University to Test Improved RazALERT Campus Message System Today

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas has improved RazALERT (pronounced raise-ALERT), the campuswide message system, to give students, faculty and staff a more flexible and versatile source for urgent information. The upgraded system now provides the campus with three types of messages over three distinct channels.

“These changes are in response to feedback the university has received about the RazALERT system since it was launched in 2008,” said John Diamond, associate vice chancellor for university relations. “The system has been very effective over the past two years, but new technology has enabled us to make several improvements. The result is a more robust system for delivering crucial messages to our campus community.” 

The RazALERT channel will continue to be used for emergency messages concerning the safety of students, faculty and staff members. These messages will continue to be sent by phone, e-mail and text (SMS) message. Everyone in the university ISIS and BASIS systems will automatically receive RazALERT messages. Students can add or change their contact information by going to their accounts at http://razalert.uark.edu/13603.php. Faculty and staff members can modify their contact information by going to http://razalert.uark.edu/14855.php. Everyone in the RazALERT system can have as many as six phone numbers and two e-mail addresses in their RazALERT account, and can authorize the system to send text messages to their individual cell phones.

One of the biggest changes in the message system is that inclement weather notices will no longer be sent on the RazALERT channel.

A new Inclement Weather Notification channel has been created to provide students, faculty and staff with the earliest information about any changes in university class or work schedules caused by inclement weather. These messages will also be sent by phone, e-mail and text message, and members of the campus community can have the same number of phone numbers and e-mail addresses as they have in their RazALERT account. Enrollment in the Inclement Weather Notification channel is automatic through ISIS and BASIS, however students, faculty and staff can opt out of the channel if they do not want to receive these messages. Students can opt out or modify their accounts at http://razalert.uark.edu/13603.php; faculty and staff can make changes to their accounts by going to http://razalert.uark.edu/14855.php.

The third channel in the system will be used to send out important non-emergency campuswide messages under the address “University of Arkansas.” These messages will only be sent by e-mail, to campus e-mail addresses, and there are no options for adding addresses or opting out of this channel.

The RazALERT system was originally designed for the university and installed as part of the Connect-ED communication service from Blackboard Connect Inc.

“We worked closely with Connect Ed over the past several months to develop these three communications channels,” said Diamond. “They did an excellent job of listening to what we needed and helping us to arrive at the optimum solution to those needs. Once that was done, it was the hardworking folks in ISIS and BASIS who did all the technical ‘heavy lifting’ to get these channels integrated into their systems.” 

The office of university relations will conduct a test of the Inclement Weather Notification channel on Wednesday, Dec. 15, at approximately 1:30 p.m.