Skip to main content
Log in

Understanding crisis communications: Examining students’ perceptions about campus notification systems

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Security Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Following the 2007 shootings at Virginia Tech, colleges and universities nationwide sought to install new emergency notification systems or overhaul existing systems to alert students in the event a similar incident took place on their campus. While researchers have begun to explore the effectiveness of such systems and how they are being employed, a noticeable gap exists in the literature in respect to how this technology is being utilized by members of the campus community. The present study, conducted at a large southwestern university, sought to fill this void by examining the perceptions and employment of the system by universities’ largest segment of users – students. The findings provide continued support for the use of multimodal systems, but also indicate that more education and advertising is needed to increase student engagement with these systems. Limitations of the study, directions for future research, and related policy implications for universities also are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. For a general discussion of strengths and weaknesses by mode, see Schneider (2010).

  2. The survey was titled ‘Emergency Notification System Survey’ in order for students to identify the topic of inquiry without potentially biasing the responses. Instructions provided to the respondents did not include information about the survey’s content also to avoid possible bias.

  3. Classes surveyed came from the departments/schools of Anthropology, Consumer Affairs, Criminal Justice, Fashion Merchandising, Nutrition, and Social Work. Several introductory level courses were surveyed within these departments, capturing majors from Business (including Accounting, Finance, Management and Marketing), Computer Information Systems, Education, English, Fine Arts (including Art History and Dance), Geography, Health Professions, Natural Sciences (including Aquatic Biology, Biology, Environmental Studies and Microbiology), Psychology, Social Work, and Sociology. Non-degree seeking students also were included in the sample. Emails were sent to the instructors of one large introductory class in each school requesting their participation. Each instructor also was asked if the researchers could survey their upper division courses as well. Further, these individuals were asked to pass the request to survey to their departmental colleagues to secure an additional upper level course in the discipline.

  4. Lower-division students (freshmen and sophomores) responses were compared against upperclassmen (junior and senior standing).

  5. Because of space constraints, the additional models are not presented in table form. Copies of these are available upon request.

  6. The ICS is a standardized, on-scene, all-hazards incident management approach that operates within a common organizational structure, coordinates response among various jurisdictions, and utilizes a common process for planning and managing resources. The system is flexible and can be used for incidents of any type, scope and complexity (Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2014).

References

  • Ada, S., Rao, H.R. and Sharman, R. (2010) Online social networking site (SNS) use at the campus emergencies. Paper presented at the 31st International Conference on Information Systems, St. Louis, MO. http://aisel.aisnet.org/icis2010_submissions/203/.

  • Bambanek, J. and Klus, A. (2008) Do emergency text messaging systems put students in more danger? Educause Quarterly 31(3): 12–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carnevale, D. (2006) E-mail is for old people. The Chronicle of Higher Education 53(7): A27.

    Google Scholar 

  • Federal Emergency Management Association. (2014) Incident Command System resources, https://www.fema.gov/national-incident-management-system/incident-command-system-resources, accessed 1 August 2014.

  • Fischman, J. and Foster, A. (2007) New phone technologies can help colleges communicate campuswide in emergencies. The Chronicle of Higher Education 53(34): 16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Foster, A. (2007) After Va. Tech, campuses rush to add alert systems. The Chronicle of Higher Education 54(6): 1.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gow, G.A., McGee, T., Townsend, D., Anderson, P. and Varnhagen, S. (2009) Communication technology, emergency alerts, and campus safety. Technology and Society Magazine, IEEE 28(2): 34–41.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gulum, M.S. and Murray, S.L. (2009) Evaluation of the effectiveness of a mass emergency notification system. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting 53(18): 1466–1470.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Halligan, T. (2009) Safety systems: Technologies, programs help colleges react in emergencies. Community College Journal 79(6): 16–18.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hamblen, M. (2008) Va. Tech exposes need to expand notification plans; A year later, colleges are seeking new ways to send emergency text, e-mail, and phone alerts. ComputerWorld 42(17): 20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, T. (2012) Effect of a marketing program on freshman student registration for an emergency notification system. Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management 9(1): 1–15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kepner, R. (2010) Efficiency of the emergency alert system. Doctoral dissertation. Washington State University: Pullman, Washington DC.

  • Latimer, D. (2008) Text messaging as emergency communication superstar? Nt so gr8. Educause Review 43(3): 84–85.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mark, R. (2008) School alert systems proliferate: Shootings spur growth, but students are slow to sign up. eWeek 25(13): 17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mastrodicasa, J. (2008) Technology use in campus crisis. New Directions for Student Services 2008(104): 37–53.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parker, K. (2011) University aims for emerging research. The University Star 5 October, http://star.txstate.edu/node/4730.

  • Salaway, G., Caruso, J.B. and Nelson, M. (2007) The ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology. Boulder, CO: Educause.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sander, L. (2008) At Northern Illinois U., leaders grapple with a tragedy. The Chronicle of Higher Education 54(25): 26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schneider, T. (2010) Mass notification for higher education. National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities. http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED508002.pdf.

  • Seo, D.C., Torabi, M.R., Sa, J. and Blair, E.H. (2012) Campus violence preparedness of US college campuses. Security Journal 25(3): 199–211.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stephens, K.K., Barrett, A.K. and Mahometa, M.J. (2013) Organizational communication in emergencies: Using multiple channels and sources to combat noise and capture attention. Human Communication Research 39(2): 230–251.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stephens, K.K., Ford, J., Barrett, A.K. and Mahometa, M.J. (2014) Alert networks of ICT and sources in campus emergencies. Paper presented at the 11th International ISCRAM Conference, University Park, PA, http://iscram2014.ist.psu.edu/sites/default/files/misc/proceedings/p30.pdf.

  • Virginia Tech Review Panel. (2007) Mass Shootings at Virginia Tech April 16, 2007: Report of the Review Panel. Arlington, VA: Governor’s Office of the Commonwealth of Virginia, http://www.governor.virginia.gov/TempContent/techpanelreport.cfm.

  • Wu, P.F., Qu, Y. and Preece, J. (2008) Why an Emergency Alert System isn’t Adopted: The Impact of Sociotechnical Context. Proceedings of the 22nd British Human Computer Interaction Conference (HCI 2008), Liverpool, U.K.

  • Young, J.R. (2008) For emergency alerts, some colleges try sirens. The Chronicle of Higher Education 54(31): 22.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jaclyn Schildkraut.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Schildkraut, J., McKenna, J. & Elsass, H. Understanding crisis communications: Examining students’ perceptions about campus notification systems. Secur J 30, 605–620 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1057/sj.2015.9

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/sj.2015.9

Keywords

Navigation