In the wake of Virginia Tech massacre . . . Colleges here consider text-message system

After the devastating shooting that left 33 people dead at Virginia Tech, officials at Queens colleges and universities are reviewing their emergency plans, and three schools are considering implementing a text-message system to alert students and school personnel about potentially dangerous situations.
Queens College President Dr. James Muyskens told The Courier Sun that his school is close to signing a contract with a vendor to implement a system that would notify students on their cell phones with vital information regarding emergencies.
“Now we know, tragically, after the Virginia Tech incident that this isn’t just a matter of communication; everyone sees it as safety,” Muyskens said.
Meanwhile, officials at Queensborough and LaGuardia Community Colleges said they are in the early stages of looking into a similar system.
“We are exploring that at this time,” said Ruth Griggs, Director of Marketing for Queensborough Community College. “We are assessing the opportunity to add that to our security procedures.”
Cindy Freidmutter, Vice President of External Affairs for LaGuardia Community College, said that while the college already utilizes technology to send out e-mails to students and staff, there might be better, more efficient technology services it can utilize.
“We can send an immediate email, but not everyone will get it right away,” she said. “They [the students] get text messages.”
Currently, Mobile Campus and E2Campus are two companies that are providing this type of technology to college campuses.
Four days prior to the Virginia Tech shooting, State University of New York (SUNY) at New Paltz launched the E2Campus program, where students, faculty and staff voluntarily register their cell phone numbers to receive text message alerts.
Rachel Reuben, Director of Web Communication and Strategic Projects for SUNY New Paltz, said she began researching the system a little more than a month ago, and the university only intends to use the service in case of emergencies or to alert students and staff about class cancellations because standard text-messaging fees still apply.
“They could be en route to campus, and that’s the perfect way to alert them,” said Reuben, who said that New Paltz is predominantly a commuter school, similar to most of the colleges in Queens.
As of Monday, April 23, more than 700 users out of approximately 9,000 faculty and staff members at SUNY New Paltz had signed up for the service, but Reuben expects those numbers to increase significantly as more students find out about the service. She also said that as of right now, the service is only voluntary, but the university would continue to monitor the situation to decide whether to make it mandatory.
However, text-messaging services are only one of the areas some Queens schools are evaluating when determining how to update their emergency and safety plans.
Dominic Scianna, Director of Media Relations for St. John’s University, the only private college in Queens, said they have increased safety measures at the school including enhanced lighting in parking lots and walkways and the installation of emergency call boxes around campus and more than 250 surveillance cameras monitored by public safety officials. Scianna declined to address any new public safety policies or issues at the university.
Meanwhile, Queens College continues to evaluate its emergency response plan it developed with Kroll Associates while maintaining a collaborative relationship with the nearby 107th Precinct.
“The tragic and horrific Virginia Tech incident reminds us of the importance of having an emergency response team, of taking preventive measures, of being vigilant, and of having effective ways to communicate quickly and effectively to all members of the Queens College community if our security and safety are threatened,” Muyskens said.