Aug. 31, 2007 

NYIT Faculty and Staff Attend Emergency Preparedness Conference

Old Westbury, N.Y., Aug. 31, 2007: In the aftermath of the tragedy at Virginia Tech and amid other concerns about potential crises, New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) hosted an Emergency Preparedness Conference for faculty and staff members to discuss NYIT’s emergency policies and procedures. A wide range of subjects were touched upon including: fire, flood, power outage, ominous student behavior, criminal activity, inclement weather, information breaches, communications channels, quick response mechanisms, and NYIT’s commitment to the well-being of all students, faculty and staff members, and visitors.

The goal of the conference, which was held on Aug. 30 at W. Kenneth Riland Academic Health Care Center auditorium on NYIT’s Old Westbury campus, was to provide a better understanding of how NYIT provides a safe environment on all of its campuses; how security procedures are continuously reviewed and upgraded; and the function of NYIT’s 24-hour security staff and its close relationships with local law enforcement agencies. Audience Response Devices allowed attendees to interactively participate and respond to emergency scenario questions.

Organized by NYIT’s Office of Communications and Marketing, the conference featured prominent guest speaker Gary Pavela, J.D., an expert on academic ethics, and NYIT delegates representing the areas of security, information technology, communications, medicine, and wellness. Opening remarks were made by Edward Guiliano, Ph.D., president of NYIT, who began the presentation by saying student, faculty, and staff “safety is No.1,” and underscored how safe NYIT’s campuses are.

Pavela has been an administrator and professor at the University of Maryland for more than 25 years and currently teaches in the university’s honors program. The nationally renowned expert and speaker on higher education law and student mental health issues discussed the topic of crisis management on college campuses and about teaching and working with troubled students.

The panel discussion was moderated by Richard Pizer, Ph.D., NYIT provost and vice president for academic affairs, and featured: Frank Genese, director of facilities management; Niyazi Bodur, Pd.D., vice president for information technology and infrastructure; Doreen Drack-Thomas, associate dean and director of counseling and wellness services, Manhattan campus; Theodore Spevack, D.O., clinical professor and chair of New York College of Osteopathic Medicine’s (NYCOM) Department of Emergency Medicine; Frank Scarangella, vice president for communications and marketing; and offering his own personal experiences, Walter Magnuson, NYIT adjunct professor of criminal justice and a retired FBI agent.

Genese said that while “a crisis can strike without warning,” NYIT has detailed emergency protocols and procedures in place. They can be found at: http://intranet.nyit.edu/emergency/policies. He advised faculty and staff members to always, “be alert, be aware, and be prepared.” Bodur focused on Internet safety tips and he talked about the college’s backup data server and spam filters. Spevack reminded attendees that NYCOM’s academic health care center is an available resource for Old Westbury and Central Islip employees. “NYCOM has the expertise, man power, facilities, and training,” he said.

Drack-Thomas provided an overview of NYIT’s counseling, wellness, and support services. Consultation is available for students, faculty and staff members, and administrators. NYIT Counseling and Wellness Centers are located on NYIT’s Old Westbury and Manhattan campuses. The Old Westbury center is located at Theobald Hall, rooms 401 and 403; the phone number is 516. 686.7976. The Manhattan center is located at Information Hall, rooms 231 to 233; the phone number 212.261.1770.

Scarangella discussed NYIT’s communication vehicles that are available in the event of an emergency. They include the college’s home page; continuous updates on the 516.686.1010 information number; e-mail and telephone messages; digital signage; and broadcast media. He also announced NYIT’s new text messaging initiative. Scarangella reminded the audience that at all times media requests for interviews must be referred to the Office of Communications and Marketing and informed them about NYIT’s media policy, which can be read at: http://intranet.nyit.edu/media/welcome.html. If a member of the media contacts any student, faculty or staff member, they are to contact Jason Selss, NYIT media relations manager, at 516.686.7481 or e-mail mediarelations@nyit.edu.

Each attendee received a flashlight, a phone sticker with their campus security phone number, and a laminated NYIT emergency contact card, which includes important information in case of an emergency or inclement weather.

About NYIT

NYIT is the college of choice for more than 14,000 students enrolled in more than 100 specialized courses of study leading to undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees in academic areas such as architecture and design; arts and sciences; education; engineering and computing sciences; health professions, behavioral, and life sciences; management; and osteopathic medicine. As a private, nonprofit, independent institution of higher learning, NYIT embraces an educational philosophy of career-oriented professional education for all qualified students and supports applications-oriented research to benefit the greater global community. Students attend classes at NYIT’s campuses in Manhattan and Long Island, as well as online and in a number of programs throughout the world. To date, more than 73,000 alumni have earned degrees at NYIT. For more information, visit www.nyit.edu.

Contact: mediarelations@nyit.edu