Today marks the first anniversary of the Virginia Tech shootings. Tragedies like Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois have forced many campuses to take a hard look at their approach to security.

Thursday, Princeton will host a conference designed to give campuses the tools to create a safer environment, including how to execute a threat assessment and design a security plan. The Princeton conference comes just four days after the 2008 National Campus Security Summit hosted at the University of Central Oklahoma.

The Central Oklahoma conference featured presentations by mental health experts, addressing the underlying motivations of both the Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois shooters. Closing the conference, members of the Northern Illinois police department discussed their experience responding to the shootings.

“Nearly a year after the tragic shooting on the Virginia Tech campus, violence on college and high school campuses continues to make headlines,” said University of Central Oklahoma President W. Roger Webb. “We must continue this important dialogue and learn what we can from our colleagues who experienced these tragedies. There is no greater priority than keeping our students, faculty and staff safe.”

A video archive of the 2007 National Campus Security Summit is available on the conference Web site.