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Emergency Communication Options for Alverno

In the event of an emergency affecting Alverno College, we will communicate in a variety of ways so that you receive messages in a timely manner.  Emergency notifications are limited to such things as severe weather alerts, emergency building concerns, intruders or potential pandemics.  We currently communicate these emergency notifications by:

  • Sending messages to your Alverno email address  
  • Placing announcements on the Alverno College home page
  • Sending voicemail and text messaging to phone numbers registered on Connect-Ed, a service for colleges and universities for their emergency communication  
  • Sending “pop?up” messages to campus computers 
  • Making campus announcements through an outdoor speaker system and/or bullhorns

Emergency Voice and Text Messaging  

Alverno encourages all students, faculty, and staff to take advantage of receiving emergency notification by voice and/or SMS text messaging.  While registration is completely voluntary, this system offers rapid communication and increased security.  The phone number(s) will be used for emergency communication only.  To receive these messages, YOU MUST REGISTER.  Those who are registered will receive a voice message and/or a text message within minutes of it being sent. The system is tested once a semester.

Directions for Registering:

  • Register at http://connected.alverno.edu. 
  • Log in with your Alverno email address and your student or employee ID number, which can be found at the bottom of your Alverno ID card.   
  • Enter your contact numbers. Please do not enter Alverno office numbers.  Address is optional.
  • Under Call Preferences, select a Main Contact Number
  • Follow the prompts to update your information.
  • You will receive an email message confirming that your information has been updated.

Frequently Asked Questions about registering for Alverno Emergency voice/text notification:

  1. I get a message “Your sign in information does not match with our records, please re?enter again.”  What’s wrong?
  • Use your Alverno email address.  You must have an Alverno email address to use the Connect-Ed system.
  • Enter your ID without any leading zeroes.  For example, ID# 0001234 should be entered as 1234.
  1. I just got my Alverno email address? - OR - I just got my Alverno ID number?  How soon can I sign up for Connect-Ed?
  • New contact information for Connect-Ed is uploaded by Alverno on a daily basis. You can sign up any time after your contact information is uploaded.
  1. What Contact information do I need to enter?
  • To receive emergency phone calls, you must enter one or more phone numbers.   
  • Select one of the phone numbers you enter as your Main Contact Number.  In an emergency the system will call all the numbers you enter.
  •  To receive text messages, you must enter a SMS phone number.  After you sign up online, the Connect-Ed service will automatically send a text message to your mobile phone to confirm your request. This occurs during business hours between 12pm – 8 pm CST
  1. What work phone numbers can I enter?
  • Do not enter Alverno work phone numbers (any number that starts 414-382-6xxx)
  • Do not enter a Work Phone (Alt) number.  Any phone numbers entered here will be overwritten when college?wide contact information is updated every week.
  1. Why is my Main Contact Number listed as “Work Phone (Alt)”?
  • Work Phone (Alt) is the default main contact number when your account is created.  You should change this to your preferred main contact number.  In an emergency, the system will call all the numbers you enter, not just the main contact number.
  1. What happens after I enter a SMS (text) phone number?
  • After you sign up online, the Blackboard Connect service will automatically send a text message to your mobile phone to confirm your request. This occurs during business hours between 12 p.m. – 8 p.m. CST. The confirmation message will read the following: Alverno Emergency You are now confirmed to receive alerts from us. More info text reply "HELP" or "STOP ALVERNO” to opt?out.
  • You will see 23177 as the text messaging number sending you the confirmation message and all subsequent messages.  Please save this number and program it as Alverno so that you can quickly recognize this number as the official source of Alverno’s messages.
  1. Can I enter a personal email address to receive emergency emails?
  • Alverno sends emergency emails only to Alverno email addresses (xxxxxxx@alverno.edu).  Any personal email addresses that you enter on Blackboard Connect will not be used.
  1. How much does this cost?
  • The cost of the notification system is about $3.00 per community member and will be paid for by Alverno. Text notifications may incur a charge, depending on your cellular plan. Please check with your cellular service provider.
  1. How can I register for Connect-Ed if I am under 18 years old?
  • To register online for Connect-Ed you must be at least 18 years old.  Students under 18 can complete a paper request form available in Student Services.  We will then enter your contact information manually.  After you turn 18, you can update your contact information online yourself.
  1. How can my parent sign up to receive emergency phone messages?
  • A student can enter a parent’s phone number as one of the five available phone numbers that can be entered (Mobile, Home, Work, Mobile (Alt), Home (Alt). Only one SMS phone number can be entered.
  1. I no longer want to receive emergency phone or SMS text messages?  How do I opt out of Connect-Ed?

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