The future of Cole Hall is uncertain after the Feb. 14 tragedy.

Though the future of the building is a pressing issue, it is not an immediate concern, said Joe Grush, acting vice provost for resource planning.

“What we do with this facility is down the road,” he said.

NIU is more concerned with faculty training to help students and staff cope with feelings associated with the Cole Hall shooting, Grush said. The university has been so busy preparing for the immediate future that it has not had time to discuss the future of the building, he said.

NIU does, however, want to memorialize the tragedy in a dignified way and Cole Hall will not be used in the same way as before, Grush said.

NIU contacted Virginia Tech and was recommended to not use the building in the same sense because it would not be considerate of those hurt by the tragedy to continue to use the building as if nothing happened, Grush said.

“NIU wants to use the building as something people will want to have that won’t ignore the people who died there,” Grush said.

Potentially, Cole Hall could be redone to house different kinds of classrooms, provide office space or become a student study center with computer labs, Grush said.

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