Dear Carolina Community,
On Aug. 28, 2023, our campus suffered a devastating loss when a faculty member was killed during an active shooting incident. This was a painful event for our University, and our community continues to heal. Since then, we have explored opportunities to make impactful improvements to our campus security and emergency protocols, and I am sharing an update on those initiatives today.
As announced in December, Institutional Integrity and Risk Management engaged an independent agency, CNA Corporation, to help analyze the incident and response, and provide recommendations to inform the University’s emergency response plans moving forward. CNA has completed its work and provided us with a comprehensive after-action report of those findings and recommendations.
A summary of that report that highlights the findings and recommendations identified by the independent report is now available on the Aug. 28 Campus Shooting Response website. We cannot share the full report because it is a record related to the planning and development of emergency response plans and includes sensitive public security information that is confidential under the state public records law.
The report clearly illustrates our law enforcement and emergency management teams were proactive in planning and preparing for emergencies, and I am incredibly proud of their response. Now we need to work on ways to ensure preparedness is included in every area of campus, and we are closely aligned with our key external partners.
With the release of the summary, we are also sharing an early overview of the University’s implementation plan, which includes the improvement priorities and a timeline for making changes. We will take a holistic look at implementing the recommendations and work with our colleagues across the University to make improvements as quickly and thoroughly as possible. Many improvements have already been made or have started, and the rest will be completed in phases, with a timeline of six months to three years.
The after-action report provides valuable insights into areas where we can enhance safety on our campus. We are committed to addressing identified gaps and strengthening security for everyone who ventures to Carolina, whether it be to study, work or visit. We will continue to work together to make this the strongest and safest Carolina possible.
George Battle
Vice Chancellor for Institutional Integrity and Risk Management