UTC communication lags: In emergency situations information moves slowly
Editorial
Issue date: 11/5/09 Section: Editorial
While UTC officials may be improving the campus by building the Aquatic and Recreation Center, remodeling Grote Hall and starting to prepare for a new library, administrators should be more concerned with correcting the catastrophe that is the university's communication with its students.
UTC has experienced two unexpected power outages and one bomb threat over the past month alone.
When the first power outage happened, classes were canceled; however, no one was aware of this critical information.
Students who live off campus had no way to know anything was out of the ordinary until they arrived because no information had been offered.
It was not until 8:30 a.m. - two hours after the power had first gone out - that an e-mail was sent saying classes were canceled until 10 a.m. due to campus still being without electricity.
If students lived on campus, it was about 30 minutes after the e-mail was sent before they had confirmation of what was going on around them - when a UTC alert text message was sent.
When the power goes out, an e-mail is not the best way to get information to students, especially those living on campus and affected by the outage. Relying on the battery power of laptops was not the most efficient way to inform students of the problem.
There must be a better way.
Two weeks ago, when a bomb threat was made on campus, e-mails and text messages were sent out notifying students which buildings were being evacuated, and which ones students were allowed to re-enter.
The problem was, students were receiving UTC alert texts about buildings being re-opened and classes resuming at 5 p.m. before they received one saying Brock and the UC had been evacuated.
While these messages may have been sent out in proper chronological order, the fact that they were received in various different forms of scrambled communication proves our emergency information system is greatly flawed and must be examined.
UTC has experienced two unexpected power outages and one bomb threat over the past month alone.
When the first power outage happened, classes were canceled; however, no one was aware of this critical information.
Students who live off campus had no way to know anything was out of the ordinary until they arrived because no information had been offered.
It was not until 8:30 a.m. - two hours after the power had first gone out - that an e-mail was sent saying classes were canceled until 10 a.m. due to campus still being without electricity.
If students lived on campus, it was about 30 minutes after the e-mail was sent before they had confirmation of what was going on around them - when a UTC alert text message was sent.
When the power goes out, an e-mail is not the best way to get information to students, especially those living on campus and affected by the outage. Relying on the battery power of laptops was not the most efficient way to inform students of the problem.
There must be a better way.
Two weeks ago, when a bomb threat was made on campus, e-mails and text messages were sent out notifying students which buildings were being evacuated, and which ones students were allowed to re-enter.
The problem was, students were receiving UTC alert texts about buildings being re-opened and classes resuming at 5 p.m. before they received one saying Brock and the UC had been evacuated.
While these messages may have been sent out in proper chronological order, the fact that they were received in various different forms of scrambled communication proves our emergency information system is greatly flawed and must be examined.
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