Emergency Notification Service

Policy

The Jeanne Clery Act requires that Emergency Notifications be issued when it is determined that there is a significant emergency or dangerous situation involving the health or safety of students or employees occurring on campus.

A significant emergency can be de-fined as an immediate threat to the health or safety of students or employees. This would include all hazards, such as a Terrorist Attack, Natural Disaster, Environmental or other significant emergency. Although the Emergency Notification policy is part of the Jeanne Clery Act, these notifications are for any incident that is deemed an emergency and is not just for crimes specifically mentioned in the Clery Act.

In the event that such a situation is confirmed by the University Police, the Director of Public Safety and University Police will be immediately notified, who in turn will contact the Vice President of Administration and Finance to authorize an activation of the Emergency Notification System without delay. A broadcast will be sent via text message to all members of the University who have signed up for this notification. Furthermore, a voice mail notification and a University-wide e-mail would be sent in conjunction with the first message. All staff, faculty, resident students as well as commuter students, would be included in the follow-up message.

This notification would only be delayed if issuing it would compromise efforts to assist a victim or to contain, respond to or otherwise mitigate the emergency. Also, if such a notification is issued, a timely warning, via e-mail, telephone, or cell-phone, may not be issued explaining the same circum-stances.

In the event of an emergency warning being issued, adequate follow-up information would subsequently be issued such as an “all clear” message or updates about continuing steps that will be taken to respond to an emergency, i.e., class cancellations.

Service

WPUNJ Emergency Notification System – Connect-Ed by Blackboard Connect

The University implemented the system in 2007 with Blackboard Connect as the outsourced vendor. An outsourced notification system was chosen to circumvent possible network/communication systems failures on the campus. Notifications are relayed to Connect-ED through a web/telephone interface. The system can send either an Emergency or Community Outreach message via telephone, text and/or email to WPUNJ email accounts. The University pays a yearly fee of $2 per participant based on the anticipated number of participants in the system. We currently pay for 10,500 participants per year.

The system is an Opt-In system accessed through an individual’s WPConnect account. The system must have one telephone number on file and information can be updated at any time by the end user. Connect-Ed is uploaded twice weekly (Tuesday and Friday mornings) upon verification in Banner for an “active” status (enrolled/registered for students; in pay status for employees). The system is mandatory for resident students. Resident’s cell phone information is automatically uploaded through Banner from Residence Life files.

Student sign up is conducted at every Freshman and Transfer Orientation in conjunction with ID picture taking. We have not been notified of Graduate Orientations in order to offer the sign-up onsite. Employees are provided the sign-up information at time of hire in conjunction with email and account access information. Periodic reminder announcements to sign up for the system are relayed to students and employees from the Office of Telecommunications (typically at beginning of winter season).

As of September 9, 2011 the system has 9023 participants. Numbers will fluctuate over the course of the year based on additions, deletions and bad phone numbers.