By Asia Fields
Western’s Classroom Door Locking Committee has recommended to the the vice president for business and financial affairs that Western install locks on classroom doors.
The committee came to its decision at its second meeting, on Thursday, April 12, Paul Cocke, director of communications and marketing, said.
It recommended that Western purchase and install locks that are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and fire code on classroom doors, Cocke said.
It also recommended using blinds for windows next to doors, revising and expanding the Western Emergency Preparedness video and creating a method to prioritize classroom doors for lock installation, he said.
Cocke said the committee decided to have issues related to implementation discussed through a “shared governance process.”
The committee was revitalized in March, after The Western Front reported on a lack of options in classrooms in the case of an active shooter and on student and faculty concerns.
It could cost over $1 million to install code-compliant hardware to lock doors, according to a planning document obtained by the AS Review. The cost per door remains to be decided, but is estimated to be in the magnitude of $600 for hardware, labor and sales tax.
There are around 450 classrooms and labs across campus, according to the document, and at least one-third have multiple doors.
Paul Dunn, senior executive assistant to the president, told the Front that the university would be moving quickly to request funds in the 2019-21 capital budget. The AS Review is waiting for more information on the status of funding for lock installation.
The Western Emergency Preparedness Video, which says it was updated in July 2015, focuses on prevention of violent incidents by identifying students who exhibit concerning behavior. University Police also uses the Department of Homeland Security’s active shooter video, which recommends the “run, hide, fight” guidelines.
The AS Review obtained a document outlining different options that were being considered by the committee, providing a look into closed-door discussions that reporters have been denied access to.
The document was created by Chief of Police Darin Rasmussen and Director of Facilities Management John Furman. It says that the growing frequency of active shooter events nationally has increased interest in installing classroom locks.
“Since many classroom doors open outward and many classrooms contain fixed seating, barricades will have limited effectiveness, therefore modified door hardware is under consideration,” the document says.
The AS Review will update to this story when more information becomes available.