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Division of IT
Emergency Mass Notification Service: Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the Emergency Mass Notification Service (EMNS)?
EMNS enables campus authorities to record one message to send to all faculty, staff, and students in the event of a threat to campus health and safety. The EMNS rapidly delivers messages to one or more communications devices, thus increasing the chance of successful notifications.
- Why do we need EMNS?
Tragic events on college campuses across the country this past year point to the need for mass notifications to secure life and property.
- How is EMNS different from the mass e-mail?
E-mail is an extremely effective mass notification tool. But what if e-mail was temporarily down as the result of a disaster? The EMNS can bypass e-mail and deliver a message to a cell phone or other communications device. Additionally, many of us are frequently on the move and thus not logged into e-mail (unless using an e-mail-push Smartphone). A cell phone — with or without text messaging — provides an excellent message delivery tool for highly mobile users.
- What is the sequence of message delivery?
The default sequence is cell phone, text message, and e-mail. We also have the capability to send messages to alternate personal e-mail addresses, local phones, and numeric and alphanumeric pagers.
- What information should I provide and to whom?
We already know your campus e-mail address, and in many cases, local phone number. If we don't have your cell phone number, text message address, nor,in some cases, your alternate personal e-email address, you can at any time enter/update your information into myZou. Note that your alternate email address can only be entered in your campus EMNS data entry page.
- May I designate my alternate e-mail address for other University business?
No. All official University communication will be to your campus assigned e-mail. The alternate e-mail address is just another way to contact you doing an emergency.
- When should I provide emergency contact information?
You may enter your information anytime into myZou. We will ask that you enter or update your emergency contact data at least once each semester beginning January 1, June 1, and August 1. You won't be able to transact business in the student system until you have provided information or opted out.
- If I opt out, does that mean you'll never contact me?
No. We will still contact you via official University e-mail.
- Will you use or sell my personal contact information?
We collect the information for emergency messaging. Other than standard uses, this information will be used only for emergency purposes or as required by law.
- Will you use the information to spam me?
No.
- I don't have a cell phone? What do I do?
Just leave the cell phone (and text messaging in most cases) data entry field empty. You will continue to receive e-mail notifications at your official University address, and, assuming you have provided the information, at your local phone number and alternate personal e-mail address.
- I don't use text messaging on my cell phone. What do I do?
Just leave the text messaging data entry field empty. EMNS will just skip over text messaging to deliver to your other contact numbers, if you provided them.
- Is there a charge?
No, EMNS is free to you. However, some cell phone carriers do charge for text message delivery. Check with your cell phone carrier to be sure.
- What happens if I can't answer my cell phone?
The EMNS leaves you a voice mail message and goes to the next communications device in the sequence. Note that the voice mail message may be an electronic, or text-to-speech, voice.
- If I get the message, then what do I do?
If you answer a voice call, EMNS will instruct you to press a keypad number to confirm delivery. If you receive a text message, you'll reply to confirm. For an e-mail, there will be a confirmation hyperlink. Once you confirm, the notification sequence stops.
- What happens if I don't confirm any of the messages?
We may feel the message is important enough to try again by programming a second or third cycle. In any case, you will have a voice mail, a text message, or an e-mail waiting for you whether confirmed or not.
- Will the EMNS be used to notify me of non-emergency campus events?
Campus-wide notifications are for emergencies only.
- Will my contact data be safe?
Obviously, we share your contact information with our vendor, who maintains a strict privacy policy. Under the terms of our contract, the vendor will not share your information with anyone.
- What if I leave the University?
We will remove your contact information from the vendor's database.
- Can my parents be notified?
It is possible if you enter their phone number in your contact data. It's better that you do not do this, because the message is intended for you where the emergency is occurring.
- Where can I call to learn more?
Call the Division of IT Help Desk at 882-5000.
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