Several circumstances and events (e.g., 9/11, SARS, Avian Flu, Katrina, ice storms, a Tigercat Server failure shortly before fall classes) have underscored that the College needs to better prepare itself for emergencies, potential crises, and disruptions in a range of areas. We write to introduce a new phase in an important initiative for our community – the continued development and updating of a comprehensive College Emergency Plan. Emergency planning will develop and refine guidelines and procedures for dealing with potential emergencies and crises, including flood, fire, major storm, pandemic, loss of computer infrastructure, accident causing multiple fatalities, large-scale food poisoning, and others. This effort is the next step in a process that began in 1996 and continued in 2001-2 following 9/11. We ask that you participate in the continued evolution of this project over the coming months by responding to forthcoming requests for information or other input. President Liebowitz has identified an Emergency Planning Steering Committee to coordinate the College’s planning; its members are: Lisa Boudah, Alison Byerly (co-chair), Tom Corbin, John Emerson (co-chair), Ann Hanson, Mike McKenna, Ron McKinnon, and Mark Peluso. We will also seek advice from representatives of the student community. Building on specific work already well underway in three important areas (communications procedures, pandemic response, and failure of technology infrastructure), the Steering Committee has already met, and it has hosted an initial meeting with the President’s Staff and Administrative Council. The committee will work with many College departments and managers by coordinating an integrated College-wide emergency plan. In particular, we will need to ask many departments to provide information about their mission-critical functions for the College and about their own dependencies on other departments for critical needs. Responding to disruptive events and disasters requires that the College establish priorities for various functions and recovery efforts.
Soon you will hear from Mark Peluso M.D., College Physician, about the work that a Pandemic Response Committee which he has chaired has done; that work responds to the grave threats posed by a potential epidemic (e.g., Avian Flu, were it to adapt to human populations). Because Middlebury’s community extends around the globe, this component of our project needs to move forward quickly by involving students in developing plans for evacuating the campus should that ever become necessary. We ask you cooperation in this serious and complex effort.
You will hear more about Emergency Planning in the coming weeks. In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to be in touch with a member of the Steering Committee if you have questions.
From: Alison Byerly, Vice President for Academic Affairs
John Emerson, Secretary of the College