Emergency notifications system: CUNE Alerts

About CUNE Alerts

What Is CUNE Alert?

CUNE Alerts allow Concordia University, Nebraska’s administration and security professionals to reach students, faculty and staff with time-sensitive information during unforeseen events or emergencies through voice, email and text messaging. During critical situations, the university can use this system to reach you with pertinent information and provide details on appropriate response.

This information will not be shared with other entities, and it will be kept private and confidential. This is used only for Concordia University, Nebraska’s communication purposes with you.

Keep in mind that the most important purpose of this system is for the university to contact you with details and instructions for your immediate safety, so be sure that you have provided information for us to contact you. There is room for additional numbers, and you are welcome to provide information about others whom you wish to receive these messages (such as parents or a spouse).

Common questions about CUNE alerts

Recognizing a CUNE Alert 

What does CUNE Alert look or sound like?

1. Phone: When you receive a call from CUNE Alert, your caller ID will display “402-643-7350.” When you receive a CUNE Alert text message, your caller ID will display “23177.” You may wish to save this number in your contact list as “CUNE Alert.” It is best if you do not call back to the caller ID number, because you will likely get a busy signal, rather check your voicemail, text message inbox or email inbox for a message from CUNE Alert. 
    
2. E-mail: For emails, the email ID will be from cunealert@cune.edu.
    
3. Recording via phone:  When listening to a message, please be aware that background noise will cause the system to ‘stop and start.” It is calibrated very delicately to determine whether a person or a voicemail box has picked up the phone, the background noise may affect the delivery. If possible, move to a quiet area, or press the “mute” button on your phone.
    
4. Recording via phone:  If you missed any part of the message, please stay on the line and press “*” (star) to hear the message again.

About CUNE alerts

What is CUNE Alert?

CUNE Alert is a service of Connect-ED. This service will allow Concordia University, Nebraska’s administration and security professionals to reach students, faculty and staff with time-sensitive information during unforeseen events or emergencies through voice, email and text messaging. During critical situations, the university can use this system to reach you with pertinent information and provide details on appropriate response.

This information will not be shared with other entities, and it will be kept private and confidential. This is used only for Concordia University, Nebraska’s communication purposes with you.

Keep in mind that the most important purpose of this system is for the university to contact you with details and instructions for your immediate safety, so be sure that you have provided information for us to contact you. There is room for additional numbers, and you are welcome to provide information about others whom you wish to receive these messages (such as parents or a spouse).

When will the system be used and who decides when an incident warrants sending out an alert?

The system will be used in a natural disaster, accident or intentional critical event on campus.

The university administration, campus security personnel and/or Critical Incident Management Team will initiate emergency communication. If applicable, messages will be coordinated with law enforcement and emergency management authorities.

If there appears to be an emergency, and I haven't yet received a message on my phone or email, what can I do?

If you are witnessing or experiencing a life threatening emergency, call 911 (dial 9, 911 from a campus phone). For all other incidents call Campus Security at 402-643-3033 (dial 9, 402-643-3033 from a campus phone).

After reading the Frequently Asked Questions, I still have a question, who can I contact? Email cunealert@cune.edu.

Data-related questions

What contact data should I provide the university?

You should provide numbers that will enable the university to reach YOU in an emergency. You may store up to six phone numbers (with area code), a number for text messaging and an email address. The best emergency contact number is most likely your mobile phone but you should provide multiple points of contact to ensure message delivery.

How do I provide or change my emergency communication information, and when do changes take effect?

Faculty, staff and students can provide their most current contact information through Banner Self Service. Login to Self Service, go to the "Personal Information" page in the menu and go to "Update Emergency Communication Information".

Note: "Emergency Communication Information" is different than "View Emergency Contacts". The purpose of the CUNE Alert system is to contact you in the event of an emergency with instructions and safety information.

The Emergency Communication Information is uploaded to Connect-ED once each business day.

How many messages will I receive during a single emergency?

You can receive up to eight messages. The following types of fields are available: land line phone, cell phone, text message number and email address. 

Who will have access to my emergency phone number(s) and email?

The data will only be used by those who send emergency messages, or occasionally to test the emergency system. It will not be shared with anyone else.

My classmate/colleague received a test message or alert from the university, but I did not. Why?

It is possible that we do not have your contact information loaded. Please login to Banner Self-Service to verify that your information is correct. If you have entered your information correctly, check the Call Related Questions below. 

How fast will the emergency communication get to me?

The speed of the message will vary with the size of the audience, network congestion and time of day. The mass communication system used by Connect-ED includes sophisticated methods of call routing, throttling and load balancing to adjust to congestion that can occur among telecommunication providers.

Can I decline to receive emergency messages? (Or can I opt out of the system once I have opted in?

You cannot opt out of email messages to your cune.org or cune.edu email. Nor can you opt out of calls to your campus office phone (for faculty and staff). You can opt out of receiving messages on the phone numbers, the text message number and the alternate email you have provided. However, carefully consider whether you want to forgo receiving any communication in the event of a potential threat to your safety. To decline receipt of emergency communication login to Banner Self-Service and remove your contact information.

Call-related questions

I received the message but I missed the information. What should I do?

While on the call, you can replay the message by pressing the star key (*) at the end of the message. Or, you should be able to find the same information in your email.

I received the message but it kept looping/repeating. Why?

The system does its best to detect whether it has reached a live person or an answering machine. Sometimes loud background noises may cause the system to loop. If this happens, use the mute feature on your phone or move to a quieter location to prevent the message from looping or repeating.

