Emergency text message system under evaluation
After a recent double-murder at Louisiana State University, a failure in its emergency text message system has prompted questions about Washington University’s own emergency system.
Both Washington University and Louisiana State University (LSU), along with numerous other universities, employ clearTXT’s messaging system. The company relays messages from member schools to their students via e-mail, text message and direct-to-desktop alerts. While the company offers academic and sports alerts, Washington University is partnered with clearTXT to provide only emergency notices.
On Dec. 14 of last year, unknown gunmen murdered two Ph.D. students in LSU-owned apartments. The LSU administration attempted to message their students using the clearTXT system, but many students did not receive the text message.
“There was a double murder on campus, and no one got a text,” said LSU freshman Matt Castello. “It didn’t work when it needed to.”
According to the clearTXT Web site, the failure was due to confusion on how enrollment data was collected. People who signed up for the system were not automatically signed up to receive text messages and needed to opt-in manually.
Andrew Ortstadt, assistant vice chancellor for information services and technology, said the University’s system has a similar issue.
“The text messaging option is optional; students and staff must go to the site and enter their mobile number and carrier and opt to receive text messages,” said Ortstadt. “The need to have people opt in makes it complicated when all you want it for is emergencies.”
The University automatically entered all university e-mail addresses into the system. Over 30,000 students, graduates, faculty, staff and alum will receive an e-mail in case of an emergency. However, only 4,000 people have signed up to receive text messages.
The University sent out an e-mail at the beginning of the year informing students of the new system and encouraging them to sign up. There has not been an announcement since. The University plans to increase publicity of the system in light of the recent school shootings.
“Likely we will have another e-mail at the beginning of every semester,” said Ortstadt. “Not everyone reads their e-mail, so we need to have a communication blitz.” According to Castello, a test of the system of LSU before the incident met with limited success. The University performs monthly small-group system tests but currently has no plans for a school-wide test.
There are also no plans to extend the messaging system beyond emergency notices. Only a limited group of people can issue an alert, including the Chancellor and members of his office, the Office of Public Affairs, the chief of the University Police Department and the director of Protective Services.
“Our position is that the system would be used for imminent or actual campus emergencies. Generally, anything we’d consider life-threatening,” said Ortstadt.
Other universities employing text-messaging systems have reported recent success. The University of Minnesota (UMN), which implemented the Inspirion Logistics system shortly before its fall semester finals, received a bomb threat on one of their lecture halls a week after the system’s launch. Messages were used to warn students to avoid the building and then to inform them when the threat was cleared.
“We now have over 10,000 students signed up at this point,” said Dan Wolter, director of UMN’s University News Service. “Every incident is a chance to promote this system and show what a value it is.”
While UMN’s system also requires students to manually opt in, the school is considering automatically enrolling incoming freshmen next year with the option of opting out.
The emergency text system is just one of the University’s plans to increase the channels of communications with students and faculty. The University is currently in the process of implementing a campus-wide public address system, as well as more low-tech solutions.
“We’re looking at a siren/voice combination system for the Danforth Campus. We also have plans in place for a town crier system, dispersing people to key points on campus and telling students there’s a situation,” said Bruce Backus, assistant vice chancellor for environmental health and safety.
Since text messages are limited in length, an emergency text message will typically include a brief description of the emergency and where to go for more information.
1) Go to http://wustl.cleartxt.com
2) You can choose to have e-mail alerts sent to your @wustl.edu address or another address. If you wish to register a separate e-mail, register as a new user. Enter your mobile number and carrier and choose “Yes, subscribe me to mobile alerts”
3) If you wish to use your wustl address, you’ll need to go over to the right side of the page and click “Forgot password?”. Enter your wustl address.
4) An e-mail will be sent to your wustl address, containing a link. Clicking that link will bring you to a page that resets your password. It will send a new random password to your wustl address in a new e-mail. Be careful; both tend to be caught by spam filters.
5) Log in with your wustl address and new password.
6) On the top bar, click “Settings”. Your e-mail should already be entered, but your mobile number and carrier should be blank. Enter them both. Don’t forget to click “Save Changes”.
7) Optionally, you can enter your “About Me” information too. Remember, “Contact Info” and “About Me” have separate “Save Changes” buttons.
8) Click “Channel” on the top bar and go down to WUSTL Broadcast near the bottom of the page. Click “More Options”.
9) Make sure both “e-mail” and “text messages” is checked off. Click “Save Changes.”
-compiled by Scott Fabricant
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