Update on Our Commitment to Well-being and Safety - Testing and Education

July 31, 2024

Dear Maroons,

In late May, I responded to a story posted by the online publication Air Mail that discussed cases of young Roanoke College alumni who have battled, or are battling, cancer. The story irresponsibly made a connection between these cancer cases and the college without presenting any evidentiary support.

As I stated at that time and want to reiterate here, we have absolutely no evidence to show that Roanoke College is anything but a safe place to live, work and learn. However, out of an abundance of caution, I promised to pursue this matter and provide timely updates on our actions to our college community.

Members of my staff and I have had many conversations over the past several weeks with health officials who express that they see no evidence of a cancer cluster at Roanoke. However, out of an abundance of caution, we consulted with Engineering Consulting Services (ECS) Mid Atlantic, a national, EPA-accredited environmental services company, to help us determine a scope and timeline for an assessment of our campus.

Testing

ECS suggested testing for two common environmental issues that are often encountered at residential buildings: lead in drinking water and radon gas, both of which are known to cause certain illnesses. ECS also advised that the college could go a step further and test for sub-slab vapors. Per the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), sub-slab vapors come from groundwater and/or soil contaminated by chemicals or petroleum products. Vapors from these chemicals can get inside buildings and, according to the EPA, “Low level chemical exposures over many years may raise the lifetime risk of cancer or chronic disease.”

Based on this guidance from ECS, last week we began testing all of our residence halls for these three environmental concerns. As I said before, we will be open and transparent throughout the process. You can read updates here on our community messages page.

Education  

It has been widely reported that cancer rates in young people have risen dramatically in recent years. To help spread awareness and provide educational resources for our students, faculty and staff regarding this topic and the causes of cancer in general, we’ve established a team that has started work on an educational campaign for our community beginning this fall. This team includes members from our Public Health Department and Student Health & Counseling office and will include collaboration with public health officials. More information about this effort, including a landing page with resources, will be shared in the coming weeks.

The safety and well-being of our students, faculty and staff are always our top priority at Roanoke College. We know that these basic human needs must be met for members of our community to thrive academically, personally and professionally. Health and safety will stay at the center of our work at Roanoke, and we hope you will join us in helping to educate and inform our community about ways we can take care of ourselves – and each other.

With continued hope,

Frank Shushok, Jr., Ph.D.

President