To Everyone in the Babson Community:
All of us have been touched by the senseless killings at Virginia Tech University. Our thoughts and prayers go out, in particular, to everyone who has been directly affected by this tragic event. Babson will be hosting a vigil at 1:15 this afternoon at the Glavin Family Chapel. All members of the Babson community are invited to attend and reflect on the loss that we feel.
Yesterday’s events remind us of the extraordinary place that a college campus is—where all kinds of people come together to live, work, and learn. Understandably, we expect to do so in a safe environment, which makes the tragedy at Virginia Tech even more shocking.
At the same time, we are fortunate that the Babson campus has long been an unusually safe setting. We have a strong record of vigilance in protecting our students and other community members, and are committed to the highest levels of safety and security. In fact, we are already implementing a rapid communications system that will soon enable us to simultaneously e-mail, text message, and voice mail every member of the Babson community in an emergency. On an ongoing basis, we are reviewing our campus security policies and procedures.
The College has many resources available to those who might need support in the aftermath of the Virginia Tech tragedy. I encourage you to take advantage of any of the following, including Academic Services (x4075) and Campus Life (x4438) for undergraduates; the Office of Program Management (x4474) for graduate students; the Employee Assistance Program (1-800-828-6025) for faculty and staff; and the Babson Counseling Program (781-235-4950) for any member of our community who needs assistance.
Tragic events such as this can evoke strong emotions regarding seemingly unrelated issues in people's lives, so please be especially aware of students' and colleagues’ reactions in the days ahead. All of these offices and services are available 24 hours day through Public Safety (781-239-5555).
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or thoughts you may have.
Brian M. Barefoot
President
Babson College
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Other Babson activities
Babson observes a moment of silence, Friday, April 20, 2007, at twelve noon, in honor of the victims of the tragedy at Virginia Tech.
Students distribute ribbon pins with VT colors for members of the Babson community to wear as a sign of support.
Babson Student Government Association holds an open forum on Wednesday night.
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Colleges and unversities across the country show support for VT.
