Mass Notification Considerations for College Campuses During Protests
University and college campuses saw an uptick in protests, demonstrations, and large gatherings this spring, some of which escalated and led to suspensions and confrontations with local and campus police. Protests involved students, faculty members, and outside visitors with no school affiliation, raising many safety concerns.
As we look toward the fall semester, maintaining order while allowing student groups to protest peacefully is paramount to ensuring the security and well-being of the campus community. One important component of a comprehensive safety plan involves establishing a reliable and wide-reaching mass notification system (MNS) allowing university leadership to communicate critical information quickly and effectively with students, faculty, and staff, and collaborate swiftly with first responders and local law enforcement.
With mass notification, university leadership can monitor and provide timely updates about protest locations and disruptions to campus activities using mobile notification methods such as SMS/push, social media, and email. Preparing templates in the Alertus Activator App Interface ahead of time with mindful language can save valuable time when alerts need to be distributed quickly during campus unrest. Where violence may unexpectedly unfold, users can access the Alertus Recipient App to report incidents with their current location and send customized messages to emergency management.
The Alertus Mobile App suite, High Power Speaker Array, and IP Speaker are effective solutions to use during protests on college and university campuses.
College and university institutions cover large geographic areas and operate across many facilities, so emergency notifications should also be distributed over outdoor warning systems like High Power Speaker Arrays to communicate with protesters if they must vacate an area, for example. Facility and network-based notification systems such as IP Speakers deliver clear, consistent emergency messages across indoor areas where announcements are needed to provide timely and consistent information about closures and potential safety threats.
Campus administration can also use mass notification to remind the community of important policies and protocols regarding conduct, assembly, and freedom of speech, unique to their public or private institution. For those feeling overwhelmed by the protests, mass notification can be used to provide information about support services like emergency hotlines, safe spaces, and counseling information.
Student activism and protesting on college campuses is not a new concept – protests of the Vietnam War, the South African apartheid, and the Iraq War, for example, have taken place at institutions across the U.S. over the years. Campus administrators can learn from the past to manage large groups, refine safety strategies, and utilize mass notification technology available today to communicate faster.
Mass notification is critical in keeping your campus community safe and informed during protests. Protocols will vary by institution, but with an MNS, all campus leadership will benefit from communicating urgent information to the community about current events on campus, important policies, and support services.
Alertus helps colleges and universities develop or enhance their MNS to respond to disorders that can arise from protests. Contact us to schedule a demo to explore solutions that help you communicate effectively during conflict.
