FDU Alert Test Sends 29,000 Notifications, More Input Needed
The FDU Alert emergency notification system was tested on Wednesday, February 27, 2008. Between 3:29 and 3:39 p.m., almost 29,000 notifications via cell phone, home or office phone, text message and e-mail message were sent to the 11,000 participants. That represents 17,832 phone calls, 11,067 e-mails and 2,649 text messages — all delivered in about 10 minutes.
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“While in many ways this test was a real success, there were certain aspects that could be improved with the University community’s help,” said Neal Sturm, vice president and chief information officer (Flor/Metro). According to Sturm, 3,169 messages were undeliverable, mostly because of invalid information in the database. Additionally, while text messaging is the quickest and most common method of emergency notification, there are only 2,649 valid text message (SMS) numbers in the system. Only 2,337 of the roughly 11,000 members in the system have put their contact information in the text message category. Sturm reminded community members that snow closing information is only sent through text messaging, although the information does appear on the University’s home page on the Web and a voicemail message is left on individual FDU office phones.
FDU Alert will be tested again in the fall 2008 semester. “We strongly encourage everyone to update their contact information as soon as possible,” said Sturm. How the FDU community is notified of FDU Alert messages is under each person’s control. “More than 1,000 participants have updated their contact information since late 2007, and the winter weather season is not over, so please consider reviewing your FDU Alert registration,” he said. To register for the FDU Alert system, or to change or add contact points, go to http://www.fdu.edu/alert . For more information on the FDU Alert system, see http://view.fdu.edu/default.aspx?id=5074 . For more information specifically on scheduled tests, see http://view.fdu.edu/default.aspx?id=5509 .
top of this page table of contents for this issue
March 2008
| · | FDU Alert Test Sends 29,000 Notifications, More Input Needed |
| · | Rave Guardian -- Potential Lifeline for Students to Public Safety |
| · | Faculty Apply for Institutional and Research Grants |
| · | Theater Productions on Stage |
| · | Libraries' News and Events |
| · | Spring, Summer Study-abroad Opportunities |
| · | Global Virtual Faculty Bring International Dimension |
| · | Coach Green Achieves 400th Career Win |
| · | College at Florham "Goes Green" |
| · | Writers! Poets! Artists! |
| · | Holiday and Time-off Schedule |
| · | Faculty/Staff — Update, Announcing, Welcome |
| · | College Happenings |
| · | Spotlight — Barnes, Koskinen, Makridis, Rubin |
| · | This & That |
| · | Photo Stories — Education Conference, Public Safety Seminar, The Real CSI. |
View text only for this complete issue.
Flor =
College at Florham, Madison, N.J.
Metro =
Metropolitan Campus, Teaneck, N.J.
Information Deadlines
The deadline for the next issue of Inside FDU on the Web is March 19.
Copy received after deadline will be included in the following issue. Every effort will be made to deal with late-breaking stories. Send information to: Carol Black, Publications, at H-DH3-14, fax to 201-692-7039 or e-mail to black@fdu.edu.
Inside FDU on the Web is published by the Office of Communications and Marketing. Newsletter Staff: Carol Black, editor; Mary Ann Bautista, Mariellen Brown, Angelo Carfagna, Scott Giglio, Howard Gilman, Gretchen Johnson, William Kennedy, Lillian Lukac, Rebecca Maxon, Art Petrosemolo, Shweta Kulkarni Van Biesen, Kevin Wisch.