Colleges tap into Facebook to issue alerts
While MSU implemented a text message alert system last year to warn students of emergencies, other universities also are using technology in the name of campus safety.
Last month, the University of Maryland at College Park started a Facebook.com group for students to receive emergency information, talk with each other about emergencies and share information with family.
Other schools — Florida State University, the University of Iowa and the University of California-Los Angeles, for example — also are exploring using social networks for emergency alerts.
MSU, however, is not looking into the idea.
“This could cause some legal and security issues for us, so we just haven’t looked into it,” MSU police Inspector Bill Wardwell said.
Wardwell did support the idea of peer-to-peer emergency information-sharing.
“I think that’s a great idea,” he said. “Particularly if they can trade information with their parents or family.”
Some students think a Facebook group might be just as beneficial as the text system.
“I haven’t even used it,” Alex Carson, a finance and supply chain management senior, said of the current system. “With Facebook, it’s widespread around campus. I’m sure thousands of people are on it as we speak, so I think it’s a good idea.”
Predental freshman Ashley Huiras wasn’t sure about the idea working across campus but said it seemed logical.
“I’m on it all time,” Huiras said of Facebook. “It would work for me if I knew what was going on.”
Published on Sunday, September 7, 2008
Comments
Erin
09/10/08 @ 8:59pm
On one hand facebook unlike textmessages will not reach students where they are at. This would do nothing to warn students who are on campus in class, on their way to class, or just too busy between work, internships and being a full time student to check the internet all the time.
However, given that the text message system seemed to have a lot of problems working. Something would be better than nothing.
Heck, emails BEFORE emergencies would be nice too. (I don’t check facebook often, the only benefit that would give me is if a facebook message was sent out, which would then go to my msu email as well).
Of course none of this will do any good so long as universities worry more about “causing panic” or how it will make the university look than with getting information to students as soon as possible to protect their safety.