KALAMAZOO (WKZO-AM) — Western Michigan University has already apologized for deciding not to notify students through its campus alert system about the shooting deaths of six people in the Kalamazoo area on Saturday night, but students still are upset.
They voiced their displeasure at a forum Monday night at the Bernhard Center.
The system automatically distributes text messages. WMU President John Dunn told the hundreds gathered at the forum that the school’s current criteria is to only notify students when there are threats on campus, and this did not qualify.
“Some of this, of course, is attributed to not having information ourselves,” Dunn said. “And some is attributed to hindsight as more information surfaces.”
Dunn said they will be reviewing their criteria and looking at other notification systems.
It was suggested by the Western Michigan University Department of Public Safety that, if students want to get better information about events that occur away from campus, they should download a news app.
– John McNeill
