Office of the President

Speeches & Reports

President Murano Sends Condolences to Northern Illinois,
Addresses Campus Safety

February 19, 2008

To The Aggie Family:

As has always been the case, the safety of our students, faculty, staff, and visitors is our top priority here at Texas A&M University.

The recent tragedy at Northern Illinois University is another grim reminder, along with the horrific events at Virginia Tech last year, that safety, even on a college campus, cannot be taken for granted. We are fortunate to live in a relatively safe environment here, as evidenced by the low crime rate we experience compared with other universities. But we cannot afford to grow complacent, even in Aggieland.

Please be assured that I will take the steps necessary to keep Texas A&M as safe as possible. But I need something from you in return. If you have not yet signed up for Code Maroon, our campus emergency warning system, then please don't delay - sign up now at codemaroon.tamu.edu. I ask you to join me in keeping the Northern Illinois family in your thoughts and prayers. I have sent a letter to Dr. John G. Peters, President of Northern Illinois University on behalf of the Texas A&M family expressing our solidarity in this time of grief. Read Letter.

I know that such events can cause us to be anxious and even make us feel unsafe. Again, please be assured that we have taken concrete steps in the past year to ensure that we have the safest campus possible. However, if you — or someone you know — needs a person to talk to, we have a host of counseling resources available to the Aggie Family. Just contact one of our excellent on-campus counselors at Student Counseling Services and they will be more than happy to help.

Thank you for your commitment to help keep our campus safe, and Gig 'Em!

Dr. Elsa A. Murano
President
Texas A&M University