Message to parents from Dean of Students Lori Berquam
As you have likely heard by now, we have suffered the tragic loss of one of our students, UW-Madison junior Brittany Sue Zimmerman.
Zimmerman was found dead on Wednesday, April 2, in an off-campus house in the 500 block of Doty Street in downtown Madison.
It is very important to know that Madison is a generally safe community in which to live and work. The University of Wisconsin Police Department (UWPD) and the Madison Police Department have increased their patrols in the wake of this incident. We are doing everything in our power to help keep our campus community safe.
For information on how UW-Madison is prepared to protect against and respond to incidents involving student health and safety, visit the UWPD Web site or the Offices of the Dean of Students Web site.
Your son or daughter may be grieving or impacted by Brittany’s death and in need of support. Please encourage them to contact University Health Services Counseling and Consultation Services’ 24-hour crisis line, (608) 265-5600.
For additional information on working with students who are struggling with distress after a crisis such as this, or if you have a question or are seeking consultation, I urge you to call the Offices of the Dean of Students at (608) 263-5700 and ask for a dean on call, or contact us via e-mail at dean@odos.wisc.edu.
I also want to continue to urge all students to take advantage of the safety resources we have available, including SAFEwalk and SAFEride programs. We have deployed additional SAFE programs staff in light of yesterday’s events. Faculty or staff members in need of counseling or crisis support can contact the Employee Assistance Office at (608) 263-2987.
Because there is now an ongoing Madison Police Department investigation, we have limited information about this shocking loss. In an effort to keep the campus community informed, we will continue to offer additional up-to-date information about yesterday's events on the UW-Madison home page.
An event like this is extremely unsettling, and I share the frustration, sadness and shock of our students, faculty, staff, parents and alumni. This will be a difficult time, but I can tell you that we will come together in support of each other and continue working to make our campus as safe as possible.
Thank you,
Lori M. Berquam
Dean of Students