Instructor emergency preparedness module now active

When an emergency strikes during class time, students naturally turn to their instructors for guidance. Thanks to training launched this July through the Carolina Talent portal, University faculty members and teaching assistants can feel confident they know what to do in times of crisis.

“We have exclusively provided a combination of resources that faculty can use to help them familiarize themselves with their class before the start of the semester,” said Darrell Jeter, Carolina’s director of emergency management and planning. “Should there be a disruption, or some type of emergency, as leaders, they would then be able to help guide their students on what actions to take.”

The 25-minute training repackages safety information available on the Carolina Ready website and in Emergency Preparedness 101. Designed specifically for instructors, the four modules teach them how to be informed, prepared and ready to act in a range of emergency situations.

• The Be Informed module reminds instructors about basic campus safety information and resources, such as the Alert Carolina notification system and the Carolina Ready safety app.
• The Be Prepared module urges them to become familiar with their classrooms and immediate surroundings, practicing locking doors and finding exits.
• The Take Action module goes through what to do in emergencies that require evacuation, shelter-in-place and secure-in-place.
• The Other Incidents module gives guidance on handling disruptive behavior and medical emergencies.

A resources tab also includes 23 links to informational sites, apps and downloads, including a faculty preparedness guide and classroom emergency checklist.

Carolina Talent sent a link to the training to all faculty members and teaching assistants, strongly encouraging them to complete the training and attestation before the first day of class on Aug. 19.

Responding to recommendations

Training, messaging updates and improvements to safety infrastructure are the three key ways the University is responding to recommendations from the CNA Corporation’s after-action report on the Aug. 28, 2023, campus shooting incident that led to the death of faculty member Zijie Yan. Those recommendations echoed what the University heard through its feedback portal about the incident.

Training: The online training for instructors has been introduced first, to be followed by online training for all staff members. UNC Police currently offers several in-person training opportunities, including Being Carolina Ready in the Office (a site-specific active shooter response training) and a Run, Hide, Fight/Defend video.

Messaging updates: Responding to feedback on the Alert Carolina messages sent out on the day of the Aug. 28 shooting, the Office of Emergency Management and Planning is currently making changes to the wording in its templated messages. The office also reworked possible updates to give clearer information and instructions during a lockdown situation. The “all clear” messages now reflect that the University may not return to normal operations right away following an emergency. Another change in the works is the ability to send out messages in Spanish in addition to English.

Safety infrastructure improvements: The University has increased the number of cameras on buildings, improved access to camera footage for first responders and ensured that buildings, and classrooms in particular, have functioning door locks.

While UNC Police and other Campus Safety units are primarily responsible for responding to emergencies, everyone on campus has a role in keeping themselves and others safe.

“We are not immune to exposure to disruptions, and that’s why the message of emergency preparedness is so important,” Jeter said. “We must ensure everyone on campus knows the fundamentals of emergency preparedness because we unfortunately don’t know if and when the next emergency might present itself.”