Shortly after hearing about the terrorist attacks to the World Trade Center on Tuesday, Sept. 11, Carnegie Mellon officials rallied together in a makeshift command center in the University Center's President's Dining Room to map out plans for an appropriate response.
While students filled the University Center's Kirr Commons to watch details of the worst tragedy in U.S. history unfold on television, President Jared L. Cohon and Provost Mark Kamlet deliberated by telephone about a proper course of action. Cohon, away on business travel, and Kamlet decided to cancel classes for the day and allow employees to go home to their family and friends.
Their message was quickly posted on university doorways and electronic postings ran on the Carnegie Mellon Web site and on the official.cmu-news and cmu.misc-news bulletin boards. Voice mail messages were distributed by Telecommunications.
Dean of Student Affairs Michael Murphy activated the Counseling Center and counselors were available throughout the day to help members of the university cope with the day's tragic events. National television news broadcasts continued to be shown in Kirr Commons and McConomy Auditorium. More..
