UNI Alert

The UNI Alert System notifies the campus community of emergencies and threats to physical safety in emergency situations: tornado, violence, hazardous material incident, cancelled classes, university closure, etc. Notification is by cell phone, landline phone, e-mail and text-message.

UNI Alert allows UNI administrators to send recorded emergency messages (“UNI Alerts”) to students, faculty and staff by cell phone, landline phone, e-mail, and text-message within minutes.

When a threat or campus emergency is identified, UNI Alert uses contact information from the university’s official directory data (updated via MyUNIverse) to simultaneously send thousands of messages directly to students, faculty, and staff using cell phone numbers, home phone numbers, office phone numbers and e-mail. The entire campus community can be notified in about 20 minutes.

The system automatically includes all current students, faculty, and staff located on campus, based on their presence in the UNI Directory. However, you should make sure the UNI Directory has up-to-date information for you. And if you want to be notified by cell phone, voice, and/or text-message, you'll need to make sure your cell number is included in the UNI Alert database.

Changing your contact information

If you want to change your emergency contact information, log in to MyUNIverse and click on Emergency Preparedness/UNI Alert tab. You're the only person who can update this data. Please review it carefully.

UNI Alert text-message software update

UNI Alert text messages will come to your cell phone from 319-273-4911. Please take a moment now to add "UNI Alert" as a contact with those phone numbers in your cell phone address book.

UNI Alert Resources

At the right you'll find resources for the UNI Alert system.

Reporting a Concern

Critical Incident Resources

UNI Alert Messages

UNI Emergency Shelters

UNI Alert FAQ

UNI Crime Alerts

Critical Incident Safety Book

Reporting a Concern

Confidentiality laws don't prevent you from reporting a concern. Urgent or crisis situations may include, but are not limited to:

A risk of suicide.
A threat of harm to others.

Severely disorganized, psychotic or out-of-control behavior.
Trauma, such as sexual assault or the death or injury of someone close.

To report concerns, contact:

Student concern:

273-2676 — Counseling Center
273-2332 — Dean of Students
273-2333 — Director of Residence Life

Sexual assault and Discrimination/Harassment:

273-2846 — Title IX Officer/Civil Rights Compliance

Faculty concern:

273-2517 — Office of the Provost, Dean of the college or department head

Staff concern:

273-2422 — Director, Human Resources

Visitors:

273-2712 — UNI Police

UNI Alert Messages

I received a UNI Alert Test message. Now what?

Had this been an actual emergency, you would have been instructed to go to the UNI home page at https://uni.edu for further information.

Employee contact options:

Office phone	Mandatory	Cannot opt out. Pulled from university data.
Additional office phone	Optional
Home phone	Optional	Pulled from university data and will be sent unless choose to opt out.
Alternate home phone	Optional
UNI email address (or forwarding email address if one exists)	Mandatory	Cannot opt out. Pulled from university data.
Alternate email address	Optional
Phone Text Message	Optional

Student contact options

Local Phone	Optional	Pulled from university data and will be sent unless choose to opt out.
Home phone	Optional	Pulled from university data and will be sent unless choose to opt out.
Alternate home phone	Optional
UNI email address (or forwarding email address if one exists)	Mandatory	Cannot opt out. Pulled from university data.
Alternate email address	Optional
Phone Text Message	Optional

Resources on Prevention-Response to Critical Incident

Assessment and Consultation Team for Students

The Student Intervention Team (SIT) for students is a team of university professionals that meets routinely to review, discuss and coordinate an appropriate response to students exhibiting inappropriate behaviors, suicidal thoughts or attempts, or other mental health issues.

History

The SIT was established in the fall of 2006 as the Assessment and Consultation Team to respond to incidents of high-risk mental health, disciplinary or criminal behavior exhibited by students. The name was changed to the Student Intervention Team in 2011 to more accurately describe the team's role. Representatives from the Department of Residence, Student Health Clinic, University Police, the Counseling Center and Dean of Students Office discuss the ongoing treatment, care, response and management of these high risk student cases. The team and related processes are overseen by the Dean of Students.

