Campus community encouraged to sign up for text alert messages

As many in the campus community have learned, the University uses cellular text message alerts to notify students, faculty and staff of emergency situations, as well as when the University will close due to severe weather conditions.

As colder weather moves in this season, individuals new to the University or who may have not known about text message alerts have an opportunity to find out first about emergency and hazardous weather conditions.

The University’s text alert system allows police and communications personnel to rapidly distribute information necessary to protect health, safety and welfare. All currently enrolled students and active employees who haven’t already registered for this free service are strongly encouraged to do so.

An online registration form is available at oakland.edu/uts/emergencynotification. Visitors will need their OU e-mail address and Grizzly ID to register.

Text alert recipients can rest assured that they’ll never be bothered with unnecessary distractions. Outside of system tests conducted once each semester, alerts are broadcast only when it is determined that there is an imminent threat of danger to people on campus, or in the event of a University closure or campuswide cancellation of classes.

The fall 2014 text alert system test is scheduled to take place at roughly 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 12. Those interested in registering for the service and receiving a test emergency text alert should sign up at least 24 hours in advance of the test to allow for account activation.

Former system users who have not had an active oakland.edu e-mail account for more than 12 months must re-register to renew their subscription, and any user who has obtained a new cell phone number since registering for text alerts will need to update their account by logging into the registration link provided above.

Campus community members registered to receive text alerts who do not receive the Wednesday, Nov. 12 test alert should review their registration form information online to ensure that account contact information is current and correct. If the contact information is correct, system users who did not receive the test alert should send a notification of the problem to helpdesk@oupolice.com.

Complete information on OU’s emergency preparedness and communication plans – which cover university closings, tornado warnings, psychological emergencies, lock downs, evacuations, bomb threats, hazardous material incidents and more – are available online at the Emergency Preparedness website.