At the last SGA meeting, Pamela Johnson, Vice President for Enrollment, went over the 2005 student satisfaction survey. An interesting thing to note was that the preferred mode of communication among residents in the case of an emergency was text message (36.2%). Email (28.2%) and broadcast voicemail messages (19%) came in second and third.
I think that this makes the most sense since text messages can be received the fastest with almost everyone these days owning a cell phone. Though for those who don't have cell phones, I think that voicemail through their room phone would be better. For me at least, I sometimes forget to check email, so an important emergency message may be missed if the student doesn't have immediate access to a computer or isn't in the habit of regularly checking their DU email.
According to Johnson, the crisis communication team is working on the technical issues with communicating with the entire Dominican community in the event of an emergency.
Monday, October 6, 2008
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4 comments:
Text messaging is actually the system that NIU used when the shooting occured last year, as I was told by one of my friends who is an NIU studnet. I remember this distinctly because at the time I thought it would be quite a shock to receive a text message with a emergency procedures.
Who doesn't have a cell phone?
Just kidding.
But I agree that text alerts are probably the most efficient way to contact students. Now, the university just has to make sure it's up to date with everyone's numbers...
Virginia Tech also had a system like this in place the day of the shootings, I believe....
It does seem the only way to reach all students--but then what if they happen to have their phones on mute in class or the library? Just playing devil's advocate.
To go with Tracy's posting, if a text was sent to me I would most likely get it once I left school. Cell phone reception, for me at least, sucks pretty much everywhere on campus. I would possibly become a victim due to the ancient stone walls that prevent me from getting cell signal.
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