LANSING (WWJ) -- Following the devastating mass shooting at Michigan State University in February, officials have outlined several steps the institution will take to increase safety across campus -- including a mandatory training program.
It has now been a month since the harrowing campus lockdown at Michigan State University as law enforcement secured buildings and searched for the mass shooter who killed three students and injured five more before turning a handgun on himself only a few hours later.
Taking into consideration input from public safety officials, campus leaders, student, faculty and staff, MSU Interim President Teresa K. Woodruff, Ph.D., announced a series of safety measures the university will implement in the weeks and months ahead.
According to a Monday press release, the improvements will focus on building access, classroom door locks, expanding camera coverage and mandatory active violence training.
Starting Monday, nearly all buildings on the East Lansing campus will require a key card to enter between the hours of 6 p.m. and 7:30 a.m.
An updated lock system will be installed in each of the university's 1,300 classrooms, allowing instructors to secure classrooms while still complying with the fire code and providing access for first responders.
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While MSU already has more than 2,000 security cameras, additional surveillance will be added to academic buildings as well as the Green Light phones already placed around campus. Prior to the shooting, MSU Police and Public Safety started centralizing the way in which camera feeds and security systems are monitored.
Finally, all students, faculty and staff will now be required to complete an active violence training program through MSU Police and Public Safety. The training is currently voluntary.
All of the new safety measures are expected to be in place by the start of the Fall 2023 semester.
"The actions we are outlining today position us on a path to reclaim our sense of safety that was so violently taken away from our community,” said President Woodruff. “These steps will provide more robust security on campus while better preparing our community to respond in these unfortunate situations."
In addition to these improvements, MSU will soon be taking proposals for an external, third-party review of the university's handling of the Feb. 13 shooting, according to MSU Vice President for Public Safety and Chief of Police Marlon Lynch.
"Our security portfolio is multifaceted," Chief Lynch said, "and we’re constantly evaluating improvements and changes — seen and unseen — that strengthen safety on campus."
The review is a necessary part of the institution's emergency response accreditation.
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