Running  head:  PUTTING  LESSONS  LEARNED  to  WORK  

 

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                 Putting  Lessons  Learned  to  Work:  Managing  Communications  After  a  Campus            

         Shooting-­‐  Northern  Illinois  University  Office  of  Public  Affairs,  2008  

             Case  Study  Analysis  by    

                 Priscilla  Dominguez  

                 Syracuse  University  

                   February  25,  2013  

Running  head:  PUTTING  LESSONS  LEARNED  to  WORK  

 

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                                                                                                                                           Abstract  

This  paper  explores  the  crisis  communications  strategy  implemented  by  

Northern  Illinois  University  when  a  mass  shooting  occurred  at  the  university  of  

February  14th,  2008.  On  that  day,  former  graduate  Sociology  student,  Stephen  P.  

Kazmierszak  ,  made  his  way  into  a  lecture  hall  within  the  university  and  opened  fire  

on  the  students  before  killing  himself.  As  a  result,  six  people  were  declared  dead  and  

nineteen  others  were  injured.  Immediately  following  the  shooting,  the  Office  of  

Public  Affairs  for  the  university  went  into  crisis  management  mode  and  went  on  to  

garner  the  respect  of  many  colleges  and  universities  as  well  as  winning  the  Silver  

Anvil  Award  in  2009.  

Running  head:  PUTTING  LESSONS  LEARNED  to  WORK  

 

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                                                                                               Campaign  

Defining  the  Problem  

The  issue  at  hand  was  implementing  a  crisis  communications  plan  and  

strategy  in  order  to  combat  the  negative  stigmas  that  arise  after  a  campus  shooting.  

The  Northern  Illinois  University  Office  of  Public  Affairs  had  to  work  to  make  sure  

that  that  the  school  was  proactive  in  relaying  the  news  to  the  public,  supporting  the  

students  that  were  directly  affected  and  not  directly  affected  by  the  students.  They  

had  to  work  to  uphold  the  good  name  of  the  university  and  provide  sympathy  to  the  

families  of  the  injured  students  and  the  students  who  were  killed.  

The  Campaign  

Planning  

Through  careful  observation,  practice,  research  and  consulting  with  other  

university  peers,  Northern  Illinois’  University  implemented  the  following  objectives:  

1. Maintain  all  publics    (especially  parents  and  students)  notified  as  much  as  

possible  throughout  the  entire  ordeal    

2.  Distribute  and  provide  emergency  alert  information  about  the  shooting  to  

students,  faculty  and  staff  

3. Establish  a  partnership  with  the  news  media  and  treat  them  as  partners-­‐  NIU  

felt  that  that  the  news  media  possessed  the  necessary  communications  tools  

to  reach  primary  audiences  

4. Use  the  website  to  provide  constant  updates  to  all  the  audiences  involved:  

(the  media,  the  students  and  the  families  of  the  students)  

5. Make  the  victims  and  their  families  their  first  priority  

Running  head:  PUTTING  LESSONS  LEARNED  to  WORK  

 

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6. Maintain  their  credibility  as  an  institution  through  maximum  timely  

disclosure  

7. Bring  back  the  reputation  of  the  school  as  being  a  caring  and  safe  atmosphere  

The  objectives  of  Northern  Illinois  University’s  followed  the  guidelines  of  

the  crisis  communications  strategy  recommended  by  professionals.  These  goals  

emerged  from  research,  practice  and  consulting  with  other  university  peers.  

Northern  Illinois  University’s  objectives  were  very  much  sensitive  to  the  need  for  

post-­‐campaign  evaluation  of  effects.  

Implementation:  

Prior  to  the  mass  shooting  of  the  February  14,  2008,  NIU’s  crisis  

communications  plan  was  put  to  the  test  twice.  The  first  crisis  they  had  to  manage  

was  a  flood  that  occurred  on  the  day  before  fall  semester  was  to  begin.  The  flooding  

required  that  campus  evacuation.  The  other  incident  involved  a  racial  threat  found  

in  a  residence  hall  and  then  later  published  on  a  website  that  prompted  the  school  

to  close  for  a  whole  day.  In  both  situations,  the  crisis  communications  plan  enacted  

by  NIU  Public  Affairs  was  successful  and  the  procedures  used  were  updated.    

