Emergency alert system still under development
University continues work on system to warn students of campus emergencies via text messages.
Maggie VanBuskirk
Wednesday, June 6th, 2007
Last week’s hunt for an alleged campus gunman had University of Kansas students checking their text messages. In May, Provost Richard Lariviere requested that students, along with University faculty and staff, submit telephone numbers and service providers for an emergency text messaging system.
On Friday, students received e-mails about the threat, but not text messages.
“It would have been nice to know what was going on before I got here and walked around campus,” Megan Sanders, Lenexa junior, said.
Sanders signed up for the text messaging service in May and was surprised to find police and news crews on campus Friday. She checked her e-mail at Anschutz Library and received a message detailing the morning’s events. Sanders then checked her text messages, which were empty. Lynn Bretz, director of communications for the University, addressed the lack of text messages.
“We are in the process of developing the system,” Bretz said. “We have to have everyone’s cell phone number and carriers for it to work, and that information is still being collected.”
Marlesa Roney, vice provost of student success, said text messages will be sent in emergency cases. E-mails and the telephone voice mail system will also be used.
“The University considers an event an emergency if there is a risk to any member of the University community,” Roney said.
Lariviere’s e-mail was sent on the last day of spring classes. Despite the late request for emergency contact information, more than 5,000 students have submitted the information. Bretz said it was a good start but the University still needs student cooperation.
Robert Turvey, director of student information systems, said the University will promote the need for students to update and add emergency contact information more prominently on Enroll & Pay.
“The University wants that kind of data for reasons like today,” Turvey said on Friday. “Today is a good example of the need for communicating rapidly with people in our community.”
According to Mike Reid, director of marketing for Kansas Memorial Unions, text messaging is the quickest way to contact students because of the number of cell phones on campus today. Reid estimates that 90 percent of the student population carry cell phones, making it a faster tool than computer e-mail for releasing emergency information.
Friday’s emergency e-mail had a 40-minute delay because of a coincidental maintenance test being performed on the University’s computer system at the same time the events were unfolding, Bretz said.
The emergency text messaging system is scheduled to begin in the fall. Eventually, students may be able to choose to receive text messages about campus events, news, sports and educational departments. Building closings and changes in bus schedules may also be sent.
— Edited by Joe Caponio
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