One doesn't have to search very far to find incidents of life-threatening violence at schools and universities throughout the nation--let alone tragedies away from campuses such as a gunman's January attack outside a Tucson, Arizona, grocery store that left six dead and Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords seriously wounded. These shootings are the…

Explores the use of the school resource officer (SRO) as the fastest growing area for preventing school violence and improving the educational environment. The SRO's importance to students is also highlighted as is the combining of the SRO with more technologically centered crime prevention efforts. (GR)

Describes how public education has changed over the past 100 years. Developments in equal education, technology implementation, school neglect and decay, and mainstreaming are discussed as are violence in schools and comparisons in school construction characteristics over the century. (GR)

Outbreaks of violence at education institutions typically do not rise to the horrific levels of Virginia Tech, Columbine High School, or Oikos University. But incidents that threaten school security--bullying, hazing, online harassment--take place in every month of the year and may occur in any classroom or campus from coast to coast. Schools and…

When a catastrophe strikes a community, the response of those affected may vary. But whether it is a hurricane, deadly violence, or killer tornados, the schools have to push forward and transform a traumatic situation into an opportunity for improvements. Schools and universities must move forward to make sure students continue to learn and grow.…

New facilities at schools and universities are being designed that embrace the latest learning techniques and philosophies. The article describes two facilities that exemplify this trend: Thomas Jefferson Hall at the United States Military Academy at West Point, and Cass Technical High School library in Detroit, Michigan. Libraries, once thought…

More than 3,000 people died in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, but the damage extended far beyond the physical casualties of that horrific day. The shock of the cold-blooded brutality and the devastation that resulted led to a grim realization that everyone was vulnerable to violence and tragedy. Although other…

Violence and natural catastrophes have made schools and universities more vigilant about protecting students and staff on their campuses. Students and workers also need to get to and from their schools, and once on a campus, they need to get from one facility to another. In this article, the author suggests that administrators must make sure…

Some regions are prone to hurricanes, tornadoes, floods or earthquakes. Other tragedies, such as fires or acts of violence, can occur just about anywhere. Regardless of the specific type of disaster, schools and universities must be prepared to cope with crises that can disrupt operations, destroy facilities, and displace students and staff.…

Education administrators have many tools available to them as they strive to establish a safe climate for learning, but no one strategy or piece of equipment is a magic solution that keeps potential trouble beyond the campus boundaries. Creating and maintaining a safe and secure school environment requires a balance of many strategies: (1)…

In a residence hall on the campus of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, two students had been shot to death. A couple of hours later, the tragedy multiplied by horrific proportions as across campus, 30 students and instructors were gunned down in a classroom building. As the details emerged of the worst shooting incident in U.S. history, educators and…

The education headlines have been filled with grim news about facility closings, teacher layoffs and program cutbacks. When the economic climate is gloomy, few areas of schools and universities are spared. In areas outside the classroom, such as safety and security, the cuts may be larger and come more quickly. When money is scarce, education…

In hindsight, the warning signs were abundant that Seung-Hui Cho was mentally troubled and potentially dangerous. However, authorities at Virginia Tech did not put together all the pieces until after the 23-year-old student opened fire on the Blacksburg campus on April 16, 2007, and killed 32 people before taking his own life. In the aftermath of…