As America reevaluates the security procedures in place at its stadiums, airports and federal buildings nationwide, the U.S. university system has been forced to reexamine its security measures and consider how best to assure the safety of students and facilities.
The aftershocks of the terrorist attack on America have rippled across the nation, making their way across the continent and beyond.
At the all the way to the University of Michigan, located in Ann Arbor, Mich. procedures have been altered in the wake of the atrocities of last month.
"With the terrible events of Sept. 11, 2001, our world changed. One does not know what might be targeted by terrorists," said William Bess, director of the Department of Public Safety and Security for the university.
The campus' police and security visibility have been boosted, he said.
In the wake of the attack, Bess has been especially wary of major events where large groups of students and faculty members are gathered.
Bess' worry that terrorists might attack the campus he safeguards might have seemed ridiculous weeks ago, but such fears are now the norm rather than the exception. The unexpected attack proved that no precaution is silly and every step taken to prepare might come in handy.
Dartmouth international relations professor William Wohlforth said it is not altogether out of the question for universities to consider whether schools could be future targets for terrorist action.
"I wouldn't think [places of learning] would be a high priority for the terrorists, but they've already hit the Twin Towers and the Pentagon, so where would you draw the line?" he wondered.
He added, "American universities are involved with the government, and are proud symbols." For example, he said the nuclear installations at Princeton and Yale might be attractive in the eyes of terrorists looking to destroy.
"As far as symbols go, however, they should hit Harvard, so we should feel safe here," said Wohlforth.
At Dartmouth, measures are being taken to ensure that the community is kept safe, but Senior Associate Dean of the College Dan Nelson said, "We have no reason to believe we are more vulnerable here today than we were September 9."
He added that although Dartmouth "has always had a fairly sophisticated set of emergency procedures and protocols," the College joined with other universities after Sept. 11 in "re-looking at situations we generally consider as very remote possibilities."
Georgetown University, located in Washington D.C., is focusing on the special and increased safety needs of individual students and student groups in the wake of the attack, according to William Tucker, Georgetown's director of public safety. He said changes included increased patrols, and special emphasis on addressing issues of Muslim student safety and security.
New York University, positioned in lower Manhattan, was directly in the crossfire of the attack. It evacuated its entire campus, and thousands of students living in dorms in a 20-block radius of the World Trade Center were ejected from their residences.
The last of those students just moved back in to their Water Street dorms last Thursday. The Water Street dorms were the closest to the World Trade center, located only eight blocks away.
One of the main safety concerns for those students were the environmental toxins in the air after the attacks. The dorms underwent environmental testing to make sure the facilities were safe from asbestos and other environmental toxins.
Traditional security was already fairly rigorous before the attacks, complete with 24-hour guards and even some places with handprint ID systems.
"I've always felt totally safe at the school," said Jake Alexander, NYU freshman. "For a while, there were more school guards, as well as strong NYPD presence, but that has more or less gone back to normal now."
Alexander said he had observed "not as much heightened security as there are opportunities for counseling for students."
Students at Columbia University, located about six miles north of "ground zero," smelled the acrid smoke that rose from the site of the fallen towers.
Security has been heightened at Columbia as well, said Columbia Public Affairs officer James Devitt.
"We've also reached out to student groups such as Arab-American and Islam groups to assure security for any isolated incidents towards them," he added.
Devitt emphasized the campus' focus on giving information, as well as providing security for the students. A temporary facility was set up outside the library to give information to Columbia students, about the attack itself, and counseling sources, as well as various relief efforts.
The Columbia University website has also been modified to provide Sept. 11 information to students, parents and alumni. Columbia and many other schools have set up virtual alumni check-in points, as well as links to the Red Cross and various other counseling or relief funds.
Although students and faculty were upset by the attacks, prospective students do not seem to be deterred from attending Columbia, according to Devitt, who said recruiting sessions in the Midwest had higher than normal attendance.
