2008 Woodie Awards
Emergency system sends alerts
New service will help notify students in a quicker fashion
By: Mallory Yaroch and Alex Piazza
Issue date: 2/20/08 Section: News
Students will be able to receive emergency alerts in a variety of ways, including via text messages, by the end of March.
Central Michigan University signed a two-year contract in December with National Notification Systems to provide the service to students. The service will cost the university roughly $22,000 a year.
CMU sent out 12 requests to national notification companies, but only three responded with proposals, said Steve Smith, director of media relations.
"The old system was slow and cumbersome. This will get the word out more quickly through a number of different channels," Smith said. "The system will allow us to make mass notification to students and employees via phone, e-mail and text messages with a single command."
Faculty and staff were trained on how to deal with the new technology Tuesday evening.
Smith said students will be able to add additional information, such as cell phone numbers, into the system.
"We are populating the system with information we have in the directory, however students and employees will be encouraged to opt into the system if they are not currently in the directory. It also will be important that people review the information on record for accuracy. The information shared with the university will only be used for emergency notification," he said.
The current system in place alerts students about school closings via e-mail. However, students complain that messages are not helpful.
"The problem is that e-mail notifications are delayed and they are not indicated to be important in the subject line," said Metamora sophomore Shea Burgeson.
Aside from text messages, the university will look for other ways to alert students in an emergency situation.
"I never know when my classes are canceled or not," said Mount Pleasant sophomore Kim Patishnock. "I rely on my radio station."
Alerts will also go out to the emergency phones in the classrooms and to speakers which are being installed at the blue lights on campus, Smith said.
IT officials said in November that a total of 315 emergency telephones would be installed.
Sarah Fisher, Croswell senior, said she is looking forward to the new system.
"Anything that actually gets to you on time would be an improvement," Fisher said.
news@cm-life.com
Central Michigan University signed a two-year contract in December with National Notification Systems to provide the service to students. The service will cost the university roughly $22,000 a year.
CMU sent out 12 requests to national notification companies, but only three responded with proposals, said Steve Smith, director of media relations.
"The old system was slow and cumbersome. This will get the word out more quickly through a number of different channels," Smith said. "The system will allow us to make mass notification to students and employees via phone, e-mail and text messages with a single command."
Faculty and staff were trained on how to deal with the new technology Tuesday evening.
Smith said students will be able to add additional information, such as cell phone numbers, into the system.
"We are populating the system with information we have in the directory, however students and employees will be encouraged to opt into the system if they are not currently in the directory. It also will be important that people review the information on record for accuracy. The information shared with the university will only be used for emergency notification," he said.
The current system in place alerts students about school closings via e-mail. However, students complain that messages are not helpful.
"The problem is that e-mail notifications are delayed and they are not indicated to be important in the subject line," said Metamora sophomore Shea Burgeson.
Aside from text messages, the university will look for other ways to alert students in an emergency situation.
"I never know when my classes are canceled or not," said Mount Pleasant sophomore Kim Patishnock. "I rely on my radio station."
Alerts will also go out to the emergency phones in the classrooms and to speakers which are being installed at the blue lights on campus, Smith said.
IT officials said in November that a total of 315 emergency telephones would be installed.
Sarah Fisher, Croswell senior, said she is looking forward to the new system.
"Anything that actually gets to you on time would be an improvement," Fisher said.
news@cm-life.com
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