 |
|
| November 2007 |  |
 |
MU Expands Emergency Notification AbilitiesTragic events on college campuses across the country highlight the University's need for mass emergency communications. In the event of imminent danger, the University must be able to broadcast targeted messages quickly and reliably to faculty, staff, and students at one or all campuses. To ensure emergency communication, the University of Missouri is introducing the Mass Notification Service (MNS) to deliver alert messages to all campuses using multiple communication methods, including text message, e-mail, and voice messages to cell- and land-line phones. MNS will be fully operational on Dec. 1, 2007. The system will be expanded in '08 to include pager communications. Phone and text-message numbers must be entered into the system. Students, faculty, and staff are responsible for entering and updating their contact information whenever changes occur. Students will be able to visit mualert.missouri.edu to enter their information. "The key to MNS is up-to-date contact information for every member of the UM community. Without up-to-date information, members will not get an emergency message," said Dr. Gary Allen, Vice President of the Division of Information Technology. "We'd like to see 100 percent participation. We want everyone to be safe." Contact information is kept confidential and removed from the system when a person leaves the University. MNS will only be used in the event of a bonafide emergency: natural disaster, human or technological emergency. MNS will never be used for SPAM. If one or more communication methods have been disrupted due to the emergency situation, MNS skips to other available media to deliver the message. Once an alert message is received, a return call confirming notification stops the chain to that user. "The University of Missouri is committed to providing a safe and secure environment to learn, live, and work," said Dr. Gordon H. Lamb, interim president of the University. "Mass Notification Service builds on that commitment in a significant and strategic way." |
 |
|
|
|