Several media outlets recently reported on the Feb. 28 arrest of a Hudson Valley student who made threatening statements on the popular social media outlet, Snapchat. As communicated to our students, faculty and staff on March 1, the college has zero tolerance for such threats, and we must take every precaution and reasonable measure to protect our community. Every one of us plays an important role, and I urge you to report any suspicious or unusual incidents, no matter how minor they may seem. Our Public Safety staff members are able to immediately respond to any concern that is brought to their attention.
While the college has a constant peace officer presence on campus as well as extensive video surveillance, we also rely on our students, faculty and staff to observe and report issues of concern. You may contact the Public Safety department at any time by calling 911 from any campus or emergency phone or at (518) 629-7210 from any non-campus or cell phone. Emergency telephones directly linked to Public Safety are located on each floor, hallway and elevator of every building on campus. Additional emergency telephones, identified by a blue light, are strategically located across campus, in parking lots and walkways.
In addition, the college’s Emergency Response Team, chaired by Vice President for Finance and Administration Bill Reuter, meets regularly to improve our ability to manage emergencies and test crisis communications procedures. Please reach out to Vice President Reuter with your suggestions or questions for this team, and remember to download the Alertus app and register to receive text messages about emergency situations and severe weather events affecting our community.
Finally, Interim Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Development Louis Coplin leads the college’s Student Behavioral Assessment Team. This group is primarily focused on addressing our students’ behavioral health and wellness. Proactively identifying and responding to a variety of student issues is another way we keep our college community safe, so please contact Vice President Coplin if you would like to learn more or share your thoughts.
As a public college that is open and accessible to all, the well-being of our students, employees and visitors is paramount. I thank you for your active participation in our ongoing efforts to ensure safety of our college community.
Published: Mon, 11 Mar 2019 12:38:17 +0000 by r.ramsammy