Higher Education Mass Notification: Q&A with Winona State University
Winona State University is a public university located near the Mississippi River in Winona, Minnesota. The institution offers 65 undergraduate and 12 graduate programs, with campus enrollment averaging 6500 students annually. Winona State became one of the first universities in the country to offer a “Laptop University” program, which leases every student an Apple or Microsoft laptop.
We spoke with Chris Cichosz, Director of Security at Winona State University, to learn more about their experience with the Alertus System on campus.
What drove Winona State University to seek out a comprehensive mass notification system?
We were looking to enhance our system more broadly from what we originally had, which was just email and text. We wanted to incorporate digital signage and social media alerts into our emergency notification strategy. Our university issues laptops to all of our students, so having the ability to take over individual screens provided a multifaceted approach to issuing alerts quickly and efficiently.
Why did you choose Alertus for your emergency notification needs?
I learned about Alertus from other universities who recommended it and figured it would be a good solution for what we were trying to accomplish. With Alertus, we could integrate certain aspects of it with our previous system, allowing us to send messages out on numerous channels simultaneously, so Alertus checked all of the boxes on what we needed and were trying to accomplish.
How has having a mass notification solution benefited Winona State University?
Since we’ve installed the Alertus System, alert messages are getting sent faster and more efficiently to a broader audience. For example, the Alertus Recipient App is useful not only for our students, faculty, and staff but also for our guests to use, as they can also download the app and receive emergency notifications while visiting us.
The system has given us a broader ability to manage multiple platforms to distribute emergency notifications. In addition to the Alertus Recipient Mobile App, we are utilizing laptop and Desktop™ Notification and Digital Signage Override.
Have you used or activated the Alertus system in any emergency situations?
No, but we do test it regularly. We are confident that if and when we would need to, we will have everything in place to get that information out quickly.
Why do you think having a mass notification solution is so important for organizations/schools such as yours?
It is important to be able to provide information to the public so people can make informed decisions.