CCS partnered with the Campus Police to support the launch of a new, University-wide emergency notification system in 2019: U of G Alert. All students, staff and faculty currently on campus are automatically loaded into the system and will receive emergency alerts through their U of G Gryph Mail accounts. Users are highly encouraged to opt-in for additional contact methods like SMS text, phone, and personal email to ensure they receive critical messages in a timely manner.

CCS’ Jennifer Lobo has been instrumental in the technical implementation of this critical new campus service, working closely with Campus Police, Communications & Public Affairs, and vendor partners Everbridge (for the hosted portions of the solution including phone, email, and SMS) and Alertus (for the on-premise portions).

CCS, and Jennifer in particular, has been crucial to the successful roll-out of U of G Alert. We look forward to our continued partnership as we implement additional emergency notification methods into this system. This is very important progress in our overall goal to improve the safety of our campus community.

– David Lee, Director, Campus Community Police, Fire Safety and Emergency Services

The system is now up and running, and uptake by users has been encouraging, with 37% of faculty and staff, and 18% of students opting in for additional contact methods. Next steps include launching the Alertus on-premise notifications, including desktop computer screens for Managed Desktop clients, campus digital screens, and alert beacons in strategically placed locations. We will continue to promote this system and provide further incentives for users to encourage uptake.