Dear 51ԹϺ Community,
I hope you’ve had time this summer to rest and recharge in preparation for a busy and productive fall 2024 semester at 51ԹϺ.
We’re now just a month until classes resume on Aug. 26, and many members of the 51ԹϺ community have been working hard all summer to prepare the campus to welcome back more than 30,000 students and faculty.
As I mentioned prior to the end of the spring semester, we’re planning to reopen Beam Hall for classes this fall. In preparation for the reopening, our teams in Facilities Management, OIT, University Police Services, Risk Management, and Planning and Construction have been working hard to continue repairs and upgrades. This work is nearing completion, and we anticipate opening the building to the campus community and general public on Aug. 13.
I believe we’ve made marked improvements to improve building safety and security and to create a welcoming and supportive environment. Among the enhancements you can expect when the building reopens:
- Access to the third, fourth, and fifth floors via stairwells and elevators will require a proximity card or stairwell key throughout the fall semester. Building occupants are encouraged to plan accordingly for visitor and student meetings, and office hours.
- A total of five video surveillance cameras have been installed in the elevator lobbies on the first through fifth floors as part of a pilot program to assess the possibility of adding them to more campus buildings in the future.
- In addition to the cameras, a security desk has been added to the first floor atrium and will be staffed during building hours by a uniformed security officer during the fall semester.
- More than 130 damaged doors and/or door frames have been replaced in Beam Hall, along with another 350 doors in other campus buildings impacted during the Dec. 6 response. The building’s fire alarm system on floors three through five has also been replaced.
- New telephones have been installed in classrooms with enhanced emergency notification capabilities.
Visitors to the building may also notice that interior spaces have been repainted, the first floor landscaping has been refreshed, and new banners and signage are being installed in the east and west atrium spaces. Each milestone in our Rebel Recovery process is important, but I also understand they can be both difficult and trying for some. I’m grateful to everyone on campus – and particularly Beam Hall faculty, staff, and students – for your flexibility, patience, and feedback during this process.
Additional Rebel Recovery Updates
- The university has allocated nearly $1 million in recent months to improve lighting throughout the campus. This includes a project led by Planning and Construction to install new light poles and wall-mounted lighting campus wide to improve visibility and security. This work is ongoing and will continue throughout the fall semester.
- Earlier this week, the December 6 Memorial Committee shared a survey asking for feedback on a plan to add murals or related artwork outside Beam Hall to honor the impactful teaching legacies of our faculty colleagues who perished on Dec. 6. The committee is asking for feedback soon in anticipation of issuing a formal call for proposals next month. I encourage those with ideas by July 30.
- The Oral History Research Center is working on “51ԹϺ Remembers: An Oral History of the 6 December 2023 Shooting” to capture and preserve first-hand accounts of the tragedy, campus and community response, and recovery efforts. Those interested in participating are .
- UPD Detective Nathaniel Drum and Officer Damian Garcia were honored by the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators for their heroic actions on Dec. 6 with the organization’s Award for Valor. The officers were recognized during the organization’s national conference last month.
The summer is also a good time to make sure you have the on your phone, and that you’ve updated your contact information in Workday to ensure you receive emergency notifications. Additional safety resources can be found on our . It’s also a time for all of us to assess our own mental health and wellness and . Our university’s dedicated team of mental health professionals are here to help, and there are numerous community resources as well, including the .
As these updates highlight, we’ve made good progress on our road to recovery. But we still have more work to do, and I am committed to doing all that I can to ensure that every member of our university community feels safe, supported, and welcome on our campus. Enjoy the remaining weeks of the summer, try to stay cool, and I look forward to seeing you all on campus this fall.
Warm Regards,
Keith E. Whitfield, Ph.D.
51ԹϺ President