In the past month, shots have been fired into a KU residence hall window twice, and a rumor has circulated about another shooting.

But just once has the university sent out a campuswide e-mail to inform students and squelch a rumor, and even then it was a day or more after the university became aware of the concerns.

That’s not enough, says KU parent Trish Robert. She says the university needs to do a better job of making sure all students know what’s going on around them.

“I called the university after the first shooting and got four different stories from their public safety office,” Robert said. “After that second shooting, I asked why no one had been told that it had happened.”

Todd Cohen, KU spokesman, said that the university has to be careful in weighing whether it is appropriate to send out a mass e-mail to students or parents. He added that student housing also sent an e-mail to its residents after the second incident.

“It’s a judgment call on each case,” Cohen said. “We can’t send out e-mails every time there is an act of vandalism. We don’t want to raise awareness of vandalism, because that’s what (the vandals) want.”

Cohen said the university looks at whether an incident has potential for imminent harm in deciding whether a campuswide e-mail should be used. In the case of the windows shot at Lewis Hall, the vandalism had happened hours before it was discovered, hence there was no imminent threat.

Robert said she’s frustrated as a parent of a KU student that she must rely on the media for information about potentially dangerous incidents that happen on campus.

“It makes me feel like the university is more concerned about their reputation than the safety of their students,” Robert said.

Cohen said parents can call the KU Public Safety Office, the Department of Student Housing – for those who live on campus – the Office of University Relations or the KU Parent Association if they have any questions. The parent association office is manned from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and can be reached at (785) 864-5872.

Capt. Schuyler Bailey, KU Public Safety Office spokesman, said parents with information or questions should always call. To minimize the potential for misinformation, Bailey said parents should ask for either him or Assistant Chief Chris Keary.