SHANNON KELLY
Editor in Chief
Last spring, searing winds fanned flames that tore across dry brush and torched homes just feet from Pepperdine’s Alumni Park. A mere two lanes of Pacific Coast Highway was any stray ember’s only hurdle keeping its simple spark from setting the Malibu campus ablaze.
But while a serious threat loomed, many students sat in class, unaware and oblivious to the fire that was fueling right outside their classroom doors. Others waited in traffic a few miles down the coast, wondering what was causing the jam. And the only students, faculty and staff who did know what was ensuing, were those who had checked their e-mails or who heard the news word-of-mouth.
“When that fire went down, I was supposed to be in class and I was so late because I was in traffic,” remembers junior Rick Strobel. “I had absolutely no idea anything was going down.”
Firefighters fended those flames from campus, but with a new fire season approaching, the University has acknowledged a pressing need to more efficiently inform students in an emergency situation. It has launched a comprehensive emergency communication and mass notification system that will immediately and more effectively inform students and staff when an urgent situation occurs.
The University has commissioned InstaCom Campus Alert from the National Notification network (3n) — a system that enables Pepperdine to communicate with students, staff and faculty within minutes through a range of methods. Text messaging, cell phones and landlines, instant messaging, and faxes are among the options leveraged by the 3n system.
“This system allows the faculty or emergency personal to send out warnings or messages to the students on their cell phones, emails or calling their home contacts,” said Chief Administrative Officer Phil Phillips, who added that the system will only be used for emergencies and testing.
Aside from delivering direct, timely messages Campus Alert provides a comprehensive communication system that assists in assembling and coordinating campus security and crisis response teams.
Students must log on to WaveNet to update their cell phone, home and emergency contact information in order to receive warnings and information from the 3n system, Philips said.
Students are responsible for updating and providing their most up-to-date contact information, including cell phone numbers and emergency contact numbers.
Many students, like Strobel, say their cell phones are a better way to reach them than e-mail. “If I was on or around campus, text messaging would be the most ideal way to be reached,” he said.
08-27-2007
