UTMB Critical Incident Response Committee Report
October 2007

After the tragic events at Virginia Tech, questions arose among UTMB students and faculty
regarding how a student crisis might be averted or managed on the UTMB campus. Additionally,
the campus community desired information about services and protocols in place to provide
appropriate support in the case of a student related critical incident on campus. The Chief
Academic Officer and Dean of Nursing Pamela Watson and the Council of Deans charged an ad
hoc committee known as the Critical Incident Response Committee with examining the
university’s plans and resources to respond to critical incidents that involved students. The group
began its work in May 2007.

The committee was charged with assessing present mental health resources for students before
and after a critical incident; determining existing procedures in the four schools for dealing with
students in crisis; reviewing security and communication protocols in the case of a critical incident
of any kind; and making appropriate recommendations to ensure that the UTMB community is
prepared to deal with critical incidents in the most efficient and effective ways possible.

The group's findings are summarized in the report available for review below:
 

If you have questions or would like to comment on the CIRC Report, please contact the committee chairperson.