Last week, tragedy exploded at Northern Illinois University when graduate student Stephen Kazmierczak opened fire in a campus lecture hall, killing five students, injuring 16 and then turning the gun on himself. The next day, the suburban Chicago campus closed, while students, faculty and staff registered their shock, grief and horror at what had befallen their community.

"The American Federation of Teachers extends its condolences and prayers to the victims' families, the survivors and the entire campus community at Northern Illinois University," said AFT president Edward J. McElroy of the Feb. 14 shootings. "The university staff and emergency responders performed admirably, and we thank them for their selfless actions. That said, we are disheartened to be forced once again to reflect on such a senseless and tragic event."

Sandy Flood, president of the University Professionals of Illinois/AFT chapter, reflected on how the NIU community had been jolted by the killings at Virginia Tech less than a year ago. "It was so close, so incredibly close. It seemed similar to what could happen on our campus, because we have just one door leading into most of our classrooms."

The Virginia Tech shootings, which left 32 dead, spurred NIU to study its own crisis response systems. When NIU's president announced it as a priority, Flood sought input from her members, who are full-time, temporary instructors. She worked with the assistant to the NIU president and the safety committee that was preparing an emergency response manual. "I got a flood of information," she says, including at least 20 lengthy e-mails that she shared with the committee. Most of the ideas were included in the updated NIU Emergency Guide that was distributed to the university in September 2007 and posted online.

By all accounts, the campus response to the crisis was "incredibly fast," says Flood. The incident began just after 3 p.m. in the Cole Hall lecture room of graduate employee Joseph Peterson. Within two minutes, campus police had arrived, and by 3:07 p.m. the building was locked down. At 3:20 p.m., the campus had posted an alert on the university's Web site and set into motion other campus-wide notifications, including e-mail and voice-mail alerts and a siren alarm system.

Flood was in her office on the other side of campus from the crime scene when she "heard people running around the building, saying 'lockdown'." She noted the time, 3:07. Given the choice of remaining in the locked building or leaving the campus, Flood felt it was safest to leave. She was in her car by 3:20.

One of the biggest changes is a push to have locks on all classroom doors and keys distributed to the faculty and instructors who use them. Flood locks the door to her room before starting class, and students learn early in the semester to be on time.

The university has also implemented multiple notification systems, all of which were used on Feb. 14. "I think they've done a good job," she says, right down to suggestions for how to escort an unstable student to mental health services.

One suggestion, yet to be implemented, calls for an emergency text messaging system, she says. With 25,000 students, it would be complicated to install, but now, it seems a likely approach to keeping students, faculty and staff safer. Still, it is the case that anyone can come on campus, and Flood doesn't see that changing. Mobility and openness are part of the education process, she says.

The UPI Web site has posted links to news updates from the NIU student newspaper, Northern Star, and comments and condolences from other sources.

February 29, 2008