This book presents 10 case studies of how universities and colleges respond to violent tragedies, both on- and off-campus, and offers suggestions for institutions to prepare themselves to deal with such crises. Each case study of a specific case of violence or other tragedy was based on interviews with the participants and reports on the specific preparations and responses of campus officials, students, and organizations; provides excerpts of press releases and internal reports on the tragedy; and comments on the effectiveness of the actions taken by campus personnel to deal with the tragedy. The cases include: (1) multiple tragedies off-campus, including a fatal fraternity house fire, a bomb threat, and a fatal hostage situation in a bar near campus; (2) date rape on-campus; (3) a murder on campus; (4) two rapes on-campus; (5) a suicide on-campus; (6) serial murders off-campus; (7) an athlete charged with assault; (8) the murder of 14 female students and employees at the Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal in 1989; (9) Florida International University's response to Hurricane Andrew in 1992; and (10) the University of Miami's response to Hurricane Andrew. A summary and critique of institutional responses, specific suggestions for tragedy preparedness, and a crisis preparation checklist are included. (MDM)