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Colleges txt msg campus warnings

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Also by Cassie Kornblau:

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Added cost of studying abroad (December 10, 2007)
Representative brings 'traditionalist' view to college (December 7, 2007)
When hate disrupts the classroom (December 6, 2007)

by Cassie Kornblau

Thursday, April 26, 2007

In response to the Virginia Tech shootings last week, universities across the country are implementing a new communication tool to help enhance campus safety — text messaging.

Universities nationwide are implementing ways for students, faculty and staff to receive text messages in case of campus emergencies.

Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and Princeton University created a system this week where students, faculty and staff can register their cell phone numbers with the university so they would be able to receive text messages during emergency situations.

Greg Trevor, spokesperson for Rutgers, said the system is already being used in the admissions office for prospective students, adding the idea had been discussed prior to what took place in Virginia.

However, Trevor said Monday the university wanted to make sure the system got up and running after the events at Virginia Tech.

"As of 24 hours ago, 8,000 people signed up," Trevor said. "This is another tool that we will use that will assist in notification for a significant weather problem — like the flooding that happened last week and shut down school — or God forbid, a serious event."

Trevor said this is just another way for students, faculty and staff to receive time-sensitive information, and it will be used in addition to sending e-mails, posting online announcements and notifying the media.

Rutgers students and parents said they feel this system is already making the school safer, Trevor added.

"This system is part of our continuing efforts to improve communications at Rutgers and to help keep our community as safe as possible," Rutgers President Richard McCormick said in a release from the university. "It will complement the methods we currently use to disseminate urgent information."

Similar to Rutgers, Princeton purchased the Connect-Ed service in early April — prior to the Virginia Tech shootings — which can be used to send text messages to the entire community or target messages to specific buildings or departments.

Messages are relayed through the Connect-Ed system where faculty, staff and students can store up to six numbers — in addition to email and text messaging information — according to a release by Princeton.

Garth Walters, head of the Emergency Preparedness Task Force at Princeton, said in a release that Connect-Ed is only as effective as the contact information people provide. He also urged members of the community to register cell phone numbers so they can be reached.

"The advantage of this system is that we contact individuals directly rather than relying on people to check their e-mail or visit a website to view an announcement," Walters said. "With multiple points of contact, people can rest assured they will still be reached with important information even if they are not on campus or tuned into the local news."

Walters also said in the release the new system is an addition to methods already in place — including Internet announcements, e-mail, an automated message line, local radio stations and the new Tiger TV emergency alert system.

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