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Utilize these tips for mitigating risks associated with popular campus events 

Protecting Campus Communities Through Effective Event Planning

Higher education institutions reflect the societies they serve and cannot be insulated from broader patterns of violence. Modern college and university campuses are dynamic and diverse and large, high‑profile events—whether celebratory, political, or activist in nature—are now a defining feature of institutional culture and community life. Recent violent incidents, including fatal attacks on campus, have underscored the importance of proactive event planning to reduce risk. The graphic below shows the scale of the problem as it relates to gun violence over the period 2020-2026:

Source: Everytown for Gun Safety Gun Violence Archive William Paterson University study (2025); Armed Conflict & Event Data (ACLED).

A recent study of college and university shooting incidents between 1999 and 2024 reveals that:¹

• On average, there have been approximately eight college shootings per year in the US.
• Around 78 percent of all incidents over this period took place at public institutions, and the remaining 22 percent at private colleges.
• 80 percent of the victims were students.
• 44 percent of perpetrators were current or former students, while 52 percent had no affiliation with the school.

A Look at Recent Activism at Institutions

Similarly, research into violent/disruptive activism on campuses reveals that:

• There have been at least 42 cases of violent or disruptive activism on campuses since January 2025.
• Most cases of disruptive activism involve protests relating to pro-Palestine sentiment or ICE detentions.

Examples include:

• On March 12, 2026, an armed assailant shot and killed one person and injured two others at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. The gunman had previously served time in prison for attempting to aid Islamic State. Students enrolled in a military training program at the university subdued and killed the attacker.
• On November 10, 2025, dozens protested outside a rally held by Turning Point USA – a conservative political organization founded by Charlie Kirk – at the University of California in Berkeley, California. Scuffles broke out between Kirk’s supporters, rival protesters, and police. Protesters threw smoke bombs, and one person was hit with a glass bottle. At least four people were arrested.
• On September 10, 2025, an armed assailant shot and killed conservative activist Charlie Kirk while he was speaking at a campus event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. Kirk was a close ally of President Donald Trump, and the suspect, Tyler Robinson, reportedly rejected Kirk’s political views.
• On May 7, 2025, dozens of pro-Palestine activists forced their way into the Butler Library at Columbia University in New York City, during a demonstration to demand the university divest from Israel. Two university security officers were injured in the scuffles, and more than 70 activists were arrested. Students also vandalized bookcases with graffiti. The protest formed part of a larger movement on university campuses across the US, calling for colleges to cut ties with Israel amid the war in Gaza.
• On May 5, 2025, pro-Palestinian students occupied the Interdisciplinary Engineering Building at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington, to demand the institution divest from Israel. Demonstrators vandalized the building, set bins on fire outside, and blocked two roads near the campus.
• In April 2024, a police sergeant unintentionally discharged his firearm during an effort to forcibly remove pro-Palestinian student protesters from an academic building. No injuries were reported, but the incident highlights safety risks during unrest at events around sensitive topics.

These Events Aren’t Going Anywhere (or at Least Not Off Campuses Entirely)

From early risk identification through appropriate mitigations, it is becoming increasingly critical that institutions do more to protect attendees, the wider public and freedom of expression before and during events. As outright prohibition is neither practical nor desirable, effective risk management requires early engagement with stakeholders to ensure events remain accessible, lawful and as safe as reasonably possible.

While heavily fortified campuses and overt security measures run counter to the ideals of openness in higher education, institutions should strike a practical balance between accessibility and safety. Many campuses have relied primarily on reactive measures such as armed campus police, surveillance systems, and emergency alerts. However, violent attacks represent only one aspect of a broader risk landscape that also includes hazing deaths, sexual violence, domestic abuse, stalking, and false threats. This reality highlights the need for a coordinated, risk-based approach and a shared understanding of risks and threats across stakeholders.

< p> High-profile events are central to campus life, but risks can be reduced when event organizers, security leaders, administrators, police, and student representatives collaborate early with the intent of enabling events to take place safely. The objective is not to limit free speech or assembly, but to build confidence through anticipation, preparation, rigorous assessment, coordinated communication, and effective planning.

