EDUCAUSE | Contributed by Organizations or Campuses; Articles, Papers, and Reports; and Emergency Notification Systems

Outdoor Sirens, Low-Tech but Highly Effective, Bolster Colleges' Emergency Responses

ckeller — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:37:57 -0500

Colleges and universities around the country, ever more mindful of campus safety, are installing outdoor sirens. The systems can blast spoken messages or tone alerts of danger—and one of the preset messages on many of the public-address systems warns: "There is a shooter on campus. Seek shelter immediately."

What Kind of Notification System Works Best When Crisis Strikes?

ckeller — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 09:43:55 -0600

(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.

Is Blackboard on Your BlackBerry Far Behind?

ckeller — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 09:42:34 -0600

Higher ed’s largest maker of course management systems acquires NTI Group, one of the top mass messaging providers.

What if it happens here? Cornell upgrades its emergency plans to meet challenges of health and safety

ckeller — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 13:11:08 -0600

"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."

Governor’s Task Force on Campus Safety: Final Report

ckeller — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 16:47:28 -0600

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.

How Ready Are IT Managers for a Crisis?

ckeller — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 10:57:21 -0500

The annual Campus Computing Survey focuses on IT security and crisis management, finding gaps in preparation but fewer attacks on networks.

Purdue puts emergency texting to the test

ckeller — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 16:36:22 -0500

Experiment aims to see how well text messaging can alert students quickly in case of emergency.

R Txt Msgs the Best Way 2 Alert U?

ckeller — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 16:10:44 -0500

"After the April 16 massacre at Virginia Tech, the lesson many came away with was that e-mail alone won’t suffice to keep students informed about emergencies on campus. One solution widely regarded as both timely and technologically in sync with undergraduate habits was to use text messages to alert them to potential dangers. "

Last Week’s Campus Lockdowns

ckeller — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 11:25:28 -0500

"Delaware State University made all the headlines on September 21 when a freshman shot and wounded two students on campus, one seriously. An arrest and an apology later, the 18-year-old charged with the crime sits behind bars. But months after Virginia Tech, the incident sparked comparisons in both the nature of the shootings and the effectiveness of the response."

Texting, Facebook Used to Alert Students

ckeller — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 10:37:04 -0500

"As the school year starts, colleges around the country are applying the lessons of Virginia Tech and using high technology to get the word out fast in a crisis. "