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May 5, 2008
Students get high marks for e-Notify participation

BY ELAINE JUSTICE

As students prepare to take final exams, one area in which they’re receiving high grades is their response to the University’s e-Notify enrollment request, says Alexander Isakov, executive director of Emory’s Office of Critical Event Preparedness and Response (CEPAR).

Of the 12,350 students enrolled this semester, 12,163 were directed to the enrollment/registration page in OPUS; of that total 10,247 (84 percent) chose to provide a cell number to receive emergency alerts.

“We’re very pleased with the percentage of students participating at this point,” says Isakov. Of course, cell phone text alerts are one of a variety of communications tools to be used in an on-campus emergency, he adds.

Emergency alert banners for Emory’s cable TV system are currently being tested, and emergency loudspeakers stationed at strategic points throughout the campus are being tested at noon the first Wednesday of every month.

This “opt-out” system has resulted in strong response and participation rates, says Isakov. The next steps are to increase the speed of text message delivery and to undertake community education on steps to take in specific emergency situations. Orientation materials are being prepared for the fall.