UNI honors the faculty, staff and students at Virginia Tech

UNI Memorial Service

At noon Friday, April 20, a brief memorial service and program was held on the Maucker Union plaza to remember and honor the victims of the Virginia Tech shooting. There were brief remarks from President Ben Allen and Northern Iowa Student Government President Andrew Morse. Following a period of silence, the Campanile bell tolled 32 times in honor of the victims of the Virginia Tech shootings.

Morse told the assembled crowd, "We must remember not only to keep ourselves safe, but to care for and reach out to one another." He also remembered the people of Virginia Tech." Let us also recognize today the heroes of the Virginia Tech incident: The students, law enforcers, faculty and staff members that bravely protected the lives of their fellow students, colleagues, and citizens."

UNI President Ben Allen President Allen called it a national tragedy of the greatest magnitude. "Let us mark this point in history, and promise to each other that the losses and sacrifices endured this week will not be without meaning." Allen pledged that security on our campus was on the minds of everyone at UNI. "I assure you that this national tragedy strengthens our resolve to protect and preserve the sanctity of UNI and to work with the entire educational community as it engages in this process... We will ultimately be stronger for our commitment to the right mix of compassion, vigilance and the preservation of our free and open educational communities."

Complete Memorial Service Remarks

Former UNI staff member now an Associate VP at Virginia Tech.

Waterloo Courier story...

Statement from Michael Gartner, President of the Board of Regents, State of Iowa

UNI Newsroom

A statement from President Allen:

The University of Northern Iowa extends its sympathy and condolences to the students, faculty and staff of Virginia Tech, and their families. I want to assure our students, faculty, staff and their families that campus safety is our primary concern. We are reviewing our crisis-response procedures to ensure that they are as comprehensive as possible. Our counseling center staff is ready to meet the needs of students as necessary.

To members of the university community:

We're only now becoming aware of the enormity of the shootings on the campus of Virginia Tech. Until more is known about the actual circumstances, we believe it's best to reserve comment, except to make the following points.

For members of the UNI community who have relatives, colleagues and friends at Virginia Tech and may be suffering from shock and sorrow, please remember that UNI and our surrounding communities have a wealth of mental health practitioners and counselors who are available and eager to help.

Today's events are a sober reminder that we must all take reasonable and prudent steps to protect ourselves. Most importantly, when you see suspicious behavior, don't hesitate to report it to police by calling 9-1-1.

These are some of the fundamentals of campus safety at UNI:

   • University Police are always on mobile patrol

   • Blue Cap emergency phones are located throughout the campus

   • UNI has the capability of sending emergency mass e-mails to all faculty, staff and students

   • UNI is working on enhancing its emergency message delivery systems, including voice messages

For more information, see http://www.vpaf.uni.edu/pubsaf/crime_prevention/index.shtml