When you’re walking across campus, you’re probably not pausing to check your email. But right now, email is the only way most ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø students receive time-sensitive information about emergencies happening on and near ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø’s campuses.
To make it easier for students to receive ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Alerts via text, at the end of January ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø will start adding the phone number from your ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø student profile to the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Alert system. If the number is for a cell phone, ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø will send you ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Alerts via text. The messages are only for emergencies or major issues affecting the campus, such as snow, ice or power outages.
ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø is the latest university to move from opt-in alerts to an opt-out emergency text message system for students. Universities that have experienced major incidents often switch to automatic enrollment for alert messages. ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø is moving proactively to get ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Alerts to more students more quickly.
Division of Campus Community Safety staff have been prepping for several months with colleagues in ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøIT to make this shift. When we reviewed the goals of the shift this past fall with Seattle campus student leaders and the more than 200 students and parents we met at the Division of Campus Community Safety info table during Parent & Family Weekend in Seattle, many were surprised that students weren’t already automatically enrolled in ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Alert text messages.
Many faculty and staff members were also surprised to learn that only 17 percent of ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø employees have signed up for ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Alert text messages. This first phase of the shift from opt-in to opt-out does not include employee information, but that will come later this year.
Even after ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø uploads student phone numbers to ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Alert, it will be important for students to check their ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Alert account to ensure that the cell phone number listed is correct and that you’re receiving messages for the right campus. Students, faculty and staff can also add or change their cell phone in their ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Alert accounts themselves at any time. In an emergency, seconds matter. You need to know what’s happening quickly and how you can protect yourself.
If you don’t want to receive ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Alerts via text, you can reply STOP to any ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Alert text message (except for students living on campus in Seattle, who must contact Housing & Food Services for account changes).
Learn more about the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Alert update, get answers to your ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Alert questions and add up to three cell phone numbers and five email addresses to your ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Alert account at the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Alert webpage.