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While no institution can guarantee absolute safety in the classroom or on campus grounds, EOU has taken the issue seriously and works continually to improve the safety of the University’s campus and classrooms. The guidelines in this FAQ are just one step toward a safer educational environment. Among the actions the University has taken are these:
Website: https://www.eou.edu/safety-security
Many emergency services professionals believe that, along with campus officials, faculty are important partners in providing for the safety of their classroom students in the event of an emergency, just as they oversee student safety during classroom and laboratory activities. All faculty should anticipate and plan how they would ensure the safety of their students in the event of an active shooter in the building. While anticipating every detail of an emergency is impossible, by planning ahead, faculty can greatly improve their students’ and their own odds of surviving the emergency.
In the event of gunfire in my classroom building, should I evacuate my class, or should we stay where we are and barricade the door?
Statistically, the more distance you place between yourself and someone firing a weapon, the higher the probability that you will escape injury. Therefore, if you hear gunfire, your first course of action should be to consider the situation and evacuate yourself and your students away from the danger if you can safely do so. You should only consider sheltering in place or elsewhere within the building if evacuation is not possible.
Most EOU classroom doors lock. If you wish to engage a lock while teaching your class, you should do so, but relying solely on locks for safety has two fundamental problems: many classroom doors have a glass window, and any modern firearm is powerful enough to shoot through even tempered or safety glass. A shooter could then easily unlock the door or reach victims through the glass.
Faculty are encouraged to contact Campus Security if they would like additional information or would like to discuss emergency planning. EOU’s security services website hosts training videos and EOU’s active shooter protocol:
https://www.eou.edu/facplan/security-services/
Safety & Security Eastern Oregon University Loso 154 One University Boulevard La Grande, OR 97850-2899 Phone: (541) 962-3911 E-Mail: security@eou.edu