The United States Department of Education calls college campuses soft spots, when it comes to safety.
CBS 6 sister station WDBJ 7 looked at some of the changes college campuses have made since the Virginia Tech shootings.
They found that many colleges are locking doors to dormitories; only those with a card can access the buildings. Schools have emergency phones and send out text alerts.
At Roanoke College, a system of 22 security cameras helps campus police watch for any suspicious activity. The school also increased their patrols.
As one security person said, it sounds like common sense now, but these things didn't exist a few years ago.
Still, an administrator says it takes more than that. He says they have to listen to what students are worried about.
"I think the key thing is that you want to be addressing the needs of their students and their concerns early on so that you never get to a situation that's a crisis,” Eugene Zdiarski said.
Zdiarski added that students should be very aware of their surroundings, and he says clear communication between students and faculty can help identify threats.
Do you feel like your college campus, or your child's campus is safe? What is it missing, if anything?
