UNC rolls out new faculty training nearly 1 year after deadly shooting on campus

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WTVD) -- The University of North Carolina is rolling out new safety training for faculty in preparation for the upcoming academic school year.

It's part of an independent, comprehensive review of the school's safety plan and comes after a devastating loss on campus. The end of August marks a year since a student shot and killed his professor, Dr. Zijie Yan, inside Caudill Laboratories.

The fall semester was barely underway when fear ripped through the 229-year-old campus and students hid in classrooms for around an hour until the suspect was taken into custody.

SEE ALSO | 'Wonderful human being': Colleagues remember UNC professor Zijie Yan who was killed in shooting

Dr. Zijie Yan, who was a father to two young children, was remembered as a "beloved, colleague, mentor, and a friend to so many" on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus.

Now, faculty members are being "strongly encouraged" to take a new training course to improve safety.

"Should there be a disruption, or some type of emergency, as leaders, they would then be able to help guide their students on what actions to take," said UNC Director of Emergency Management and Planning Darrell Jeter.

ABC11 got a hold of a couple of the slides.

One is for an active assailant or armed intruder. People are encouraged to run, hide in a secure area if they can't evacuate, or defend themselves and fight if there are no other safe options.

"Last year was a wakeup call for a lot of us to be ready for possibilities," said UNC Faculty Member Andy Bechtel.

He said there has been training in the past and UNC Campus Police would do an in-person presentation.

He appreciates this new online course.

"I'm hoping that by being prepared, we can feel confident that we're ready for whatever may happen. We can't control everything that happens of course in life, but we can be best prepared as we can," said Bechtel.

SEE ALSO | 'Bit traumatized.' UNC students cope after a deadly day on campus

On Franklin Street, students did their best to put the nerve-wracking day behind them on Monday night.

Rising Junior Grace Richards feels a lot more comfortable going into this academic year knowing there's an updated action plan. She hopes to never experience a situation like last August.

"It was horrible, it was terrifying. The unknowns of it all -- kind of the lack of communication," said Richards. "We had no idea what was going on and it's something that will stick with me for a long time."

Faculty are being implored to complete this training before the first day of class: August 19.