The place to begin an assessment of a campuses readiness for a terrorist incident is with a comprehensive review of the institution’s strategic plan and the organization’s emergency action plan. Successful planning for a terrorist event begins at the top. Everyone associated with higher education, from regents and trustees and presidents to teachers and students, must think about the possibility of a terrorist event. The organization then needs to incorporate this change of attitude into planning, budgeting, operating, teaching, research, and evaluation processes. A portion of each workday needs to be dedicated to the concept of emergency preparedness. Adopting a “campus watch” mentality enables everyone to carry on with their primary duties because they know the organization is making a real attempt to protect them from harm. Once management adopts a positive philosophy to security and safety, and the strategic plan has been modified to make institutional safety a priority, steps must be taken to ensure that operational procedures comply with the new initiatives. The organization’s master plan is the first place to start. A multi-disciplined team should be created that provides a comprehensive assessment of the various threats to the institution. Once threat assessment is completed, the emergency action plan (EPA) should set forth the organization’s response to each threat. Supplementing the EPA should be a series of Work Unit Action Plans (WUAPs) associated with each operating area of the college or university. The next step involves the development of a master training plan (MTP) designed to ensure that everyone is exposed to the new approach to safety and security. Once the training topics are determined and the target group identified, curriculum can be developed and trainers can be trained. And finally, emergency preparedness training should be included in the orientation package for new employees and new students.