UNLV’s Beam Hall, site of shooting, to stay closed for spring semester
UNLV’s Beam Hall, scene of a Dec. 6 mass shooting that killed three professors, will remain closed through the spring semester.
President Keith E. Whitfield made the announcement in a Friday posting on a UNLV website.
The professors killed in Beam Hall were Cha-Jan “Jerry” Chang, Patricia Navarro Velez and Naoko Takemaru. UNLV police shot and killed the gunman outside of the main business building.
“Even though we continue to make progress on building repairs in Beam Hall, we also understand the intense emotional trauma that exists for our colleagues who work in the building, and for students still recovering from the impact of the Dec. 6 tragedy and its aftermath,” Whitfield wrote in the posting. “So in consultation with faculty, staff, and leadership in the Lee Business School and College of Liberal Arts, and with our Facilities and Business Affairs teams, Provost Heavey and I have made the decision to keep Beam Hall closed to the public for the spring semester.”
Classes previously scheduled for Beam Hall this spring have been reassigned to other classrooms on campus or to remote instruction. Faculty and staff will have the option of working in their offices, working remotely, or using hotel spaces in other buildings but Beam Hall will remain locked and accessible only to occupants and their personal guests for the semester. Other services and programming typically in Beam Hall will be relocated for the semester.
“I’m incredibly thankful to our deans, and our staff and faculty in the building for your feedback, your compassion for your colleagues and students, and for your patience and understanding as we navigate these unprecedented circumstances. The provost and unit deans will share additional operational details with impacted faculty and staff soon,” Whitfield said.
Spring semester begins Jan. 16, but many staff and students will be back on campus Monday for the first time in more than a month, Whitfield noted.
“The process of recovery from last month’s tragedy is unique for everyone at UNLV. But one thing I’ve learned from my interactions, and from the stories I’ve heard from colleagues and students, is that our university community rallies around one another when faced with adversity. We are resilient and, by working together, I am confident that we will emerge as a stronger university,” Whitfield wrote.
Just days after the shooting, a group of UNLV students and activists called for a multi-pronged approach to ending the kind of gun violence that left three professors dead and a fourth wounded.
UNLV changed its end-of-semester operations in response to the on-campus shooting. Most students, faculty and staff worked from home through the end of the year. Semester finals were cancelled, but two graduation ceremonies were held.
The president’s Friday message also outlined concerns from improved safety on campus to recovery from the shooting and a permanent campus memorial to the slain professors.
Some of his plans include:
— Creating a Committee on Campus Security and Safety, consisting of more than a dozen faculty, staff, students, and administrators.
— A Rebel Recovery to include continued and consistent communication, events and activities that give our faculty, staff and students a voice in the process regarding suggestions on ways to enhance safety and security, promote wellness and camaraderie, and engage our faculty, staff, and students to help our community recover.
— The Faculty Senate leadership will begin the process of determining plans for a permanent campus memorial.
Contact Marvin Clemons at mclemons@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VegasMarvRJ on X.
