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Video related to this article is available below.Issue date: 3/6/08 Section: News
20,000 texts sent in test of UPenn Alert
Elizabeth Rubin
While some students complain that the administration may be hard to reach, on Friday afternoon Penn officials did all they could to get in touch with every individual on campus.
The Division of Public Safety conducted its first University-wide test of the UPennAlert emergency-notification system, which is meant to reach students, faculty and staff through text messages, e-mails and cell-phone calls in the case of emergency situations.
Mitch Yanak, director of PennComm Operations and one of the project managers of the UPennAlert system, said that Penn sent out 58,714 e-mails, 20,396 text messages and called 15,636 cell phones.
Users were asked to respond to the messages. As of yesterday, DPS could not provide the number of people who responded and was still analyzing the data.
However, many students found it difficult to respond to the different alerts.
College freshman Judah Siegal said he found the test "a little confusing," but still responded.
"The general goal is really important and I wanted to put in the time to do it," he said.
In a real situation, Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush said, students would not be expected to respond to an alert.
Rush said the test was effective.
"We received a lot of positive feedback from people who really felt confident that they received it in numerous ways" she said.
In case of an actual event, Rush said she hopes that news of an alert would also spread by word of mouth.
DPS conducted the first UPennAlert test last November, but that simulation only targeted individuals in one building.
As of Friday, 61 percent of students and 31 percent of faculty and staff had registered their current cell-phone contact information for the alert system, which was implemented last August.
But students wary of constant calls have no reason to fear.
"We reserve it for the highest priorities" Rush said.
Though DPS sent an e-mail informing the Penn community of the test date, some students expressed surprise at receiving the alert message.
"I have Penn Police in my phone so when I saw a missed call from them, I was pretty confused" College sophomore Liora Pollick said.
Rush suggests programming Penn's off-campus security number, 215-573-3333, into cell phones as "PENN PUB SAFETY." That way, "you know it is a Penn Alert, and that should mean something to you," she said.
The UPennAlert system is managed by a company called MIR3, which went through a screening process and numerous checks and balances before being trusted with the personal contact information of Penn students, faculty and staff members, Rush said.
The Division of Public Safety conducted its first University-wide test of the UPennAlert emergency-notification system, which is meant to reach students, faculty and staff through text messages, e-mails and cell-phone calls in the case of emergency situations.
Mitch Yanak, director of PennComm Operations and one of the project managers of the UPennAlert system, said that Penn sent out 58,714 e-mails, 20,396 text messages and called 15,636 cell phones.
Users were asked to respond to the messages. As of yesterday, DPS could not provide the number of people who responded and was still analyzing the data.
However, many students found it difficult to respond to the different alerts.
College freshman Judah Siegal said he found the test "a little confusing," but still responded.
"The general goal is really important and I wanted to put in the time to do it," he said.
In a real situation, Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush said, students would not be expected to respond to an alert.
Rush said the test was effective.
"We received a lot of positive feedback from people who really felt confident that they received it in numerous ways" she said.
In case of an actual event, Rush said she hopes that news of an alert would also spread by word of mouth.
DPS conducted the first UPennAlert test last November, but that simulation only targeted individuals in one building.
As of Friday, 61 percent of students and 31 percent of faculty and staff had registered their current cell-phone contact information for the alert system, which was implemented last August.
But students wary of constant calls have no reason to fear.
"We reserve it for the highest priorities" Rush said.
Though DPS sent an e-mail informing the Penn community of the test date, some students expressed surprise at receiving the alert message.
"I have Penn Police in my phone so when I saw a missed call from them, I was pretty confused" College sophomore Liora Pollick said.
Rush suggests programming Penn's off-campus security number, 215-573-3333, into cell phones as "PENN PUB SAFETY." That way, "you know it is a Penn Alert, and that should mean something to you," she said.
The UPennAlert system is managed by a company called MIR3, which went through a screening process and numerous checks and balances before being trusted with the personal contact information of Penn students, faculty and staff members, Rush said.
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