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A Message From Chancellor Lombardi About the Tragedy at Virginia Tech
UMass Amherst chancellor extends his deepest sympathies to the families, friends and colleagues of those affected by the tragedy.
In the wake of the horrific events at Virginia Tech, I want to extend my deepest sympathies to the families, friends and colleagues of those affected by this tragedy. You are in the thoughts and prayers of the University of Massachusetts Amherst community in this extraordinarily difficult time.
At UMass Amherst, our students, faculty and staff are affected in different ways by this tragedy, and many resources have been made available to provide assistance. Details can be found on the UMass Amherst home page. I also encourage you to attend a campus vigil that will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 19 in the Campus Center Auditorium, to which the entire campus community is invited.
Events such as those at Virginia Tech touch all of us in higher education and remind us of the vulnerabilities that are present on any campus. UMass Amherst has a well-trained police force, strong support services, and a comprehensive public safety emergency plan to respond to crises. We are working actively with the governor’s office and state public safety officials to ensure the continuous improvement of our readiness plans as we learn more from the experiences of our colleagues around the nation.
Although we have been spared the direct impact of this tragedy, we can nonetheless share in the pain of loss experienced by our colleagues at Virginia Tech. Each of us, in our own way, will offer our personal understanding of the extraordinary impact these events have had on the friends and families of the Virginia Tech community.
Sincerely yours,
John V. Lombardi
Chancellor