Rutgers creates campus cellphone warning system

Tuesday, April 24, 2007
ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW BRUNSWICK -- New Jersey's largest higher education institution is joining a growing number of colleges and universities across the country implementing mobile phone-based warning systems after shootings that killed dozens at Virginia Tech last week.

Rutgers University on Tuesday said it was encouraging students, faculty and staff on its New Brunswick/Piscataway, Newark and Camden campuses to register their mobile phone numbers with the university so they can receive alert messages during an emergency.

"This system is part of our continuing efforts to improve communications at Rutgers and to help keep our community as safe as possible," said Rutgers President Richard L. McCormick.

The university has created a Web site to record the cell phone numbers.

Many higher education institutions have been turning to such warning systems after 33 people, including the gunman, died in shootings at Virginia Tech on April 16.

Virginia Tech officials have been criticized for sending warnings to students via e-mail accounts, versus a more immediate method such as mobile phone warnings.

At Princeton University, the university purchased a mobile phone warning system just days before the Virginia Tech shootings. The new notification system is now in place.

"The recent events at Virginia Tech have shown that it's especially important to have this type of mass, emergency notification system that is capable of reaching our community members using several methodologies," said Steven Healy, Princeton University's public safety director.

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