Grand Rapids Community College administrators started encouraging faculty to share an active shooter response video before the Fall 2023 semester began. Despite being uploaded four years ago, the video only has around 1,500 views while more than 12,000 students are enrolled at the college this fall alone.
An updated version of the video featuring two former GRCC students who transferred to Michigan State University and were enrolled during the Feb. 13 shooting on the East Lansing campus was shared with faculty during GRCC’s safety week with encouragement to play the video in class.
Four weeks into the semester, many students say they have not seen the video and didn’t know it existed.
Zoey Bobrowski, 20, of Grand Rapids, was upset to learn that a safety video was being shown in GRCC classes, but not hers.
“I feel like it’s a big deal to see,” Bobrowski said. “I think nowadays, too, with how many issues we’ve had, it’s really important to educate people on the topic and also protocols for what we should do.”
Ryann Rhodes, 20, of Grand Rapids, was unaware that GRCC had an active shooter response video.
“I wish they would have said something, at least to be like ‘Hey, go check it out,’” Rhodes said. “…I feel like teachers probably (should have shown the video) just because they have more of a way to talk to students.”
GRCC administrators said sharing the video and safety procedures is vital for everyone on campus.
“I have encouraged faculty to talk to their students about GRCC’s safety procedures, including sharing the video,” stated GRCC Police Chief Rebecca Whitman in an email to The Collegiate.
However, GRCC administrators say they cannot require professors to show the video to students.
“We certainly have encouraged and sent a message to faculty encouraging them to do that,” said GRCC President Charles Lepper. “We can’t require them to do that based upon the contract that we have with (the) Faculty Association. But the feedback we’ve heard from students (is) that some faculty have shown it…I would just encourage our faculty to take five minutes and maybe sometime throughout the semester, (it) doesn’t necessarily have to be (in) these first few weeks.”
During the Student Government town hall meeting on Sept. 18, a room full of student leaders stated they were unaware that the college produced an active shooter response video. A couple days later, the Collegiate did find students who were shown the video in class.
“I saw the video with Professor Burris,” Rj Wad, 19, of Jenison said. “I thought it was helpful.”
Nicholas Flanagan was in the dark about the video until his instructor clued him in.
“I’m going to be honest, I didn’t even know that was a thing until my teacher said that this video even existed,” Flanagan, 32, of Chicago, said. “I think it should have been much more public… It sucks that we have to, but that’s another story…It’s kind of ridiculous (that) this is the first time I’ve seen this.”
Trisana Ganzevoort, 18, says it’s a necessity for students to be shown the active shooter response video in person.
“The classroom is the most important place to show it,” Ganzevoort said.
Whether or not they’ve seen it, most students agree that the video is both important and necessary.
“It’s something we all have to learn about to be prepared,” said William Mackey, 20, of Grand Haven.
Mackey shared that he was present during an incident at West Ottawa High School where a student was seen carrying a gun into the building, prompting an emergency lockdown.
Natalie Myers, 21, of Grandville, believes the video could be triggering to students but agreed that it helps educate them in case of an emergency situation. Myers had four of her professors show the video in her class.
“Watching (the video) is kind of triggering and makes you uncomfortable and everything but, I mean it is important that we do know the evacuation routes and stuff like that,” said Meyers.
Jennifer LeFaive, 29, of Kentwood, said the video is important to share with students.
“I think it’s useful to at least show that there are (safety) resources,” LeFaive said.
LeFaive said that she watched an active shooter response video as part of the required training for her job.
“…I thought (GRCC’s video) had a pretty good standard. It was pretty comparable to the video shown at my company,” she said.
Several students said they think the administration should send the video directly to students.
“…I would rather have safety information sent to my personal email,” said Kiara Barnes, 18.
Kenneth Godwin, 23, of Grand Rapids, agreed.
“It may be best if the college just sends these kinds of videos out individually so that it doesn’t fall on the staff that is already pretty busy,” Godwin said.
Additional information on the safety policies and procedures at GRCC can be found here.
Collegiate staff reporters Noli Brown, Payton Calati, Alexa Cheaney, Naima Contreras, Antonio Ewing, Koy Flores, Abby Haywood, Lillian Hernandez, Olivia Parker, Mya Maloley, Abigail Ramirez, Lindsey Soet, Jack Walker, and Kaliyah Witherspoon contributed to this story.
