Is Your College Campus Ready for the Next Threat

Earlier this week, the University of Chicago‘s Hyde Park campus cancelled classes after a gun threat was posted online.

FBI counterterrorism officials informed the university the posted threat targeted “the campus quad,” a frequently populated area on campus.

And while campus activities were expected to return to a normal schedule a day after the threat, America added another tick mark to the chart of violent threats on college campuses for the year.

Cue an eye-roll and palm-slap to the forehead.

I admit this response is apathetic, but very real, and, I feel, common. I know you don’t need me to tell you, but the amount of school shootings highlighted in the news can desensitize anyone. Enough is enough.

As a human being, my heart goes out to the University of Chicago and the others schools that have lost students, faculty and staff to gun violence. However, as a writer and editor of technology in higher ed, all I can ask is what is the deal?

With all the security strategies, technologies, apps, etc. out there, my initial thought is that the colleges of 2015 should be more than prepared for violence curveballs. However, it seems that they aren’t, and the numbers don’t lie: according to Time Magazine, as of October 1st of this year, 23 shootings on college campuses have occurred in the United States.

No matter how much we wish for world peace and for humans to be kind to one another, there will always be violence and terrorism, especially in heavily populated places like college campuses.

I realize that there is only so much that campus, local and state police can do to help colleges stay safe and take down threats, but I still wonder if something more can be done, especially with technology.

Based on the colleges and universities I’ve spoken to regarding campus safety and security, it seems to be that most technology solutions are geared towards guiding campus-goers to safety, mass notification for live threats, or devices to play back threats to identify the facial features of a suspect.

I wonder if there is a solution that can be used to prevent violence before it happens, or cut off the spread of a written threat before it sparks chaos on campus and the SWAT teams roll in.