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Originally Posted by ubertuber
That's not strictly true. I've worked in the administration of two schools (yes, both were federal aid recipients) and saw no such information or plans at either - and I worked in a department that would HAVE to know the policies and procedures. I think the reality is that a lot of schools are woefully unprepared for emergencies. This was something that made me quite anxious until I left.
I'm not saying that the schools shouldn't have these plans ready for execution or that they aren't required by law - just that some don't.
EDIT: Also, I'm rereading that email. I wish that we had things like that at the schools where I worked. However, from the email, it appears that the lockdown alarm at your institution would have been new. I'm sure you have information that is more accurate, having actually worked there.
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I think for colleges one of the problems with having a campus safety plan is the sheer size of the operation. At my university, there are over a hundred buildings on campus and each one has to have an evacuation plan. Good luck on getting all of the students (over 20,000 of them) to learn it for each building they have classes in. Colleges also don't drill students on evacuations or emergency procedures the way other schools do. I guess they figure that by the time we're adults we should know what to do in certain situations, but the POINT of emergency plans is to have a clear procedure to follow so that when push comes to shove people don't panic--because even adults panic, and to assume we can handle ourselves in an emergency situation is pushing it, I think.
By contrast, every school I've ever worked at, every school district I've worked for has had a clear emergency plan for every campus and every situation. The last high school I worked at had a handbook and a quick-flip guide for teachers to keep in their desks. They practice fire drills once a month and earthquake drills every quarter. My university has no such thing, but I am glad to say the president has already drafted a response to the VT tragedy, and I'm quite sure campus safety, Oregon State Police, and the administration will be working together to make my campus safer in the future, for future students.