Mission

The mission of the Student Intervention Team (SIT) is to provide a coordinated analysis and response plan for the university's high-risk student critical incident cases within the framework of assuring a safe campus community. These efforts consist of offering mediation or adjudication of Student Conduct Code violations; medical, counseling and psychiatric services and referrals; and criminal investigation and prosecution of cases. In fulfilling this mission, the SIT promotes students' physical and mental wellness, a safer campus community, and the retention of students who can be successful when treatable issues and behaviors are addressed and managed.

Goals

To make sure continuous health care and counseling services are available to students who are in need.
To make sure students who display undesirable behavior are held accountable through the university conduct system.
To provide a safe educational environment and community.
To increase the retention rate of high-risk students.

Potential Outcomes

The SIT will seek to develop a specific strategy to manage the situation with regard to safety for others and/or the student and minimize disruption to the university community. Issues that will be considered include assessment of potential for violence, containment of disruption, referral for treatment or management of the perceived core problem, and setting appropriate behavioral boundaries within existing university and/or department policies and procedures. If appropriate, the SIT may suggest enactment of one of the following actions using the "least restrictive resolution" principle:

Withdrawal from a course
Withdrawal from the university for medical reasons
Suspension for medical or behavioral reasons
Withdrawal from university housing

Legal action or referral for university disciplinary action may be initiated and UNI Police presence may the arranged for a difficult meeting, perceived safety concerns or any other appropriate purpose. SIT will communicate to keep appropriate persons informed of unfolding events and resolutions on a need-to-know basis.

Reporting a Concern about a Student

UNI faculty, staff or students who are concerned about the behavior of a student that is potentially dangerous to self or others or is disruptive may contact the person below who seems the most appropriate for the situation. Initially, the team member will consult with at least one other team member to determine an initial course of action or may commence an initial response with an individual consultation within the scope of their unit.

The team member will then provide a report of the concern and any initial action taken to the team during the next regular meeting or the team member may request a special meeting of the SIT to discuss the concern. A team member is then designated to follow each case.

Confidentiality and Records

Confidentiality and Records All meetings and communication will be considered confidential. Any documents, forms or other information submitted to the SIT, along with information obtained related to a student concern, are considered educational records of the individual student and are maintained by the Office of Vice-President for Student Affairs. Information contained in those records will be maintained in accordance with the requirements of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

Members of the Assessment and Consultation Team

Dean of Students
Coordinator of Student Assistance and Outreach
Director of Residence Life
Residence Life Coordinator
Director, Counseling Center
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
Chief of Police/Director, Public Safety

Threat Assessment Team

Authorization:

Pursuant to Chapter 11 of the policy manual of the Board of Regents, State of Iowa, the President of the University of Northern Iowa has established the campus Threat Assessment Team to proactively prepare the campus to manage situations and issues that may threaten the safety and security of students, employees, and visitors. In determining the scope of the team's authority the term "campus" includes all land, buildings, facilities, and other property in the possession of or owned, used, or controlled by the University (including adjacent streets or sidewalks) and further extends to any conduct by a University student or employee while engaged in activities which may be perceived to be University related. In carrying out its charge the Threat Assessment Team will implement the principles contained in the University's Violence Free Campus Policy (http://www.uni.edu/policies/710). All members of the Threat Assessment Team are designated as institutional officials with legitimate educational interests in information that is protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) or other privacy laws pertaining to student or personnel issues.

Mission Statement

The University of Northern Iowa is committed to promoting and providing a safe and secure environment for all faculty, staff, students, and visitors to our campus. Therefore the Threat Assessment Team will review and evaluate information regarding concerns or issues involving perceived threats to University students, faculty, staff, visitors or property and will act, as necessary, to protect the campus community.

The Threat Assessment Team has been established to:

Receive, coordinate and assess information on perceived threats to the safety and security of University students, faculty, staff, visitors or property
Share and evaluate available information to determine if an articulable and significant risk of threat is present
Develop an appropriate plan of action to mitigate the risk, including intervention strategies to deal with violence, threats and disruptive behavior
Respond to situations involving a risk of violence or threatening behavior including behavior indicating a potential risk of harm to self or others
Identify and develop resources for troubled faculty, staff, and students
Make referrals to the Student Intervention Team (SIT) or other appropriate campus and off-campus agencies
Communicate with others as necessary and appropriate to carry out the team's purposes
Recommend University action regarding campus safety and security matters to appropriate decision makers
Develop resources and training for the campus community on identification, reporting and responding to situations involving potential threats to safety and security.
Review and assess outcomes of actions taken

