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Tech Locks Dormitory Doors

June 20, 2007

By Carlos Santos

Virginia Tech's sweeping review of campus safety — including an examination of door locks — will change how and when people can gain entrance to the school's classrooms and buildings.

Virginia Tech killer Seung-Hui Cho chained shut entrances to Norris Hall in order to hamper police rushing to the rescue. Tech is changing the door hardware from the so-called "crash bars" to "push panel bars" so that doors can't be rigged shut.

The ongoing safety review began in the wake of the April 16th murders of 27 students and five professors by Cho, a mentally unstable Virginia Tech student who committed suicide after his killing rampage. He killed 30 at Norris Hall.

Safety, however, apparently was not a concern for prospective students. A record number applied to be freshmen this year, said Mark Owczarski, a spokesman for the university.

"All the hardware on exterior doors are all changing if they have a crash bar," Owczarski said. "We have a wide range of hardware on those doors but most of the older buildings have these crash bars."

Owczarski said the crash bars at Norris Hall have already been replaced with the push panel bars, which are similar to push panel bars on drinking fountains.

Tech is also reviewing the hardware on doors at Tech's 100 or so general purpose classrooms to determine if the mechanisms should be changed to allow the doors to be locked from inside.

Students and professors at Norris Hall struggled to keep Cho out of some classrooms but could do so only by physically holding the doors shut.

Outgoing Staff Senate President Jean Brickey said changing door locks "is not something that's been done yet" but is being looked at. She refused to elaborate.

Owczarski said "all doors on campus are being looked at as part of the broad safety review."

Tech will also change access to residence halls. In past years, the dormitory buildings were locked only from 10 p.m. to 10 a.m. Now, the doors are being locked 24 hours a day as a safety measure. Students will have access to the dorms by using a school-issued card, which serves as a key only for their dorm.

Two students were killed by Cho in a dorm room at West Ambler Johnston Hall in the hours before the killings at Norris Hall. It's unclear how Cho, who lived in another residence hall, gained entrance to West Ambler Johnson. Owczarski said the room where the two students died and those adjacent to it will be kept closed and empty this year.

Tech also announced yesterday that John Beach of Salem — the school's director of physical plant operations — will serve as the university's interim director of emergency management with the responsibility of preparing and responding to campus emergencies. A permanent director will be named in the fall.

In addition, the Tech police department will now report directly to James A. Hyatt, the executive vice president and chief operating officer. The police department had reported to the vice president for administrative services.

Owczarski said the school received a record number of applications this year. Tech aimed to enroll about 5,000 freshman, but the number currently stands at around 5,200.

"It looks like we're going to have a large class," he said. "It's more than we planned on."

Contact Carlos Santos at csantos@timesdispatch.com or (434) 295-9542.