Contributed by Organizations or Campuses; Articles, Papers, and Reports; Emergency Notification Systems; and Emergency Preparedness Plans

(Wally) Czerniak was attending a conference in Arizona where he was learning, among other things, about emergency-notification systems that can send text messages to cellphones - a method that a growing number of colleges have set up since the shootings last spring at Virginia Tech. But Mr. Czerniak still isn't sure whether such a system would have done much good in keeping people on campus updated as the crisis unfolded if it had been in place at Northern Illinois.

"Students arriving on campus this semester are getting a new task added to their to-do lists: Log onto "Who I Am" and provide emergency contact information.

The new service is the latest upgrade to Cornell's ongoing emergency planning effort. Since the late 1990s, well before 9/11 and recent U.S. campus shootings, Cornell has had a team of officials and responders dedicated to planning for events most people don't want to think about."

The Governor's Task Force on Campus Safety is focused on ensuring the safety of college campuses across Wisconsin. At the direction of Governor Jim Doyle, the Task Force is reviewing and compiling criteria for developing best practices from universities, colleges, and other higher education institutions in Wisconsin and across the nation. This information will be submitted to the governor and will serve as a resource for college administrators, law enforcement officers, and emergency preparedness officials.

In light of the recent tragedy at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), Florida Governor Charlie Crist signed an executive order April 30, 2007, creating a Gubernatorial Task Force to research University Campus Safety in Florida. The Task Force, chaired by Department of Children and Families Secretary Bob Butterworth, will evaluate the security risks at the college and university campuses throughout the State. Other members include representatives of law enforcement, education, disaster planning, the Attorney General's office and students. The Task Force will meet in several locations across the State before submitting their findings and recommendations to Governor Crist on May 24, 2007