080 MTSU LAUNCHES EMERGENCY TEXT-MESSAGING SERVICE

MTSU LAUNCHES EMERGENCY TEXT-MESSAGING SERVICE
Students, faculty and staff are urged to register

Sept. 14, 2007

MTSU students, faculty and staff will now be able to receive safety-alert text messages on their cell phones when they register and become part of MTSU’s Emergency Text Messaging Service.
The university recently contracted with RAVE Wireless to administer the service.
“In our efforts to keep our campus as safe as possible, especially in today’s uncertain world, we must be able to notify students, faculty and staff in a timely and responsible manner,” President Sidney A. McPhee said. “To become part of this vital communications network, however, a person must opt in to the program. “
Campus safety alerts may include a security breach, fire, or class cancellation due to impending severe weather, among other situations.
MTSU officials are assuring those who register for the service that their personal information will not be shared. An email/PipelineMT username will be required for access to this service. MTSU’s Emergency Text Messaging Service will not replace any current notification methods but will be used as one of several alert systems already in place, including email, Web site, tornado siren, and media.
On that point, MTSU Police Chief Buddy Peaster added, “The text-messaging service will be one aspect of several emergency notification methods on campus. It is important to note that text messaging, while highly effective, is not a cure-all for keeping everyone one-hundred percent safe—it’s just one tool in the kit,” he emphasized.
“With this service, we feel we are further enhancing our ability to keep the MTSU community informed of critical situations,” added Lucinda Lea, vice president of information technology and chief information officer. “The system’s effectiveness will be in proportion to the number of users we have.”
MTSU students, faculty and staff are asked to follow the steps below to register for the service:
Go to www.mtsu.edu/alert4u
Click on the link: Sign up for MTSU’s Emergency Text Messaging Service (www.getrave.com/login/mtsu )
On the MTSU Rave login page, click on the “If you haven’t registered, Join Now” link under the login button
Proceed with the 5-step registration process:
Verify School –- Enter your MTSU email/Pipeline username, click Next; an email will be sent to your username@mtsu.edu address
Validate user – In the above email, click on the validation link; this will confirm your registration and return you to the Web site to continue the registration process
Create your Account – Create and confirm a password.
YOU MUST CREATE A DIFFERENT PASSWORD FROM YOUR PASSWORD FOR MTSU E-MAIL.
Enter your first and last names; enter and confirm your mobile number; enter your preferred email address; click to agree to the terms of use
Confirm mobile number -- A text message will be sent to your mobile number with a four-digit confirmation code; enter that code to complete the process
Registration complete -- You are now ready to receive alerts.

While registration is free and easy, the user’s current carrier’s text-messaging rates do apply.