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In light of the recent upgrade in our national
security alert system, we want to assure the Oglethorpe community
that we are fully aware of national concerns regarding safety and
will continue to monitor advisories regarding changes in our
national security status.
Several years ago, Oglethorpe University formed
an Advisory Committee at the request of the President. This
committee was charged with developing an Emergency Action Plan
designed as a response to issues, including terrorism, affecting the
Oglethorpe community. Included in this plan is our working
relationship with local and state public safety agencies, including
Homeland Security.
Our Emergency Action Plan provides guidelines
for housing and caring for students in the event of power failures
and/or other problems affecting the well being of the university. We
are prepared to house students in a single, secure campus location,
if necessary, for several days, or longer. We have identified
professional staff who will supervise and coordinate during this
emergency period.
Oglethorpe University Improves University Notification and Communication with Implementation of Connect-ED® Service
School-to-Student Communication System Built Specifically for Higher Education Allows Campus Leaders to Reach Thousands of Students, Faculty and Staff in Minutes
Built exclusively for post-secondary institutions using the experience gained in delivering millions of messages for educators over the past seven years, the service enables campus leaders to schedule, send, and track personalized voice messages at up to six phone numbers and two e-mail addresses per student and staff member. In all, the multi-modal service helps officials reach out to students and staff via:
- Voice messages to home phones, work phones, cell phones, and even e-mail addresses
- Text messages to cell phones, PDAs, networked digital signage, and other text-based devices
- Text messages to e-mail accounts
- Messages to TTY/TDD receiving devices for the hearing impaired
The system can be used to notify entire student populations and staff members of school closures and contingency plans due to unforeseen incidents. The Connect-ED service has been successfully used for communication by schools across the country during events, such as the wildfires in Southern California, Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Ernesto, school evacuations, campus notifications required by the Clery Act, and to help locate missing persons.
. To keep parents and
other groups updated, we will utilize our web site, as well as our
emergency preparedness line, 404.504.1800. Via this web site and
phone line, we will communicate up-to-the-minute news regarding the
Oglethorpe community in the event of an emergency.
While there is no way to completely plan for an
unknown event, we believe this plan is practical and complete and
renders Oglethorpe University capable of handling events involving
all members of the campus community.
For more information about emergency preparedness, please log on
to www.ready.gov.
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