall semester.

Why a focus on faculty and instructors? Our faculty and instructors are in an ideal position to help ensure the safety and support of our students, in and out of the classroom. This is the first time safety training has been designed exclusively for faculty and instructors, and was developed with the input of academic leadership including department chairs. Attendees of the training will learn how to address distubances, report potentially troubling behaviors, connect students with resources to help them be successful, and react during an emergency, including collaboration with first responders, should such an incident occur.

Twenty sessions are scheduled, starting September 20 through mid-December. You may sign up here. Due to the essential role of faculty and staff in the classroom, UWM’s goal is for each and every faculty and instructional staff member to participate in one of these sessions. Attendance will be monitored to ensure full participation, and additional opportunities will be offered in 2017 if needed. While these sessions are designed for those involved in classroom interactions, all employees are welcome to attend if they wish.

UWM Police Department classes on safety awareness, self-defense, active shooter prevention/response, and other topics will continue to be offered. In addition, any unit can request training tailored to their needs, including safety training from the Police Department or guidance on student support from the Dean of Students Office.

In addition, this month UWM implemented a new and improved system for Safety Awareness for Everyone (SAFE) message alerts utilizing coordinated text, email, and other communication platforms. Faculty and staff will automatically receive email alerts, but also are strongly encouraged to sign up to receive text alerts on personal and campus cell phones. Employee cell phone data in the former system does not automatically transfer and may be outdated.

Our ultimate goal is a safe campus for everyone. Your involvement in safety offerings enhances the remarkable work everyone is already doing to deliver student success, research excellence and community engagement.

Best regards,

Mark A. Mone
Chancellor
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee