On June 13, 2005, the Board of Visitors approved the Campus and Workplace Violence Prevention Policy.  The policy specifically addresses the university’s position on the prevention, reduction, and management of violence on campus. 
Violence, as defined by the policy includes, but is not limited to:

• intimidation
• threats
• physical attack
• domestic and dating violence
• stalking
• property damage

The policy addresses acts of violence committed by or against university employees, students, contractual workers, customers, relatives, acquaintances, or other third parties on university facilities.
It is the responsibility of all faculty, staff and students to be vigilant in both prevention efforts and the reporting of violations.

Responsibilities for coordinating the Campus and Workplace Violence Prevention efforts are housed within housed within several university offices.  Elements of the program include:

• Creation of manuals to serve as guides or resources
• Training (at the request of any department /area or group)/presentations
• Site/security assessments (in conjunction with the Virginia Tech Police Department)

A number of university departments have assisted with the campus and workplace violence prevention efforts, including:

• Human Resources
• Virginia Tech Police
• Environmental Health and Safety
• Women’s Center
• Office of Judicial Affairs
• Dean of Student’s Office
• Cook Counseling Center

In an ideal world, we would not experience misconduct that disrupts or obstructs the educational process. Such behavior undermines instruction and, thereby, negatively impacts student learning. However, the unfortunate reality is that a small number of our students exhibit disruptive behavior in classrooms, lab areas, offices, field sites and other educational settings. The Disruptive Student Manual (link to the pdf for the manual) is intended to offer guidance and support should you need to respond to disruptive or threatening student behavior. 

• If you need immediate assistance in responding to a threat to your safety, or the safety of others, contact Virginia Tech Police Department at 231-6411 or 911.  The department is staffed 24 hours per day and can dispatch law enforcement personnel to assist you at your campus location.
• If you need to consult with someone about a student who is disruptive in class or seems to be showing signs of emotional distress, mental illness, or difficulty in adjusting to college life, contact the Dean of Student’s Office at 231-3787.  TheDean of Student’s Office can assess the situation and make the appropriate referrals.
• If you have questions about whether a student’s disruptive behavior can be addressed through the university judicial system, contact the Office of Judicial Affairs at 231-3790.
• If you don’t know whether to be concerned about a behavior contact the Dean of Student’s Office at 231-3787 for guidance and referrals.  If after hours contact if needed, the Virginia Tech Police can have the on-call staff person to contact you.

Click below to view or print the entire manual in pdf:

Disruptive Student Manual (PDF | 133KB)

Administrators, faculty, staff, and students often experience anxiety and confusion over what to do when they encounter potential or actual threats and acts of violence on campus. In an effort to take a proactive approach to preventing violence on campus and to help educate the university community, a manual was created as resource to administrators, faculty, staff and students on campus and workplace violence prevention, response, and the availability of resources. 
The manual not only focuses on Virginia Tech’s Campus and Workplace Violence Prevention Policy, but it also recognizes and supports the following university statements and commitments:

• University Core Values (www.dsp.multicultural.vt.edu/corevalues)
• University Principles of Community (www.unirel.vt.edu/vt/community)
• Anti- Discrimination and Harassment Prevention Policy (www.policies.vt.edu)

Questions may be directed to the Campus and Workplace Violence Coordinator, Debbi Morgan, at dmorgan@vt.edu or 231-2748. 

Click here to view or print the manual in pdf: 

Crisis Management Resource Manual (PDF | 168KB)

The Principles of Community - are a statement of the university that reiterate the values it feels should be reflected on our campus and in our community.  While the Principles are not a policy, there are many university policies that can be used to support and enforce these values.  While the list of supporting policies/guidelines provided here is not all-inclusive, there is a common thread that runs within them-RESPECT.

Campus and Workplace Violence Prevention Policy - can be used to address violence that affects the workplace climate.  This policy identifies and defines behaviors that should be reported to the appropriate university office.  This policy cane be used to support the Principle’s of Community.

Anti-Discrimination and Harassment Prevention Policy - Virginia Tech policies prohibit discriminatory harassment on the basis of age, color, disability, gender (including pregnancy), national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

Standards of Conduct - These are established documented standards of conduct for faculty, staff, and students.  These standards can be found at Human Resources: 

Virginia Tech Employee Handbook - Booklet Layout (PDF | 1MB)

• Office of Judicial Affairs- Student
• Office of the Provost- Faculty

• Stop Abuse (Virginia Tech)
• SafeWatch (Virginia Tech)
• Department of Health and Human Services- Violence in the Workplace website
• Family Violence Prevention Fund