When Penn State beat Texas A&M in the 2007 Alamo Bowl, more than 1,600 fans received a text message with the score. Although the update likely came in handy for students and fans who didn’t attend the game, Penn State’s text-messaging system, PSUTXT, is used primarily as an emergency-alert system.
“We use the system when situations arise on campus that affect our ability to function normally,” says Annemarie Mountz, assistant director of public information for Penn State. The bowl score was a unique use of the system, which has been in place since 2006 – more than a year before the Virginia Tech shootings.
Normally, says Mountz, the school would use text-messaging alerts only for major situations such as classes being canceled due to weather or emergencies such as a shooter on campus. When the remnants of Hurricane Ike moved through Western Pennsylvania, a Penn State satellite campus was without power for several days. Students of that campus were notified Monday morning through the system that classes were canceled.
Judicious use of the system is key, according to Mountz. If students receive too many messages, they may begin to ignore them and miss critical information. She also says text messaging is just one component of a comprehensive communication plan, which includes use of mass e-mail alerts, television and radio broadcasts and multiple Web sites.
“There really is no single good way to communicate with everybody,” she says.
To date, nearly 45,000 people have voluntarily subscribed to the PSUTXT system. Although it has been publicized only to students, Mountz says parents, members of the media and others have also signed up.
When users register to receive text messaging from the university, they can select the types of messages they want. For example, students who don’t want to be notified of sports-oriented content can opt out of that option.
Other schools, such as Michigan, also use text-messaging alert systems. Unlike Penn State, however, Michigan will activate its system only “for extraordinary breaking emergencies that are perceived to be posing a public-safety threat to our community such that we’re needing them to take some type of emergency action right away,” says Diane Brown, public information officer with the university’s department of public safety.
According to Brown, “Exploring the text-messaging option was primarily a result of community expectations post-Virginia Tech.”
Since the system was rolled out in February 2008, about 25,000 users have signed up – roughly 25 percent of the university population.
Text-messaging systems are just one example of the changing landscape of university communication. While Michigan and Penn State use the systems differently, both university representatives agree on the importance of adapting communication to suit the needs of its student body.
“We looked around and saw students texting on their cell phones,” says Mountz.
Depending on the plan and provider, the cost for systems such as those used at Penn State and Michigan can be as low as $1 per student. So far, Mountz says, it’s been money well spent.