DEKALB, Ill. – Northern Illinois University is under a security alert for the rest of the semester after police found threats scrawled on a campus bathroom wall.

A statement posted on the university’s Web site Sunday says the threats included racial slurs and references to the Virginia Tech shootings earlier this year.

One of the threats said “things will change most hastily” in the final days of the semester.

The statement says security at residence halls and other buildings has been stepped up.

The university’s president, John Peters, says the DeKalb school decided to err on the side of caution. He adds students and staff should remain “calm but vigilant.”

NIU says the threats were found in a campus residence late Saturday.

For more on the story as it develops, check back with DailyIllini.com