Oh, cause that's a good plan

[lyore]

From anu_students

In light of the recent local storm and the Virginia Tech shootings, the ANU has set up a "Campus Emergency Mobile Phone Number" option in ISIS so that if there is another campus emergency here at ANU, students and staff can be readily contacted and warned of the danger.

So please enter an emergency contact number in your ANUBIS account at the first available opportunity! The numbers will remain entirely confidential unless such an emergency arises, in which case they will be used to contact you to inform you of the situation.

Thanks!

Right. So, in case of Evil Gunmen, the uni is going to personally and individually call EVERY SINGLE STUDENT (and presumably postgrads, academics and lecturers as well, unless they don't care about them). All 3000 of them. Do they think this might take a little bit longer than they actually have, in that situation? And what if people don't answer, because, by some random and cruel twist of fate, that was the day they actually remembered to turn off their phone in a lecture? And in what order? Alphabetically? Of course, it's ANU, so I'm tempted to say they'd call the full-fee paying students first...

Perhaps they plan on asking the Evil Gunman to just wait patiently until they've finished?

Actually, that wouldn't surprise me. Student admin has always held the opinion that students have nothing better to do than wait for the on the convenience of the admin staff, regardless of murderous intentions and/or urgent academic requirements.

(Of course, this is off an LJ report. I can't really be bothered to check if this is true or not, although it would be simple if you had access to ISIS. I just feel like snark. ETA: As psuedoskribe points out, this is a lot less stupid if they are using an SMS system. But I still feel like snarking about it.)

In other news - thank god I get tomorrow off. I am so completely wiped right now, a fact I am now putting down to the lingering effects of the Cold From Hell. I feel like I've had the energy just sucked right out of me. So I am going to watch Doctor Who, post some squee (hopefully) for amethyste5, and go to bed.

Comments

[lyore.livejournal.com]

I didn't even think of SMS-ing. You're right, it would work much better, but I'm still not convinced that this is the best way to notify everyone, in the case of an on-campus emergency. The again, I can't think of anything better of the top of my head, so perhaps it is.

Besides, if there was a Gunman holding up Student Admin, don't you think that half the campus would turn up to watch?

[redbyrd-sgfic.livejournal.com]

I think it's official, I'm the last person in the free world who isn't umbilically attached to a cellphone.

But honestly? If you're trying to reach students in transit- some form of automated messaging has to be the only way.

Of course you can use the old fashioned PA on campus, "THIS IS AN ANNOUNCEMENT. GUNMEN ARE MENACING THE CAFETERIA, PROBABLY IN REVENGE AFTER HAVING EATEN THERE. PLEASE REMAIN WHERE YOU ARE, THE SWAT TEAM IS SNEAKING UP ON THEM EVEN AS WE SPEAK."

[lyore.livejournal.com]

"THIS IS AN ANNOUNCEMENT. GUNMEN ARE MENACING THE CAFETERIA, PROBABLY IN REVENGE AFTER HAVING EATEN THERE. PLEASE REMAIN WHERE YOU ARE, THE SWAT TEAM IS SNEAKING UP ON THEM EVEN AS WE SPEAK."

I like it. After all we need to assure the students the situation is being dealt with :)

Cellphones - well, I have one, I occasionally check it, and sometimes I answer it. I have a tendency not to hear it go off, so chances are I'd get the message a few hours later anyway.