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News Release

Contact: Melanie Magara, NIU Public Affairs
(815) 753-1681

December 10, 2007

University to Re-Open Tuesday

DeKalb -- Northern Illinois University will re-open and resume its final exam schedule tomorrow (Tuesday, Dec. 11) following today’s security closure. 

While an investigation into the weekend posting of threats in a residence hall restroom continues, university police are satisfied that the anonymous message no longer represents an imminent threat to students, faculty or staff. University, local, state and federal law enforcement agencies have identified several leads and remain hopeful about timely resolution of the case.

Throughout the day Monday, NIU reached out to students. President John Peters met with groups of campus leaders and with students in residence halls, listening to their concerns and briefing them on the university’s latest actions. The university also made counseling services available.

NIU continues to offer several hotline numbers for students and family members wanting more information on today’s security closure or academic accommodations. Those numbers are:

  • (815) 753-1573
  • (815) 753-1585
  • (815) 753-6257
  • (815) 753-6143
  • (815) 753-1574

Regarding Final Exams

NIU officials have established several procedures designed to accommodate students’ needs and mitigate disruption of their academic programs. As stated previously, all exams originally scheduled for Monday now will be given Friday. Additionally:

  1. Students missing exams will be temporarily assigned grades of Incomplete (I);
  2. Instructors of record will decide how those incompletes will be converted to letter grades (being mindful that all students should have to opportunity to complete any work for the fall semester that remains unfinished as a result of university closure). There are a variety of options instructors should consider, including: 
    1. allowing students to accept the grades they have already earned; 
    2. providing opportunities for students to take finals online; 
    3. permitting students to elect to take finals at one or more alternative times and places that are reasonable; and 
    4. permitting students to substitute a take-home essay exam or written paper for the in-class final exam.
  3. If the syllabus indicates that performance on a final exam is part of the course work upon which a student’s final grade is to be based, that student has a right to take the final exam or to file a grade appeal if that right is denied. If a grade of Incomplete is given the work missed is to be completed in accordance with university timelines and policies governing grades of Incomplete. 

Updated information can also be found on the NIU homepage at www.niu.edu.

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