Interestingly, a search of a number of different databases failed to reveal any information regarding evaluations of the effectiveness of these programs. Contained in the review of relevant literature presented in Chapter 2 are a number of statistical tables that address the question of the incidence of workplace violence and higher education. However, limited information is available on the overall effectiveness of these programs.

Dartmouth College (2002), located in Hanover, New Hampshire, has an on-campus Department of Safety and Security which works in tandem with the Office of Residential Life and other campus units to provide training programs, crime prevention workshops, security surveys, and anti-theft identification program efforts. The Office of Safety and Security at Dartmouth was established with the intent of providing a mechanism for identifying safety issues on campus and providing programs targeting those issues.

Dartmouth College (2002) appears to focus its crime prevention and violence reduction efforts on educati

Human Resources, Office of Academic and Student

Attacked as Appendix B to this report, is the entire published workplace violence prevention plan for Normandale Community College (1997). Key features of this plan include the following:

(2003, p. 1) delineates the following general elements:

Other conclusions also arise from the present study related to the first three research questions delineated in Chapter 1. For example, it is quite clear that workplace violence is a problem of significance throughout the United States (U.S. Department of Justice, 1998). It is equally clear that workplace violence can take the form of verbal or physical assaults, including sexual harassment, threats of assault, actual assault, attack with a deadly weapon and even murder. While education and training can do a great deal to prepare workers and supervisors alike for such events, it is also important to engage in pre-employment screening to facilitate reduction of risk (Brenner & Summerfield, 1996).

.Increase the ability to recognize early warning signs of a potentially violent person or situation.

Colleges and universities should therefore use the foregoing information to create a template for a customized, institution-specific workplace violence policy and prevention plan. As this study has revealed, many institutions have already addressed this task. Once a program or plan has been developed, it should be revisited frequently to ensure that it addresses new needs and that training and education are ongoing. Following this set of guidelines may not alleviate all episodes of violence or threats of violence that occur on campuses, but a structured and systematic approach to the problem will mitigate many of its effects.

* Careful and thoughtful management of people is the best tool to avoid incidents of workplace violence. Handle problems with and between employees qui