WHEREAS, Wisconsin’s higher educational institutions are among the finest in the country; and

     WHEREAS, it is critically important to ensure that Wisconsin’s campuses are, and continue to be, as safe as possible for the communities that they serve; and

     WHEREAS, the recent and tragic events experienced by the Virginia Tech University community provide a context through which other campus communities may learn; and

     WHEREAS, the promotion of campus safety relies on the cooperation of university officials, law enforcement officers, mental health professionals and other experts, as well as parents and students; and

     WHEREAS, there is a need in Wisconsin to bring together university officials, law enforcement officers, mental health professionals and other experts, and parents and students from across the state, including representatives from all three of Wisconsin’s higher educational systems – the UW System, the Wisconsin Technical College System, and the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities – in an effort to develop best practices for promoting campus safety throughout the state;

     NOW, THEREFORE, I, JIM DOYLE, Governor of the State of Wisconsin, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of this State, and specifically by Wis. Stat. § 14.019, do hereby:

        1.  Create the Governor’s Task Force on Campus Safety (the “Task Force”);

        2.  Provide that members of the Task Force shall be appointed by the Governor to serve at the pleasure of the Governor;

        3.  Provide that the members of the Task Force shall be comprised of no more than 25 members and shall include: campus police and security personnel, local law enforcement officers, a designee of the Wisconsin Attorney General, student affairs professionals, campus mental health counselors, faculty experts, campus residential housing administrators, and student and parent representatives;

        4.  Provide that there will be two (2) co-chairpersons of the Task Force and that these co-chairpersons shall be designated by the Governor from among the Task Force’s membership;

        5.  Direct that the Task Force shall convene two (2) Campus Safety summits which will address campus safety issues generally, including the physical planning and communication components of responding to emergency or crisis situations, as well as the mental health aspects associated with preventing incidents that threaten campus safety;

        6.  Direct the Task Force to recommend best practices aimed at improving the safety of college campuses across Wisconsin;

        7.  Direct that, in developing a set of best practices, the Task Force shall address the following issues:

           a.  Coordination between campus officials and local law enforcement;

           b.  Availability of innovative communication systems;

           c.  Assessment of appropriate campus security and threat assessment systems;

           d.  Assessment of emergency response systems;

           e.  Timely and effective identification of high-risk students; and

           f.  Prevention strategies and availability of services for high-risk students;

        8.  Direct the Task Force to submit its recommendations to the Governor in an interim report no later than August 15, 2007, and a final report of recommended best practices no later than November 1, 2007; and

        9.  Direct the Office of Justice Assistance to provide basic staff support to the Task Force, and all state agencies to provide information and assistance to the Task Force at its request.

     IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of Wisconsin to be affixed.  Done at the Capitol in the City of Madison this second day of May in the year two thousand seven.

JIM DOYLE
Governor

By the Governor: 
__________________________
DOUGLAS LA FOLLETTE
Secretary of State