The tragedy yesterday at Northern Illinois University has once again brought together campuses around the country in providing support to friends and colleagues. At MWU, our thoughts and prayers are with the NIU family, and the families and loved ones of the students whose lives were lost, as we collectively grieve over this senseless act of violence. The reverberations were felt especially at our Downers Grove Campus. Our Dean of Students, Dr. Teresa Dombrowski, shared the following message to our students today. Her message is so profound and powerful, that I wanted to share it with all of you (with her permission and my thanks):


"Dear MWU Students:
I am sure that by now all of you are aware of the shooting incident on the campus of Northern Illinois University yesterday. The close proximity of their campus significantly increases the personal impact of the event on our campus, since many members of the MWU community have relatives, friends, or acquaintances who attend NIU. If you know of any members of our community who have been affected, please reach out to them.

I myself felt the impact of this event on a more personal level. My older son is currently attending NIU and was on campus when the shooting occurred. I called him as soon as I heard that there had been a shooting. He actually answered his cell phone (a small miracle!), and told me that he was fine. The five minutes that lapsed before I spoke to my older son were probably the longest in my life. While I have always had sympathy for families and friends who await news following one of these violent incidents, in those few moments I had an empathetic understanding of their distress. While I waited, I was comforted by the thought that when my son left in the morning, we had parted on good terms, that I had hugged him and wished him a Happy Valentine's Day. The reality of our culture is that there is no guarantee of safety beyond the confines of our own homes. I never in my most morbid moments thought that I would have to worry about sending my child to school, or to a city council meeting, or to shop at the mall, but that is the reality of our life. I think it is important to live our lives every day in such a way that we do not have regrets about words we have left unspoken, or actions left undone. Do not put off letting the people you love know that you care for them, either by words or actions. Mend your broken fences. Keep in touch with the people you care about who you don't see very often. There are no go-backs in life.

On a more practical note, I am sure there are some concerns whether Midwestern University has taken precautions to handle an incident similar to the one at Northern Illinois. MWU has an Emergency Response Team. We have worked out scenarios for an armed intruder threat to the campus, delineating lines of responsibility for specific duties. We have an emergency alert system, which you have probably heard already when severe weather is imminent. Information Technology Services has the ability to alert all campus computer users via their monitors, and the MWU intranet site has the ability to post emergency messages. We can lock down the campus quickly, including buildings and the central entrance at the Welcome Center. The team is still looking at the option of using text messaging and whether its use would be an asset given the poor phone reception in some buildings. We are constantly evaluating and tweaking the system to make sure that it will provide the necessary support in the unlikely event that we need to use it.

I would encourage you to contact one of the counselors if you have experienced a loss or are experiencing anxiety or concern about the incident at NIU. Please let me know if the Office of Student Services can be of any assistance.

Dr. Dombrowski"