Recent Updates
University returns to normal operations
The Western Carolina University campus returned to normal operations shortly before 1:15 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 14, when campus law enforcement lifted a shelter-in-place advisory after an armed robbery was reported earlier that morning at a nearby off-campus financial institution.
Campus police learned at about 10:39 a.m. of a robbery at the N.C. State Employees’ Credit Union located across N.C. Highway 107. Within a few minutes of confirmation of the report, University Police Chief Ernie Hudson issued an initial timely warning notification at 10:49 a.m. to the campus community to let students, faculty and staff know that a robbery had been reported in the vicinity.
When Jackson County law enforcement officers were unable to determine the direction traveled by the suspect, who was considered armed, Hudson followed up with an advisory at about 10:59 a.m. urging members of the campus community to shelter in place. (Shelter in place means staying indoors in a safe location, and securing one’s current location by the use of locks, barricades, or means to restrict access.)
Campus police were stationed at campus entrances on N.C. Highway 107 and patrolled campus for the duration of the advisory period. Hudson continued to issue updated statements to campus every 15 to 20 minutes, as a reminder that the shelter-in-place advisory remained in effect.
“Although no sightings of a suspect were reported on campus, out of an abundance of caution we determined it important to keep our students, faculty and staff informed because we did not know what direction the suspect took when he fled,” Hudson said. “In these situations, safety will always be our first and foremost consideration.”
Campus law enforcement and emergency management officials utilized a variety of emergency communication tools during the incident, including campus and student email systems; the Cat Tracker emergency notification system, which sends messages via text, voice-over-text and email to those who have signed up for it; and the campus siren system.
A portion of the university homepage was used to provide campus updates, and information was maintained on WCU’s emergency information page.
Campus Emergency Manager Tammi Hudson reported that, by mid-afternoon on the day of the off-campus robbery, 398 new subscribers had signed up for Cat Tracker.
Police lifted the shelter-in-place advisory at about 1:10 p.m. after receiving confirmation that the suspect had been located and arrested by the Jackson County Sheriff Department.
The incident forced the Division of Academic Affairs to reschedule final exams that were originally set to begin at noon on Wednesday. Those will now be held Friday, Dec. 16, from 10:30 a.m. until 12:45 p.m., unless instructors have made other accommodations, said Beth Lofquist, interim provost. Also, times for other Friday exams have been adjusted. For information, go to emergency.wcu.edu.
In addition, the shelter-in-place advisory was issued just as a press conference was under way to introduce Randy Eaton as WCU’s new director of intercollegiate athletics, giving those in attendance at the event in the Ramsey Regional Activity Center more time than expected to mingle and meet with Eaton and his family.
University officials will use Wednesday’s incident as a real-world test of campus notification processes. Faculty and staff at the university have been going through mandatory campus safety training sessions this semester.
“We will review and assess to determine which of our processes and systems worked as they are supposed to, and which ones need some additional attention,” said Tammi Hudson.