Associate Chancellor and Chief of Staff Janet E. Young of the University of California, Merced, issued the following statement today to students, faculty and staff regarding an incident in the Kolligian Library:
To all students, faculty and staff:
We are now able to provide further details regarding the object that was reported early Tuesday in the east wing of the Kolligian Library.
The device initially appeared suspicious and was treated with the utmost caution to ensure the safety and well being of our entire campus community. It has been determined that the device was not explosive and was in fact a class project belonging to a UC Merced student. We believe the item was left Monday night outside a classroom on the third floor in the library building and was mistaken for a suspicious device.
Police have determined that there was no intent to harm any people or property with this device. We are grateful to our campus law enforcement, as well as the Merced Police Department Bomb Squad and other responders, for keeping the safety of our campus community as their top priority in the handling of this incident.
The entire Kolligian Library is now open, and classes today are proceeding as normal. We thank you for your patience and apologize for any inconvenience this might have caused.
While this situation was managed without incident, we encourage all members of the campus community to contact the police if they encounter any sort of suspicious situation. Your awareness is an irreplaceable asset in situations like these. If you see anything suspicious, please contact UC Merced police dispatch at 209-228-2677 or police@ucmerced.edu, or you may leave anonymous information at 209-228-8477.
