It only takes one person to initiate a response in an emergency or high-risk situation. At the University of Idaho there are multiple people who can and want to be that person. These people’s intentions are good and kind — caring, even.
But when there are too many channels to go through and no clear path to follow about who should be allowed to know certain information, the unfortunate result is that often times no one is heard. It no longer matters that the right policies and procedures exist and are in place because if they are too convoluted to understand nothing will be accomplished anyway.
In many instances, these roadblocks are the result of an overly bureaucratic approach to communication within the university.
And it is this point the independent review panel President M. Duane Nellis convened to review UI’s policies and procedures for safety and security acknowledged most throughout its report released Wednesday.
The review panel did not discredit UI for failure to have the right systems in place, but instead said it limits the efficiency and effectiveness of those systems by preventing all parties involved in an emergency or high-risk situation from knowledge of all information.
And it is from this that the review panel made the recommendation that UI strengthen its exchange of information to give everyone involved — from the Moscow Police Department to UI administrators to parents and friends — a more comprehensive understanding of particular situations in order to better defer any potential harm to an individual or the community.
It seems that in many instances the University of Idaho, like many other universities across the nation, is so afraid of violating government regulations, like FERPA, that it paralyzes administrators from acting with common sense. Instead, administrators are left with their hands tied feeling that they’re doing all they can, even if it is not all they would do in a situation outside of a university setting.
There is a time and place for FERPA, but that time is not when a person’s safety is at an alarming risk. And it’s not fair to place an administrator who is trusted by a student in a situation where they feel like all they did still wasn’t enough.
The review panel’s report says it, the shooting our campus experienced this semester says it, now UI needs to say it — common sense trumps superficial government regulations when it comes to campus safety.
— ER