Risk Assessment as the Foundation of Crisis Management

The crisis management cycle begins long before an incident occurs and should form part of wider institutional resilience planning as a matter of routine. The first and most critical step is identifying and assessing risks associated with high-profile events to develop an understanding of their potential impacts. This assessment underpins targeted mitigation measures and enables the development of clear, well-communicated protocols with well-defined roles and responsibilities for all stakeholders. Risk identification also allows institutions to assess existing safeguards, justify residual exposure, and prioritize actions to address gaps.

Planning teams should consider both event and crisis management protocols as follows:

Event Planning

• Event Registration and Approval: Require large, on-campus and potentially controversial events to be registered and assessed through a standardized process. Apply approvals fairly and neutrally, consistent with safeguarding and free speech obligations, without regard to political or activist viewpoints. Risk assessment should cover event logistics, technology failure, budget constraints, reputational impacts, and health-related emergencies.
• Threat Monitoring: After approval, communications teams and campus police should conduct all-source monitoring (including social media) for indicators of disruption or violence. Where threat assessment recommends it, implement additional mitigations, including adjusting controls or cancelling the event.
• Advance Planning and Safety Coordination: Once an event is approved in principle, convene relevant internal and external stakeholders early (events teams, public safety, campus police, communications, student affairs, and local emergency services) to agree roles, mitigations and escalation routes.
• Risk Management: Where appropriate, require speakers/artists (contractually) to comply with campus policies and to contribute to the costs of necessary security measures. Consider appropriate insurance and clear indemnities.
• Event Location: Where possible, hold higher risk/high profile events in controlled indoor spaces where entry/exit can be managed, dangerous items detected and removed, and physical barriers used to separate opposing groups.
• Access and Attendance: Consider making high-profile events ticketed and/or limited to students and staff, with positive ID checks on entry.
• Day-of-Event Controls (minimum): Confirm onsite command/decision maker; brief stewards and security on roles and escalation; implement entry controls (tickets/ID, prohibited items, bag checks where appropriate); manage queues and separation zones for opposing groups; ensure medical plan and emergency access routes; set clear trigger points for pausing or ending the event.

Crisis Management

Effective crisis management enables planners to anticipate the unexpected, and proactive risk management is essential. Crisis planning should be dynamic and flexible, as even the most meticulous plans must be adapted quickly to unforeseen challenges. Failure to identify and mitigate risk can damage reputation, create financial loss, and harm students, staff, and the wider public. Analysis of recent incidents across North American campuses suggests that effective risk management should focus on the following strategies:

• Crisis Team Activation Protocols: Ensure activation and notification protocols are current and that the crisis team is aware of the event. Tailor membership to the event (e.g., campus safety/police, legal, communications, student affairs, administration/HR). Include local police, emergency responders, and other external stakeholders where appropriate.
• Rehearsals: Run tabletop exercises ahead of the event to test notification protocols and rehearse procedures such as lockdown, invacuation/evacuation, emergency alerts, and medical response.
• Crisis Communications: Prepare master messages for likely incident types and audiences (e.g., board/governor leadership, students and staff, parents, local community and media). Ensure messages are consistent across stakeholders and reflect relevant legal reporting obligations (where applicable).
• Legal Considerations: Integrate legal input into planning to ensure obligations are met (including lawful free speech and assembly requirements). During an incident, consider legal constraints before imposing restrictions, and again during the post-event review.
• Post-Incident Review: Hold a structured after-incident review with relevant internal and external stakeholders to capture what happened, what worked and what needs to change. Use findings to update plans and protocols and consider post-incident support for affected students and staff.

Delivering Safe and Resilient Campus Events

The intent for high-profile events should be for them to take place safely, with proportionate controls to protect students, staff, the local community, media, campus and community property, and the institution’s reputation. Crisis planning goes beyond identifying hazards and drafting safety policies; it should also include practical contingency plans so unexpected developments can be managed effectively.

High-profile campus events can and should go ahead where possible, but only with disciplined planning, clear accountability, and proportionate controls. By applying a consistent risk management cycle, rehearsing crisis arrangements and putting practical day-of measures in place, institutions can better protect people, property and reputation while upholding lawful free expression. A structured post-event review should capture lessons and strengthen future planning.

¹College shooting statistics: A study from William Paterson University examines college and university shootings over a period of 25 academic years (1999 to 2024). Source: ‘Advancing Knowledge of School Shootings: Analyzing a Quarter Century of College/University Shootings in America,’ Sage Journals, 23 July 2025.

8/25/2026

By Peter Doherty, Director, Head of Crisis Response, S-RM

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