To: All Faculty & All Academic Professionals & All Civil Service Staff &
           All Undergrad Students & All Grad Students <everybody@illinois.edu> 
    From: "Van Anderson" <van@uiuc.edu>

Reply-To: van@uiuc.edu
 Subject: MASSMAIL - Safety and Security Update


To:      All Faculty, Academic Professionals, Civil Service Staff,
         Undergraduate Students, and Graduate Students

From:    Associate Vice Chancellor Van Anderson

Date:    October 18, 2001

Subject: In the Aftermath of September 11: A Safety and Security Update

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is committed to maintaining 
a welcoming environment that enables all members of the campus community to 
live and work in safety. In the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist 
attacks, a large number of campus personnel have been actively reviewing 
our programs and operations to identify possible changes that will enhance 
our safety and security. Some of the steps taken will be obvious, such as 
the new security protocols at Willard Airport and at Memorial Stadium, 
while other steps will be done out of the public view for security reasons.

We are fortunate to be able to draw on faculty and staff who are experts in 
the areas of terrorism, emergency response, safety, and security for these 
reviews. We are also fortunate to have strong ties to the local, state, and 
federal authorities, agencies, and professional associations that provide 
expert support and advice. I am providing a summary of some of our ongoing 
activities to give you an idea of the breadth of activities that are 
occurring.

Notification of Potential Threats

The University of Illinois Police Department (UIPD) maintains close contact 
with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The FBI keeps all law 
enforcement agencies informed of potential threats across the United States 
and around the world. It is important to note that there are no known 
threats directed toward universities in the United States at this time. 
However, we must be vigilant. It is important to report to UIPD any unusual 
or suspicious activities so they can be properly investigated. 

Controlling Access to Facilities

When persons unknown to you enter your work areas, ask them if you can help 
them. This will allow you to determine if they should be in your area. Your 
security can be improved by remembering to lock your offices, labs, and 
residence hall rooms when you leave them and by not letting strangers into 
locked buildings for which they do not have a key. Persons with legitimate 
reasons for entering locked areas will either have a key or can ask for 
assistance from UIPD.

Services for Students

The Office of the Dean of Students, the Office of International Student 
Affairs, the Study Abroad Office, the Housing Division, and others have 
been monitoring student concerns regarding acts of revenge or intolerance. 
These offices have provided direct assistance to individual students and 
student groups. They have offered a wide variety of programs including 
information on safety and security issues. Students with concerns may call 
the Office of the Dean of Students at 333-0050 or contact 
helpdean@uiuc.edu. The Counseling Center, 333-3701, is also available to 
help students with stress-related issues.

The Study Abroad Office (SAO) has completed a comprehensive evaluation of 
its program to ensure that it continues to provide adequate travel safety, 
security, and health services to all students enrolled in the program. The 
SAO constantly monitors U.S. Department of State communications. Relevant 
information on safety matters is immediately conveyed to all study abroad 
students and their parents. If conditions in a foreign country warrant the 
U.S. Department of State recommending against travel to that country, any 
students in that country would be immediately recalled to the U.S. Since 
the September 11 terrorist attacks, no travel warnings have been issued for 
countries in which we have students studying abroad.

Review of Facilities

A comprehensive review of facilities is underway. Vulnerabilities are being 
assessed and changes implemented as needed. Some of our facilities are 
directly regulated by federal or state agencies that have jurisdiction to 
impose safety and security requirements. Willard Airport is one such 
facility. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has imposed new 
stringent security measures for all airports and Willard Airport continues 
to take the necessary steps to comply with the new requirements. Like the 
operation at Willard Airport, programs in other campus facilities with 
similar regulatory oversight maintain contact with the regulatory agencies 
to ensure that all prudent security measures are taken. 

Review of Research Safety and Security

The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, the Office of the Vice 
Chancellor for Administration and Human Resources, a number of campus 
safety committees, the Division of Animal Resources (DAR), the Division of 
Environmental Health and Safety (DEHS), and the UIPD are working together 
and with individual researchers to address research safety. To assist 
researchers in the assessment of their laboratory safety and security 
needs, a document entitled "Prudent Laboratory Safety and Security 
Practices" was prepared and disseminated. That document can be viewed at 
http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/lab.htm. Direct assistance in assessing safety and 
security needs can be provided by DAR (333-2564), DEHS (333-2755) and/or 
UIPD (333-1835).

Development of Advisory Documents

Another aspect of the ongoing efforts is the development of information and 
guidance documents relevant to possible threats. In response to the recent 
reports in the news of anthrax cases, the McKinley Health Center has 
created a web page that provides general information and answers to 
commonly asked questions about anthrax. The information can be viewed at 
http://www.mckinley.uiuc.edu/updates/anthrax.html. The U.S. Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Health Advisory last Friday 
evening containing guidelines for handling suspicious letters or packages 
that may contain anthrax. Those guidelines were modified for use on campus 
and distributed, along with U.S. Postal Service guidelines for handling 
potential mail bombs, to all faculty, staff, and students. That information 
can be viewed at http://www.vcadmin.uiuc.edu/mail.html.

Role of Individual Units

As you can see, a very comprehensive review of campus programs and 
operations is underway. It is important for all units to take time to 
review their unit safety and security plans, including emergency 
preparedness plans, to bring the plans up-to-date and to make sure the 
plans are understood by all members of the unit. This type of proactive 
response to safety and security will ensure that we can act quickly and 
decisively should an incident occur on campus. This mailing approved by:
The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Administration & HR

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