The University of Arizona held a safety briefing Friday to update the campus community on increased safety measures in light of the October 2022 fatal shooting of a professor there.
School President Robert Robbins said locks are being installed on select classroom doors with a target completion date of Aug. 13 before the start of the fall semester. “Exterior keyless access will be funded and completed on 28 remaining buildings as soon as possible, allowing campus to be locked down within one minute from a central location,” he said.
Beyond lockdown mechanisms, UA’s police department will also report to a new chief safety officer.
In late March, the UA faculty senate reached a 29-13 favorable majority vote of “No Confidence” in Robbins.
Arizona Board of Regents President Lyndel Manson followed with a statement backing him. “The board fully supports President Robbins, whose guidance has led the university to achieve extraordinary success and has shepherded it through unprecedented challenges. The board respects the range of opinions expressed at the University of Arizona Faculty Senate yesterday and strongly encourages the faculty senate to focus on working constructively moving forward,” the statement said.
