University of Evansville Offers Text Message Alert System

In the wake of the Virginia Tech, Delaware State and Memphis school shootings, the University of Evansville has announced a new emergency alert system that will send SMS messages to students’ cell phones or any other SMS capable devices. Students also have the option of receiving a voice alert if you aren’t the tech savvy type. Campus officials claim the alert system will only be used in the case of a campus emergency, so don’t expect to be receiving basketball scores. They also don’t plan on sharing your phone information with third parties, so you should remain spam free. The goal is to merely offer another outlet to alert students in case of emergency. The service is opt-in so you will need to sign up through the campus’s AceLink intranet.

Text-based systems like this are becoming the norm at universities around the country. Purdue and IU both are offering a similar system for all of their campuses. USI plans to offer a similar system starting November 1. The goal is to offer another way to alert students and faculty of campus emergencies. In the past, universities have communicated alerts through the Web, email, and campus TV.

Offering an alert system is a good way to alert and protect people on campus, but is it enough? Both local campuses only employ security guards rather than police forces like larger state universities. Is that enough?

photo courtesy of Gaeten Lee