How much responsibility does a college have when someone on campus poses a threat of violence?

A campus safety professional I talked to got it right when she said, “That’s the sticky wicket, isn’t it?”

While the phrase is tired and over-used, everything changed after the shooting on the campus of Virginia Tech in 2007.

Following that event the Chancellor of Virginia’s Community Colleges created a task force, which performed a top-to-bottom assessment of safety risks and recommended ways to make our campuses safer.

That process remains an active day-to-day part of what we do.

But last weekend’s fatal shooting in Arizona is re-opening the issue. 

The gunman was a one-time Pima Community College students who was expelled from campus and told not to return until he sought mental health assistance.

As this New York Times article says, the community college is now under fire from critics for not doing enough.

Laura J. Waterman, the clinical director of the Southern Arizona Mental Health Corporation in Tucson, criticized Pima officials for not seeking an involuntary evaluation. “Where does it reach a level where you say this person shouldn’t be a part of any community and we have a responsibility to do something about that?” she said.

I’m beginning to wonder what is enough when it comes to these cases?

The college recognized this person was a threat to the campus and removed him.  Isn’t that enough?

Where does the college’s responsibility in such a matter end?

I would welcome your thoughts on that question in the comments section.

Posted by Jeffrey Kraus