Don’t be alarmed. There is a scheduled test of the Illini-Alert system today at 10am. The full system will be activated, including text messages, and website alerts.

This is a good time to remind all of you about the importance of signing up for Illini-Alert. Please make sure that you are registered at emergency.illinois.edu, so you can receive text and email notifications in the event of major campus emergencies. It’s not a hard process, and it’s definitely worth it.

When registering for Illini-Alert, please follow all instructions including sending yourself a test text message. For questions or problems concerning the Illini-Alert service, please contact the CITES Help Desk at (217) 244-7000 or email consult@illinois.edu.

During tomorrow’s test, you will not need to do anything. However, if you do not receive the test message tomorrow morning on or about 10 a.m., please contact the CITES Help Desk.

Yesterday’s power outage brought about the first real use of the Illini Alert notification system. I received a message entitled “Emergency!” I didn’t know what to think, but I figured it wasn’t going to be good. I opened the text to find a note about a power outage? Was this really necessary?

To me, the fact that there is a massive power outage is certainly big news, but not even close to an emergency. The question at hand is whether the Illini Alert system should have really been activated. Did the situation warrant an emergency notification? This seemed to me to be a simple massmail message, or something for the local news to cover. Instead, we saw the Illini Alert being used as a way for the University to get a hold of its students, and I’m sure it was effective in that regard. Unfortunately, by using this service, we have put ourselves in a “boy who cried wolf” situation. If there ever is a “real” emergency, will that text titled “Emergency!” alert us, or will we just assume it is a message from the Chancellor?

I am not disowning the University’s decision yesterday to activate Illini Alert. The message was helpful in explaining the chaos of students running around the library studying by candlelight. I understand that a massmail takes a long time to arrive in people’s inbox and the loss of power made that inbox unattainable anyway. I don’t know of any other way for the message to get out to students and if I was in the situation, I probably would have made the same call. I just don’t want the new system to be taken advantage of.

Looking from a broader perspective, this text messaging system seems to be very effective. Maybe the University should offer a second service with University announcements by text. A nice text message would have been helpful during the snow days of 2006 when I trucked my way to class to find a note on the door notifying me of the cancellations. We could call it “Announce It Illini” and give the option for students to sign up with email or text message. Hey, I’m just throwing it out there!

Let us know what you think of the situation!

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The new emergency notification system, Illini-Alert, will be tested today at approx. 10am.

Around 10 am on Tuesday, February 17th, 2009 we will perform a campus wide test of Illini-Alert. Please expect to receive a message at that time. If you don’t receive a message please contact the CITES Help Desk at (217) 244-7000 or email consult@illinois.edu.

If you have not signed up for the system, please do so as soon as possible here: https://emergency.illinois.edu/

We have a new version of the Illinois Emergency txt/email sending system, now branded Illini Alert. The web interface has a much better design, and now offers secondary email addresses if you would like other people like your parents to recieve the emergency emails.

UIUC has switched providers to deliver the service to the University.

The previous provider was Mutare, which provided the services for free. The new contract with MyStateUSA will cost the university $65,000, plus $3,700 a year through 2013, when the new contract is expected to end.

The News Gazette

If you were signed up in the old system you are also signed up on the new system. If you were not, please sign up now.

University Administrators began chalking the quad on Monday in hopes of getting more students to sign up for the University of Illinois Emergency/Event Notification (EEN) System, which has been available since October 5 (as reported by The Quad). One has to admit – this is quite ironic, and administrators chalking the quad is also pretty funny.

“If you want to reach students, you have to use the method that’s found to be most effective,” said Robin Kaler, associate chancellor for public affairs. “Talk about direct marketing; they are walking on my message as I’m writing it.”

http://emergency.illinois.edu

Chicago Tribune: Chalk gets out emergency message at U. of I.

The new emergency message system for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has officially been initiated. The University would like to ask that all students register for the system in order to receive messages in an emergency situation. The system uses e-mail and text messages to alert registered students if a situation on campus were to arise. A system such as this is being used in schools throughout the country to protect students in dangerous situations. I would recommend all of you to register your cell phone for the system.

Click here to register!

Schools develop text alert systems