Policy
The Enterprise Threat Assessment Response Team evaluates reported threats. A threat can be defined as a situation where students, faculty, staff, visitors, patients and/or others on campus are reported to either be displaying disruptive, threatening behaviors or making threats that potentially endanger their own or others’ health and safety.
While supervisors, managers, directors, department chairpersons, chiefs and deans are appropriate counsel for general student/employee concerns, they are not experts in responding to threatening or alarming situations. Therefore it is the responsibility of faculty, staff, and students to immediately report any situation that could possibly result in harm to anyone within the enterprise. Any member of the enterprise may become aware of a troubling person or situation that poses an immediate risk or is causing serious anxiety, stress, or fear and, if so, this information should be forwarded to Campus Security at 402-559-5111 for UNMC/TNMC/Clarkson College or 402- 763-5911 for BMC.
The Threat Assessment Response Team consists of personnel with expertise in human resources/employee assistance, law enforcement/threat assessment/tactical applications, enterprise operations, communications, legal, forensic psychiatry, risk management, and safety. A collaborative process to assess threats will be used and depending on the situation, personnel with areas of specialization/responsibility may be called upon to assist the Team. The Incident Commander on-call for each enterprise group will keep senior officials advised of situations and specifically will communicate with the relevant Vice Chancellors, Chancellor, Executives, Managers or Directors, as well as the University of Nebraska , TNMC, Clarkson College or BMC Administration as needed. Other individuals may also be consulted as needed, such as a faculty member who has a concern about a student, a counseling psychologist to share expertise, and/or a manager who has information concerning an employee.
The Threat Assessment Response Team will evaluate threats, implicit and explicit, to determine credibility and to protect the student, employee, and enterprise. The Team will adopt a cautious standard of action that reflects that of a reasonably prudent individual. This Team has been established to respond to circumstances of threatened violence or threatening behavior against faculty, staff, students, patients, and/or visitors.
Procedure
Threat-related information must be forwarded to Security at 402-559-5111 for UNMC/TNMC/Clarkson College or 402-763-5911 at BMC. The Security Director and the UNMC Associate Vice Chancellor for Business and Finance, Facility Administrator, or the Incident Commander on-call will initially evaluate the report and, if appropriate, convene the Threat Assessment Response Team. The Team will conduct an initial evaluation. Additional individuals can be added to the Team as necessary for particular situations.
The Team will assess what preliminary information exists or needs to be collected such as:
- Interviews to determine the existence of corroborating evidence to determine if a verifiable and credible threat;
- Student or employee disciplinary/corrective action/judicial history;
- Relevant employment records under the custody of Human Resources
- Other relevant information as deemed appropriate to assure the safety of the members of the enterprise.
The Team will evaluate the information gathered and determine the best way to respond to the threat, which may include the following actions (non-inclusive):
- Recommend/implement appropriate immediate action which may include: issuance of a ban and bar order; suspension of employment or academic studies; referral to law enforcement for criminal charges or mental health hold; requirement of psychological evaluation; ongoing monitoring for follow-up and observation of behavior patterns; and/or referral to appropriate on or off campus behavioral health services;
- Determine and execute an appropriate and timely communications plan to campus and media;
- Notify, within FERPA guidelines, parents, guardians and/or next-of-kin of a student;
- Coordinate and assess information from faculty, administrators, students, and local authorities;
- Notify individuals if a specific threat was made against them; and
- Evaluate outcomes of actions taken.
Threat Assessment Response Team Members
UNMC Incident Commander(s)
TNMC Administrator on-call (available through Security Dispatch)
TNMC Emergency Management Leader
UNMCP Administrator on-call
BMC Administrator on call
Clarkson College representative
Security (Supervisor on-call and Directors)
Human Resources
Psychiatry
Public Affairs/Corporate Communications
Employee Assistance Program
Legal
Safety Officer
Risk Management
UNMC Vice Chancellors and others as needed
Additional Information
Questions should be addressed to the Director of Security.