Residential Life at the University of Connecticut has developed a new communication procedure for significant events and emergency situations, according to an announcement sent to UConn RAs Monday, April 4.
The change in reporting policy follows the incident that took place at Hilltop Apartments on Saturday, February 19, when two people were stabbed.
“Following the unfortunate incident in Hilltop Apartments in February, we have been busy reviewing and discussing our communication strategies during a significant event,” said Director of Residence Education Amy Crim. “As a result, we have developed an enhanced communication procedure.”
According to the announcement, the new procedure was developed after careful review among hall directors, residential life leadership and the resident assistant advisory board.
According to Crim, the member of the central leadership team who is on call will be “the key person in identifying communication needs and strategies during and after a significant event on campus.”
That same person will be expected to consult with the deputy chief of UConn Police and the executive director of residential education, as well as the assistant director on duty and any hall directors on duty.
“We have developed a written plan for this small team to guide decision making around necessary communications to our residents, S/RA and professional staffs,” Crim said in the announcement. “These decisions are not taken lightly and there are many considerations to factor in.”
Emails, meetings and debriefs in staff meetings are examples of the necessary communications that may be taken in the time immediately following an emergency situation, the announcement said.
Crim also noted that though the plan is ideal for any given situation, it requires decision-making and is not “one-size-fits-all.”
“This is not a ‘one size fits all’ type of approach,” Crim said. “This approach takes judgement and is based on the known information.”
