American University is undertaking a review of its approach and infrastructure to ensure campus safety and security. With this review, significant consideration needs to be given to the range of options available to the American University Police Department (AUPD) officers to help strengthen their ability to respond to situations involving firearms. To address this challenging topic, we will solicit and gauge the understandable concerns of the community as well as weigh its potential safety implications.

To help us engage the community in addressing this question in an informed manner, and consider the various options available to us, we have created a Security Review Working Group (SRWG) comprising faculty and staff representatives as well as student participants led by Bronté Burleigh-Jones, CFO, vice president and treasurer, and Phillip Morse, assistant vice president of university police services, emergency management, and transportation programs.