UW Emergency Management

February 5, 2020

BARC website improvements support new Provost’s Safety Initiative

picture of a 3-ring binber with cover page noting "Agenda:At their regular meeting on February 5, 2020, the UW’s Board of Deans & Chancellors  (BoDC) formally reviewed and endorsed a sweeping set of safety initiatives identified by Provost Mark Richards in a recent written directive.  In his charge to the colleges and academic departments, the Provost identified seventeen (17) separate tasks and activities that collectively, will enhance the overall safety, security and preparedness posture of the entire university.  The 17 Safety Initiatives outlined in the report are based on current Federal, State, local and UW legal and regulatory mandates,  Over the next 18-months, colleges and departments, including all research units, will be provided ongoing resources and support assist them in meeting their deadlines.  To ensure ongoing success in meeting their compliance requirements, four administrative departments will provide technical and program support: Environmental Health & Safety, UW Police, SafeCampus Program and UW Emergency Management.  Five (5) of the seventeen safety initiatives relate to the UW’s mandate that every department, college, unit and center develop an maintain a continuity plan to ensure that each is able to protect, restore and resume critical operations within specific time frames.  This program, called BARC (Business, Academic and Research Continuity) has been around since 2008.  The 2020 Provost Safety Initiative will invite hundreds of new players in the BARC program.  With many newcomers unfamiliar with the BARC process, UWEM developed a new BARC for Beginners webpage to provide a simple, step-by-step process to guide our new partners in this program.  The webpages includes links and content on basic continuity concepts, sign-up for a peer-to-peer UW continuity network as well as training opportunities, technical resources and FAQs to address the most common issues that most newcomers may face when tasked with developing or updating their department continuity plan.