Campus Response to Northern Illinois University Tragedy

President Simpson addresses the tragedy at fellow Mid-American Conference member, Northern Illinois

President John Simpson

BUFFALO, NY-Today the entire UB community is thinking of our friends and colleagues at Northern Illinois University. The tragedy that occurred there yesterday afternoon is, unfortunately, another sad reminder that our universities, while places of openness and learning, are not immune from the acts of those who wish to do harm.

My deepest sympathies go out to the victims and their families, President John Peters, and the entire Northern Illinois University community. As fellow members of the Mid-American Conference, there are many strong ties between our institutions. UB stands ready to help in any way we can.

The University at Buffalo has established policies and procedures to respond to any campus emergencies. An overview of these procedures is available here: http://www.emergency.buffalo.edu/index.htm. Our University will be reaching out to students to share information about the resources available to them on campus should they wish to discuss the events of Thursday.

The university takes very seriously its responsibility to ensure that our students, faculty, and staff have a safe environment within which to live, work, and learn. This is an ongoing challenge that undergoes continuous evaluation and assessment.

As part of our efforts to ensure campus preparedness, UB has compiled a comprehensive list of the resources available for consultation and referral when concerns arise about students, faculty, or staff who may pose a threat to themselves or others. If you suspect you need assistance, or you know someone else in need of help, I urge you to share your concerns immediately with any of the resources listed on this reference guide, available at http://www.buffalo.edu/ubconcerned.

I also encourage faculty, staff, and students to subscribe to the text messaging alert system recently established for the dissemination of critical information. Sign-up information for this elective service is available at the campus emergency website http://emergency.buffalo.edu/.

Fostering a safe, supportive campus environment is a matter of highest priority for our entire academic community, and each of us contributes to creating this environment. Please know that the university will continue to take every possible step on behalf of the safety and welfare of our students, faculty, staff, and visitors, and please do not hesitate to share any concerns, thoughts, or questions you may have about campus safety.

Sincerely,
John B. Simpson
President, University at Buffalo

02/15/2008