Members of the campus community are urged to sign up for the new Emergency Notification System (ENS), which enhances the College's ability to reach all students, faculty, and staff with critical information in the event of an emergency situation. The College will be conducting a test of the ENS on Thursday, October 25.
The Emergency Notification System uses voice, e-mail, and text messaging to send alerts. In order to receive alerts using all three methods, students, faculty, and staff must go to www.ithaca.edu/emergencynotification and log into the system using their Ithaca College e-mail username and password.
"We are strongly encouraging our community members to sign up for the ENS before the test," said Brian McAree, vice president for student affairs and campus life. "An emergency can happen at any time and while you are in any place. Having more than one way for Ithaca College to contact you helps ensure that you will get the necessary notification and information as quickly as possible."
By default, any messages that are sent through the ENS will go to all active Ithaca College e-mail accounts and to faculty and staff office telephones that are listed in the campus directory. The ENS website provides the option of adding other contact methods, including a personal e-mail address you use frequently (Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, e.g.), a cell phone number for text messages, and telephone numbers at which you would like to receive the voice message (cell, parents, spouse, home phone, e.g.)
Faculty and staff members who do not currently have the number for the telephone at their desk listed in the campus phone directory should consider adding that as one of their optional phone numbers.
"In order for the system to reach its fullest potential, I urge everyone in the campus community to take advantage of the signup option," said McAree. "From the Virginia Tech tragedy last spring to more recent incidents across the country, we have seen that college campuses are not immune from the threat of violence. The ENS allows us to use the tools of modern technology to extend our reach in the event of a crisis."
More information on the Emergency Notification System can be found on the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page, at www.ithaca.edu/emergencynotification/faqs.php.
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