On Friday, Jan. 12 at approximately 5:30 a.m. students received a text message from the university notifying them of a winter-weather notice that was closing specific regional campuses.

Students also received an email, several social media alerts, a phone call and left a voicemail.

The plethora of alerts that morning was related to an upgrade in the university’s emergency notification system called SE Alerts. The new system allows the university to send out 12,000 notifications in under five minutes throughout multiple platforms to inform the campus of events, dangerous situations or threats that impact the safety of students, faculty and staff.

With the upgrade, students no longer have to subscribe to the emergency alert system, but automatically receive notification from the university. People can, however, opt out of the service.

An app is available for most mobile phone, allowing students to keep track of emergency notifications, get real time updates, and email DPS if ever in a situation where they feel unsafe.

If someone is in need of immediate assistance, the app allows for location sharing that will direct the Department of Public Safety to the exact location of that person. Officers from DPS are on standby for such notifications.

Students also can enroll their parents to receive emergency-alert notifications via email.

During an emergency, Southeast will provide information and safety tips through the emergency alert systems and on the SE Alerts website, Facebook and Twitter page.

Students, faculty and staff can update their contact information through the Southeast portal. All information given to the university through portal will be used with the emergency notification system.

The Clery Act requires specific information to be delivered expediently in order to ensure campus communities are fully aware of any situation that may affect their personal safety.

SE Alerts was invested in under the premise that the safety and security of the Southeast campus community is the highest priority to the university and the department of public safety.

During an emergency, all university-owned desktop computers connected to the Southeast network will receive pop-up notifications as well.

For more information on SE Alerts, visit www.semo.edu/alerts.