Gov. Timothy M. Kaine will host a campus security conference Aug. 13 at Virginia Commonwealth University.
The event comes in the wake of the April 16 massacre at Virginia Tech, where a 23-year-old Fairfax County student gunned down 27 students and five faculty members before killing himself.
The conference, which will take place at the Stuart C. Siegel Center, will let participants share information on campus security strategies, join panel discussions and look at the latest campus-security products and services from vendors.
"As college campuses across the commonwealth prepare for the new semester, we believe it is important that campus officials have access to the latest information, technology and strategies to keep our students, staff and faculty members safe," Kaine said in a statement yesterday.
Representatives of Virginia's public and private colleges and universities - two-year and four-year - have been invited to the daylong conference. Kaine will deliver opening remarks at 9 a.m.
The governor's office is encouraging top administrators to attend, as well as campus security, emergency management, health counseling and information-technology officials. Faculty and student leaders also will be invited.
Panel presentations will focus on campus emergency alert systems, preparedness training, campus and local community coordination, campus safety and security coordination, and crime prevention through environmental design and risk assessments.
