Yesterday’s tragic events at Northern Illinois University leave us deeply saddened. On behalf of the entire Knoxville campus, I want to express our heartfelt condolences to all who have suffered directly or indirectly due to this senseless act of violence.

Such events remind us of the fragility of life and of the importance to take all precautions possible to safeguard our own campus. While we mourn the horrific turn of events in Illinois, let us be reminded that every member of our campus community – whether student, staff or faculty – should familiarize him- or herself with safety procedures in their departments, residence halls and classes. Safety information is available online at http://safety.utk.edu/. Emergency communications are one way we can be prepared. Nearly 16,000 of you have subscribed to the UT ALERT text messaging system. That system worked well during recent incidents. I encourage you to enroll at https://www.utk.edu/utalert/.

Meanwhile, let us reflect upon the lives touched by the violence at Northern Illinois University.

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