While Monday's violent shooting rampage at Virginia Tech was an aberration, it does raise questions about college campus safety and security at a time when many families are deciding which college their child will attend next year.

"When the parents send their kids off to college, this kind of thing doesn't come to mind," said Pat Croner, a private college admission counselor who owns the College Match in Westlake Village. "But safety is a huge issue."

Many parents are leery of schools that are in unfamiliar places out of state, in undesirable neighborhoods or areas of town, as many consider USC to be, or are in large cities, Croner said.

But parents and students need to consider the types of safety and security measures in place on campus, including the availability of on-campus police officers, locations of emergency call boxes on the campus grounds, and after-dark escort services for students walking alone at night back to their dorm rooms.

Campus crime statistics and security policies are available for review by parents, students and the public under the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act.

The law, passed in 1990, is named for student Jeanne Clery, who was murdered on the Lehigh University campus in 1986.

The Clery Act requires any college and university receiving federal funds, including all federal financial aid program participants, to disclose certain crime statistics and security policies, including annual reports with three years' worth of campus crime data, including sex offenses such as rape, murder and manslaughter, aggravated assault, burglary and theft. Many college campuses post their crime statistics and reports on their Web sites.

A visit to a campus and a closer look at the safety measures can often ease parents' fears, said Pete Brown, assistant admission director at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks.

"It'll come up at almost any meeting we have with students and parents, especially those that aren't from our area," he said. "A lot of times when they come on campus and see what kind of environment we're in, that makes people feel better."

Students at CSU Channel Islands get an overview of campus security policies and procedures during orientation. Those who live on campus also go through emergency drills and evacuation procedures, said Greg Sawyer, vice president for student affairs. In addition, resident assistants and hall directors get training on dealing with an array of emergencies, he said. The most important thing for students, he said, is to be aware of their surroundings and know how to get help if needed.

"We don't ever want our students to be caught off-guard," he said.

On the Net: http://www.securityoncampus.org/schools/cleryact/