[February 14, 2008] The Columbia College community wishes to express its deepest sympathies to the faculty, staff, and students at Northern Illinois University in light of the tragic shootings that occurred there.
All those who live and learn on college campuses share a common bond. Whenever violence erupts on any campus anywhere, we are all affected.
It is natural at times like this that our sympathies might be mixed with anxieties for our own safety. At Columbia, we have security systems in place. We have instituted new communication mechanisms to deliver emergency notifications. But tragedies like those at Northern Illinois remind us of the importance of shared vigilance and our own roles as members of a learning community.