The following was sent out to all NIU students and faculty via e-mail on Tuesday, April 17.

Dear Colleagues, Students and Families:

In the aftermath of yesterday’s horrific events at Virginia Tech, this morning I convened a meeting of our campus emergency response team to once again review NIU’s policies and procedures in the area of crisis response. Universities across the country today are inundated with phone and email inquiries about campus safety procedures, and I want to take this opportunity to share information about NIU emergency preparedness.

First, I want to once again convey a sense of our collective shock and grief over the Virginia Tech shootings. I have received dozens of emails and phone calls from our own faculty, staff, students and parents expressing concern for the victims and their families. Likewise, many messages of support for the administrative staff and other responders at Virginia Tech have appeared in my email and on higher education discussion boards around the country. It is difficult to comprehend how Virginia Tech or any other university could have anticipated the depth and circumstances surrounding the shocking attacks of April 16, 2007.

Second, I want to reassure our campus in very simple and direct language about NIU’s own preparedness for disaster. In light of yesterday’s Virginia Tech crisis, all of higher education is reassessing emergency plans. As a result of our reconfirmation efforts, I’d like to share with you the following elements of our own preparedness:

– A detailed emergency response plan covering virtually every aspect of NIU

operations and life, and anticipating a wide range of potential disaster scenarios is currently under review with the Virginia Tech disaster in mind. Our comprehensive plan is reviewed in its entirety on an annual basis; specific updates are added whenever new information, real-life examples or best practices dictate.

Today’s emergency response team meeting included a verbal simulation of the Virginia Tech disaster to test the major components of NIU’s plan. While that review was neither exhaustive nor the only one that will take place, I can report my general satisfaction with the plan and, most importantly, the preparedness of those individuals who must carry it out.

Our NIU Police Department is among the best trained university departments in the nation. Here are just a few examples of ways in which our police staffing and training make for a safer campus:

o All residence halls are staffed, 24 hours a day, by NIU police officers working out of established community safety centers in each residence hall complex.

o All NIU police officers hold certification as emergency medical technicians (EMTs) capable of providing basic and advanced life support in a wide variety of situations.

o All have received specialized training in incidents that involve hazardous materials.

o All university police officers are specifically trained in how to respond to incidents involving guns and/or other weapons.

o All sergeants, lieutenants, captains and chiefs are trained as “incident commanders,” with special preparation in overall management of small- and large-scale disasters. In short, the NIU campus community is well-served by the advanced education and specialized skills of our university police force.

Caring for each other as members of a united community sometimes means reaching out to those who are experiencing great stress or exhibit potentially threatening behavior. NIU has in place a compassionate set of practices aimed at getting help to those in need, and I would encourage all students, faculty and staff to familiarize themselves with those procedures. Students with specific concerns may contact the Counseling and Student Development Center at 753-1206; faculty and staff should call Employee Wellness at 753-9191. The best emergency response plan is one that includes resources aimed at prevention, and I’m happy to report that our plan does just that.

NIU’s emergency response measures are manifested in the ever-evolving practices and improvements brought forth by a wide range of trained staff from every corner of our campus. In the spirit of continual improvement and in light of yesterday’s events, I have asked our emergency response team to develop a regularly-scheduled set of drills that routinely test and refine our crisis response practices. You will be hearing more about this in the weeks and months ahead.

Our hearts go out to the students, families, faculty and staff of Virginia Tech. In addition to keeping them in our hearts and our prayers, let us acknowledge what they have gone through and learn from their experiences.

As always, I thank you for your time and attention, and most of all for supporting each other during this difficult period.

Sincerely,

John G. Peters

President