One  particularly  interesting  point  was  that  upon  further  review  of  website  

traffic  following  the  racial  threat  being  published  on  the  website,  was  that  an  

additional  server  had  to  be  added  to  handle  large  visitor  spikes.  As  a  result  six  new  

servers  were  acquired  and  dedicated  solely  to  the  support  of  the  website-­‐  a  move  

that  proved  futile  during  the  mass  shooting  at  the  school  on  February  14,  2008  

when  the  traffic  to  the  website  were  in  the  millions.  

Running  head:  PUTTING  LESSONS  LEARNED  to  WORK  

 

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Immediately  after  the  shooting,  the  Office  of  Public  Affairs  for  Northern  

Illinois  University  went  into  crisis  management  mode  in  full  effect.  They  executed  

their  crisis  communications  plan  by:  

1. They  made  their  website  the  place  to  get  constant  updates  and  

information  regarding  the  shooting  and  posted  everything  on  a  

Facebook  page.  

2. First  emergency  alerts  were  sent  via  email,  web,  voicemail  and  

hotline  less  than  fifteen  minutes  after  the  shooting.  

3. NIU’s  Office  of  public  Affairs  presided  over  and  arranged  more  than  

six  news  conferences.  The  first  one  was  held  at  5:30  p.m.  This  was  

less  than  two  and  half  hours  after  last  shot  was  fired  and  at  each  

conference  a  number  of  200-­‐300  reported  were  present.  

4. They  participated  in  meetings  of  president’s  crisis  management  

group  every  hours  

5. The  President  was  positioned  as  the  spokesperson  and  face  of  the  

university.    

6. They  established  a  media  center  in  the  administration  building.  

7. Facilitated  parking  for  25+  satellite  trucks  by  working  with  building  

services  and  campus  police  

8. Facilitated  many  individuals  interview  with  university’s  officials  

9. All  news  conferences  and  events  after  the  shooting  were  streamed  

live  on  the  internet  

           10.    Created  and  distributed  biographies  of  the  victims  

Running  head:  PUTTING  LESSONS  LEARNED  to  WORK  

 

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11.  Worked  with  hospital  to  maintain  names  of  victims  private  until  they  

chose  to  reveal  it  themselves.  

12.    They  prepared  talking  points,  speeches,  letters,  all-­‐  campus  emails.  

They  began  the  motto,  “  Forward,”  and  “  Together  forward”  

13.  Helped  plan  the  memorial  service  held  on  the  24th  of  February  2008.  

14.  Created  a  memorial  service  website.  

15.  Throughout  the  year  after  the  tragedy  came  to  pass,  the  Office  of  Public  

Affairs  still  went  on  to  manage  media  and  messages.  

                         The  media  played  a  special  part  in  the  campaign  because  the  Office  of  Public  

Affairs  used  them  as  an  ally  as  opposed  to  an  enemy.  They  worked  with  them  to  

distribute  the  message  by  allowing  them  to  cover  the  event  and  holding  news  

conferences.  Although,  not  all  their  methods  were  creative,  some  like  having  a  

memorial  website,  helping  plan  the  memorial  and  putting  the  integrity  and  privacy  

of  the  students  and  families  was  so  commendable  and  done  without  the  help  of  the  

media.  Their  actions  and  methods  showed  how  the  heart  of  the  school  was  the  most  

valuable  for  the  Office  of  Public  Affairs.  

Evaluation:  

As  a  result  of  their  actions  that  day  of  the  tragedy,  in  the  days  following  and  up  until  

the  year  of  the  tragedy,  the  school  is  more  unified  than  ever.    Various  news  media  

outlets  and  state  government  officials  praised  the  university’s  handling  of  the  

situation  and  venerate  all  the  work  put  into  damage  control.  NIU’s  Public  Affairs  

staff  is  in  high  demand  as  consultants  for  other  universities  that  are  working  to  

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develop  crisis  plans.  No  lawsuits  have  been  filed  in  conjunction  with  the  shooting.  

They  were  awarded  the  2009  Silver  Anvil  Award  in  Crisis  Communications.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Running  head:  PUTTING  LESSONS  LEARNED  to  WORK  

 

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                                                                                             References  

Putting  Lessons  Learned  to  Work:  Managing  Communications  After  a  Campus      Shooting.  (n.d.).  Putting  Lessons  Learned  to  Work:  Managing  Communications  After  a      Campus  Shooting.  Retrieved  February  20,  2013,  from      www.prsa.org/SearchResults/download/6BW0911B03/0/Putting_Lessons_Learne