February 13, 2003
As we all focus attention on news of events throughout the world and our nation, I wish to take this opportunity to discuss with you the safety and security steps in place for Claremont McKenna College students. While we of course hope that extraordinary measures will prove not to be needed, I want you to know that we are prepared for whatever the next months bring, wherever our students are studying, whether here in Claremont, in our Washington, D.C. program, or through Study Abroad.
The College has an excellent emergency plan. While living in earthquake country has its own preparedness challenges, it has nonetheless led us to committing the time and resources to address emergency planning long before the events of the past few years.
Emergency Operations Committee The Emergency Operations Committee (EOC) is the core incident preparedness group at Claremont McKenna College. The EOC is comprised of senior members of the College's staff and faculty, and is our key organization for ongoing emergency training and preparedness. The EOC also works closely with a top disaster preparedness consultant, and training for the group has included:
* Monthly training and refresher meetings.
* Twice-yearly all-campus drills focusing on potential emergency situations.
* More frequent "tabletop drills," providing student, faculty, and staff training in specific areas, such as anthrax threats, bomb threats, armed intruders, and procedures for safety "lockdowns" of campus buildings.
* Expansion of the College's network of local agencies and businesses providing assistance during potential threats.
Contingency Supplies As a residential college, CMC has enough food, water, and medical supplies to last several days. Canned goods and pantry items are ordered in bulk, and there are four kitchens on campus. With the addition of long-term rations and supplies specifically for emergency use, we can care for our entire student, faculty, and staff population for at least three to five days with no additional assistance or hardship.
First-Aid More than 50 CMC students, faculty, and staff have been trained to use automatic defibrillators and to administer first-aid and CPR. Resident Assistants (RAs) and emergency building coordinators were among the first to receive training. While we have good relationships with area hospitals and other medical facilities, we are prepared to provide comprehensive first-aid services without outside assistance if necessary.
Counseling Our students have access to two excellent programs should they wish to talk to a counselor. Options include The Claremont Colleges' Monsour Counseling Center and Office of the Chaplain, as well as trained staff members within the Office of the Dean of Students and among certain areas of the faculty. Discussions can also take place successfully in informal settings as well as within a prescribed format. In an intensely residential institution such as CMC, many students already have a favorite professor, staff member, or student to whom they turn at difficult times.
Off-Campus Study Communication becomes even more critical when members of the CMC community are participating in Off-Campus Study. A number of steps are taken every semester to help ensure their comfort and safety.
Study Abroad The CMC Study Abroad office monitors world developments through the U.S. Department of State, and receives frequent updates from program sponsors who are in constant contact with their staffs abroad. The affiliate programs with which we work abroad offer on-site safety and procedural orientation immediately upon the arrival of our students. These orientations vary by location and provide the most pertinent safety information and planning.
This semester, 81 students are participating in study abroad programs in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, China, Cost Rica, Cuba, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, England, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Samoa, Scotland, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, and Taiwan.
Washington, D.C. Program The CMC Washington program is the only program outside of Claremont administered completely by the College, directed by our own faculty and staff. There are currently 17 students enrolled in the program, 12 of those from CMC. Our Washington Program orientation contains extensive safety and preparedness training developed with the assistance of a Washington-based emergency preparedness consultant trained in the kinds of threats recently faced in our nation's capital. Students in Washington have been issued personal, portable kits that contain a one-day supply of food, water, and first-aid. They have already practiced finding their way to their designated emergency meeting place and have received extensive information about transportation and safety options should they need to leave their apartment or internship location.
As in Claremont, we encourage our students to communicate with faculty and staff about their questions or concerns, and program director Dr. Elizabeth Spalding and her team have been extensively involved in all safety and preparedness outreach.
These are challenging times, but in a college whose mission is the education of future leaders, they can also be times of learning in which world events enter the classroom discussion. This is exemplified through a number of cultural programs, including the Thursday luncheon and lecture series sponsored by International Place, and the extensive lecture series at the Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum, whose spring semester guests include international affairs professor Jorge Dominguez of Harvard University; retired lieutenant general of the Indian Military, Y.M. Bammi; and Il SaKong, former finance minister of the Republic of Korea.
I know these are difficult times to be separated from our families. Please be assured that the education, health, and well-being of your CMC student is at the core of everything we do. In the meantime, I will continue to keep you apprised as the situation warrants, and I hope you will contact me should you have any additional questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Pamela Brooks Gann