Weeks after a professor was shot and killed on campus, the University of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ has hired outside consultants to examine its safety protocols.
In a campuswide memo sent Tuesday evening, UA President Robert Robbins said the school — which has more than 39,000 students enrolled at the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ campus — has retained crisis management consultant firm, , to do this work.
The UA declined Wednesday to immediately answer the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s question about the total cost of this contract. The Star has submitted a public records request for that information.
Phil Andrew, a former special agent for the FBI, co-founded and leads the PAX Group. According to its website, the firm specializes in offering organizations consulting, training and development in community and workplace violence prevention, among other areas of service.
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“I have asked the firm to be thorough, inclusive, and frank in their review, and I have pledged our institution’s full cooperation,†Robbins said. “I expect that our students, faculty, and staff will be engaged in the process in a variety of ways.â€
In addition to examining the campus safety policies the UA has in place now, the firm will also offer recommendations for improvement. The firm’s report is expected in about two months.
In the meantime, Robbins said “we will continue to refine current programs and to implement additional safety and security measures that we determine will immediately enhance our campus environment.â€
The UA’s decision to contract with the PAX Group, which Robbins first announced to the Faculty Senate Executive Committee Tuesday, comes after multiple faculty members have accused the administration of not doing enough to protect them from known threats like Murad Dervish. The ex-student harassed numerous professors for months before authorities said he killed hydrology professor Thomas Meixner on Oct. 5. He is charged with first-degree murder and several other felonies.
Last week, the UA Police Department revealed it made two attempts to charge Dervish with misdemeanor threats and intimidation prior to Meixner’s slaying. The Pima County Attorney’s Office declined, citing insufficient evidence at the time.
Robbins also announced Tuesday that the UA will “engage†the expertise of Steve Patterson, a recently retired ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥-based FBI agent to help the UA’s Threat Assessment and Management Team.
Chief Paula Balafas of the University of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Police Department shared information on the shooting death of a male professor on Oct. 5. The suspect, 46-year-old Murad Dervish, was arrested by the Department of Public Safety near Gila Bend three hours after the shooting.
Video by Jesse Tellez / ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥.
Kathryn Palmer covers higher education for the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥. Contact her via e-mail at kpalmer@tucson.com or her new phone number, 520-496-9010.
Tim Steller's column: A UA prof prepared to be shot on campus and barely avoided it