Operating Protocols

The Threat Assessment Team (TAT) meets weekly throughout the academic year and regularly during the summer months. The TAT also meets as needed to evaluate and develop plans as circumstances necessitate
Team members are expected to contact the chair, or in the chair's absence the vice-chair, of the TAT immediately with information that indicates a developing situation which appears to involve a significant and imminent risk to safety and security. The chair or vice-chair will notify team members and may call an emergency meeting of the team. The emergency meeting may also include other individuals who would be helpful in evaluating the risk and developing a plan to mitigate the risk.
The team will evaluate the level and imminence of risk and develop a plan to mitigate the risk. Examples of possible team decisions may include but are not limited to the following:

Active monitoring of the situation
Gathering additional information to more accurately evaluate the possible threat
Adopting a plan to respond to the situation and monitoring implementation
Referring individuals to appropriate campus offices or bodies
Referring individuals to the legal system for evaluation of behavior for criminal action

Threat Assessment Team Membership

The TAT is composed of those who are likely to receive or become aware of information regarding threats to safety and security, who have knowledge of appropriate means of assessing and evaluating information and who have access to resources necessary to mitigate risks. Members include all of the following or their designees:

Director of Public Safety, Chief of Police (Chair)
Assistant to President, Civil Rights Compliance
Director of Residence Life
Chair of the Enterprise Risk Management Council
Associate Provost for Academic Affairs
Dean of Students
Director, Human Resources Services
Director, University Relations
University Counsel

Notes and logs kept by the team chair and minutes of team meetings shall be considered official records of the Department of Public Safety.

Approved by President: August 2011

Case Management Team

The team meets every two weeks to review employee issues that cross over the represented offices. Student concerns are addressed as they relate to faculty and staff issues. The team is administered by the Office of Civil Rights Compliance.

Associate Counsel 273-7272
University Counsel 273-3241
Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs 273-7738
Director, Human Resource Services 273-2423
Assistant to the President for Civil Rights Compliance 273-2846

UNI Alert FAQ

What is the UNI Alert System?

How does the UNI Alert System work?

UNI Alert allows UNI administrators to send recorded emergency messages (“UNI Alerts”) to students, faculty and staff by cell phone, landline phone, e-mail, and text-message within minutes.

UNI Alert is built upon the Blackboard Connect ® System, developed specifically for schools, colleges and universities.

How do I sign up to receive UNI Alerts?

You don’t. The system automatically includes all current students, faculty, and staff located on campus, based on their presence in the UNI Directory. However, you should make sure the UNI Directory has up-to-date information for you. And if you want to be notified by cell phone, voice, and/or text-message, you'll need to make sure your cell number is included in the UNI Alert database. You can update your directory information through MyUNIverse.

Is there a fee for the UNI Alert System?

There is no cost to students, faculty and staff for the standard service. Costs for the system were paid by the university.

If you elect to accept text messages, depending on your cellular provider and your cellular phone plan, you may incur a cost for incoming text messages. By opting into this UNI service you are agreeing to incur this cost, if any.

What phone number will I see on my Caller ID when I receive a UNI Alert?

UNI Alert calls will come from the local area code (319).

How does a member of the university community enter contact information so that it can be available for use in emergencies?

Login to MyUNIverse and make sure all of your contact information is up to date. The university is encouraging all of its students and employees to add/update their cell and other phone numbers in the UNI Alert System as soon as possible.

May I include contact information for a spouse or significant other, or parent(s), so that they'll be alerted during emergencies?

Any number you include will be notified. However, information is designed for people on or near campus so emergency notifications may not be appropriate for others.

For what types of emergencies will I be notified via this system?

UNI Alerts will be utilized in emergencies and situations that present threats to physical safety: tornadoes, violence, hazardous material incidents, cancelled classes, university closure, etc. UNI Alerts are capable of targeting specific groups of people (e.g., occupants of specific buildings potentially affected by a hazardous material incident or violence).

What types of UNI Alert methods are available?

