Users rise for ATU-Ozark emergency text message system
by January 28, 2013 3:09 pm 120 views
The emergency text message system at the Arkansas Tech University-Ozark Campus is gaining more users, according to a statement from the institution.
At the end of the fall semester, 346 people had signed up for the Campus Emergency Outreach Notification (CEON) system. As of Monday, the number had grown to 577 – a 66% increase.
The CEON system is fully integrated with the Blackboard system, an online feature for classes that faculty, staff and students use daily. Persons signed up to CEON receive a text from the university in the event of a life-threatening emergency, as well as if classes are cancelled due to inclement weather.
“The safety of our campus is a priority, and CEON is an excellent tool for reaching students,” ATU-Ozark Chancellor Jo Alice Blondin said in the statement.
To promote CEON and encourage students to sign up, ATU-Ozark held a promotional contest last week, randomly selecting a new CEON user. Roger Evans of Fort Smith, a health information technology major, was selected and won a $100 gift certificate to the campus bookstore, courtesy of the chancellor’s office.
“Though we incentivized the sign-up process and made it fun, the students are aware that safety is a very serious matter,” Blondin said.