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May 8, 2019

Dear Roadrunners,

My heart goes out to all of the people affected by yesterday’s shooting at STEM School Highlands Ranch. To the community there, please know that the leaders, faculty, staff and students at Metropolitan State University of Denver stand with you during this challenging time.

I know that tragedies such as these weigh heavily on all of us, whether we are students ourselves or parents with children in school. I’ve written way too many of these emails over the past few years, and the unfortunate truth is that this is a reality we will need to continue to address. As I’ve mentioned in past messages, your safety is my top priority and University leadership continues to evaluate our own emergency protocols and add new procedures to ensure that this campus remains a secure place for all of those who study, work or visit here.

In the aftermath of this traumatic incident, I want to ask each of you to pay even more attention to those around you. If one of your friends or students seems to be struggling with grief, or you notice another unusual change in their behavior, please refer them to the  directly, and also file a report with the CARE team. Filing a enables our student-service professionals to provide relevant and timely support to students. If you need support in dealing with the effects of trauma or related anxiety, visit the Counseling Center in Tivoli 651 or call 303-615-9988. After-hours mental-health support is available by phone at 303-615-9911.

We also need to remain vigilant. Please make sure your contact information is updated in Banner so that you will receive messages from our Emergency Alert System. We rely on our campus community members to report concerns for safety on campus. If you see anything that seems unusual or suspicious, don’t hesitate to alert the Auraria Campus Police at 303-556-5000 from your cellphone or 911 from a campus phone, or text a tip to 720-593-TIPS (8477). Additionally, if you become aware of someone who is communicating or behaving in a manner that indicates they may want to cause harm, please file a  so that the team of University experts can consider the best approach to intervention, if applicable.

We are blessed to study and work in an extraordinary learning community. Together, we can make sure it continues to be a welcoming, respectful and safe place.

Sincerely,
Janine Davidson, Ph.D.
President