UNI Alerts will take the form of recorded messages delivered to the phone numbers, text delivered to the e-mail addresses, messages posted to UNI Facebook and Twitter accounts and text-messages (for mobile devices). Additionally, Blackboard Connect is continuously exploring other communication/notification interfaces, such as instant messaging.

In conjunction with the UNI Alert System, the Department of Public Safety has installed an outdoor loudspeaker notification system that also will help ensure that those on campus hear alerts and warnings.

What is the time frame in which I should expect to receive a UNI Alert?

Circumstances will vary, including the size of the notification audience, the time of day, etc. However, most UNI Alerts by phone or text-message should arrive minutes after being initiated. E-mail UNI Alerts serve largely as a backup/supplemental mechanism and typically take longer to be delivered. The goal is to have all contacts made within 20 minutes of being initiated.

How can the UNI Alert System reach thousands of people in just minutes?

Blackboard Connect ’s mass notification engine supports the UNI Alert System. Blackboard Connect maintains access to tens of thousands of phone lines originating from multiple locations throughout the United States to ensure that its clients' communications are delivered quickly and efficiently. Moreover, Blackboard Connect employs sophisticated call throttling logic to identify the proper schematics needed to deliver calls based upon whatever congestion the local telecommunications providers are experiencing at the moment calls are being attempted.

Who is responsible for declaring an emergency and sending a UNI Alert?

The Department of Public Safety usually will initiate emergency notifications, although the Office of the President and University Relations will have the authority and ability to issue UNI Alerts as well. If you have an emergency, or encounter an emergency situation on campus, you should immediately call 911.

Where do I go for information about an emergency situation?

Emergency information will be available from the UNI home page at http://uni.edu.

If I input my cell phone number, will it be published?

No. If you input your cell phone number in the [Additional Phone] or [Cell Phone to receive text-message] fields it will not be viewable by others.

However, if you input your cell phone number in a different field, for example as your local residence phone number because you do not have a landline, it may be viewable by others unless you set the appropriate publication restrictions in the system. (See next question for further information.)

What should I do if I use my cell phone as my home phone (i.e., I don't have a landline at home)?

You can input your cell phone number in both your home phone or your [Additional Phone] fields. (In an emergency, duplicate phone numbers are automatically reduced to a single number to be called by the system, as described below.)

If you don’t want your telephone number to be published, you should ensure that your privacy restrictions are set to "Restrict Access - Yes".

Does the system support numeric pagers?

No, the system does not support numeric pagers at this time. However, Blackboard Connect is continuously exploring other communication/notification interfaces.

My contact information is up to date. Can I test my ability to be notified to make sure the system will work for me?

We do not have the means to provide an on-demand test notification for individuals at this time. However, we test the system campus-wide at regular intervals.

What action should I take if I do receive a UNI Alert?

Detailed instructions on where to go for additional information will usually be included in the UNI Alert.

Help spread the word by telling those around you what’s happening. (Word of mouth is an important form of notification.) Doing this by word of mouth (vs. by phone) leaves more phone lines open for the system to utilize.

Should I attend classes (or come to work) if there is an extreme weather condition?

The University Policies and Procedures 4.07 covers this. Individuals should use good judgment and avoid serious risks in traveling to campus or in attending classes. If university classes are cancelled students should not report to class.

I recently graduated or left the university and/or no longer wish to receive UNI Alerts. How can I ensure that I won't be notified?

Your status in the official university data dictates whether or not you are in the population set to receive UNI Alerts in the event of an emergency, and this status (and thus your presence in the UNI Alert System) is updated regularly. Only active students, faculty, and staff, who are normally on campus, are in that population set, so you shouldn’t need to take any action when leaving the university.

Are Allen Nursing and Hawkeye Community College students living in the residence halls included in the UNI Alert System?

Yes. All students living on campus or taking UNI courses will have access to this system.

How are duplicate phone numbers handled?

Some people may use their cell phone as their home phone (i.e., they don’t have a landline at home) and thus have the same phone number listed as their home phone and additional phone. Similarly, some phone numbers may be shared by multiple people (e.g., a shared phone at work, or by roommates in an apartment). To eliminate unnecessary/redundant phone calls during an emergency, the system will automatically reduce all occurrences of duplicate phone numbers to single, unique phone numbers, before initiating a mass notification.