Southern Wesleyan U Taps SMS Texts for Emergency Warnings

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 02/25/13

The area of Central in South Carolina, where Southern Wesleyan University is located, has had several tornados during the current school year. Finding out about those in time to get to safety has driven sign-ups to more than half of the student, faculty, and staff population for the campus' opt-in SMS texting service.

The SWUAlert notification system, hosted by CallFire, is used only to alert people of situations that may require specific action. According to the university, the system has been used to alert subscribers to impending weather conditions such as a tornado watch or icy conditions, but it may also be used to notify the community about other critical information. The system isn't used to announce events or programs.

CallFire provides telephony services for group broadcast, information hotlines, and voice surveys. The SMS service used by Southern Wesleyan does text messaging, which could allow for auto-replies and short codes or long codes if a response were required.

"CallFire was great to work with," said Joseph Brockinton, vice president for student life. "The new system has helped us keep our costs down while providing us with the exact service we need to communicate quickly with our campus community. We are grateful for the company's cooperation and performance." Brockinton has sent three tornado alerts, all with 100 percent documented reception.

When the university first introduced the service, it advised students and staff via emails, a weekly e-news publication, and during weekly chapel services. Recipients who wanted to opt-in were then prompted to send a keyword text to a short code, with the option of unsubscribing at any time. Subscribers immediately received a "congratulations" feedback message confirming their subscription was successful.

As part of the service, CallFire now maintains a phone list of all opt-in participants for the university and troubleshoots cellphone issues as they arise for subscribers.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • MathGPT

    MathGPT AI Tutor Now Out of Beta

    Ed tech provider GotIt! Education has announced the general availability of MathGPT, an AI tutor and teaching assistant for foundational math support.

  • person signing a bill at a desk with a faint glow around the document. A tablet and laptop are subtly visible in the background, with soft colors and minimal digital elements

    California Governor Signs AI Content Safeguards into Law

    California Governor Gavin Newsom has officially signed off on a series of landmark artificial intelligence bills, signaling the state’s latest efforts to regulate the burgeoning technology, particularly in response to the misuse of sexually explicit deepfakes. The legislation is aimed at mitigating the risks posed by AI-generated content, as concerns grow over the technology's potential to manipulate images, videos, and voices in ways that could cause significant harm.

  • white desk with an open digital tablet showing AI-related icons like gears and neural networks

    Elon University and AAC&U Release Student Guide to AI

    A new publication from Elon University 's Imagining the Digital Future Center and the American Association of Colleges and Universities offers students key principles for navigating college in the age of artificial intelligence.

  • abstract technology icons connected by lines and dots

    Digital Layers and Human Ties: Navigating the CIO's Dilemma in Higher Education

    As technology permeates every aspect of life on campus, efficiency and convenience may come at the cost of human connection and professional identity.