I see a Caller ID display of 402-643-7350. What is this number?

When the university sends a call out on CUNE Alert, it will display caller ID information. Please save this number and program it as CUNE Alert so that you can quickly recognize this number as the official source of Concordia’s messages. It is best if you do not call back to the caller ID number, because you will likely get a busy signal, rather check your voicemail, text message inbox or email inbox for a message from CUNE Alert. 

How does the system respond to busy signals or no-answer situations?

For busy signals, the call will be repeated twice in an attempt to reach you. The same is true for no-answer and call-waiting. If the phone is answered by a message recorder, the message will be left on the answering device. If, after several attempts the call does not successfully go through, the system will stop attempting and report your number to be busy.

My telephone is forwarded to somewhere or someone else. How do I get the alert?

CUNE Alert will follow your forwarding path.

My telephone has a routing message, e.g., press "1" for Mary, press "2" for John. Will we get the alert?

No. CUNE Alert cannot traverse an automated answering system. Mary and John will not receive the alert.

I share the same phone number as my roommate/colleague, will it call me twice?

No, the system will remove duplicate phone numbers during call delivery. Note: If you have multiple voicemail boxes at one telephone number, the system is unable to leave a voicemail message.

I changed my mobile phone provider, but kept my phone number. Do I need to update my information?

No, as long as your phone number remains the same it stays registered with your contact information.

If I use my cell phone number for CUNE Alert, will it become public?

Your personal information will not be shared or used for anything other than the emergency communication system.

I provided multiple phone numbers and SMS for text messages, which device will get the message first?

The system delivers messages to phones and SMS independently and simultaneously. So, it will be delivered to all your available phone numbers at the same time. You could possibly receive them concurrently but, depending on your cell and landline providers, the times may vary. SMS (text message) deliveries are dependent on your service provider and can often take longer than voice calls.

I provided the phone number and I have verified that it is correct. The call report indicates that you are reaching me live at that number. Why do I still not receive any calls from you?

This might happen if you have call forwarding activated to forward calls to another phone number or voicemail. By deactivating this feature, you should resume receiving messages from us.

I received the calls at my mobile and my home phone but my campus phone call came much later or not at all. Why?

The campus phone system can only handle a limited number of simultaneous incoming calls. If we call all numbers at once, it is going to result in a busy status. Therefore, we batch campus phone numbers into separate groups which might result in you receiving the calls later than others. If our phone and voicemail systems are at a particularly high volume at a time when an emergency message is sent, it is possible that your campus phone may not be reached successfully.

SMS (text messaging) related questions

How do I opt in to receive text messages from CUNE Alert?

You can opt in by providing a text-enabled phone number on Banner Self-Service.

What happens after I sign up (opt in)?

The system will automatically send a text message to your text-enabled phone with a confirmation message during business hours. Note: we upload data into the service only once per business day, so you may receive the confirmation on the next business day after you sign up.

What will the confirmation message say?

CUNE ALERT: You are now confirmed to receive alerts from us. For info reply HELP CUNE.

I did not receive a confirmation message. What happened?

If you signed up recently, please note that we upload data into the service only once per business day, so you may receive the confirmation on the next business day after you sign up.

If you still haven’t received a message, check with your mobile phone company to find out if your phone can receive text messages and if you are subscribed to a text messaging plan.

Why did I receive a text message from CUNE Alert confirming my request to get emergency text messages?

Mobile phone companies require that text messaging service confirm your request to receive alerts.

What do I need to do when I receive the confirmation text?

Nothing, receiving the confirmation text is sufficient to opt in to receiving alerts from us, unless you are a T-MOBILE customer. T-Mobile requires that you reply either Y CUNE or YES CUNE to the confirmation text to opt in to the alerts. If you are a T-Mobile customer and you do not respond to the confirmation text, you will not receive future alerts from us.

From what number will these text messages display?

You will see 23177 as the text messaging number sending you the confirmation message and all subsequent messages. Please save this number and program it as CUNE Alert so that you can quickly recognize this number as the official source of Concordia’s messages.

Am I charged for text messages?

Standard text message rates apply.

I heard that my classmate/colleague received a SMS (text) message on their cell phone from CUNE Alert, and I did not. Why?

To receive text messages, you will need to provide the university with your mobile phone number and carrier information (eg. Verizon, T-Mobile, etc). It is also possible that we do not have your contact information loaded. Please login to Banner Self-Service to verify that your information is correct.

How do I opt out of receiving text messages from CUNE Alert?

The easiest way is to login to Banner Self-Service to change your preferences. This allows you to temporarily stop receiving text messages from the university. You may return at anytime to resume text deliveries. However, you may also opt out permanently by texting “STOP CUNE” or “QUIT CUNE” to 23177. This STOP method will prevent any messages from being delivered to you regardless of your Banner Self-Service preferences.

What if I opted-out but later decide I would like to opt in again?

If you opted out by clearing your CUNE Alert phone number for text alerts, simply resubmit your phone number for text alerts on Banner Self-Service. CUNE Alert will then re-initiate the opt-in procedure and send you a confirmation message.

If you opted out by texting “STOP CUNE” or “QUIT CUNE.” You must opt back in by texting “SUBSCRIBE CUNE” to 23177.

Email related questions

What email address will show when an emergency message is incoming?

The message will come from "CUNE Alert."

Can I opt out of receiving email alerts?

You cannot opt out of email messages to your cune.org or cune.edu email. You can opt out of receiving messages on the alternate email you have provided. However, carefully consider whether you want to forgo receiving email communication in the event of a potential threat to your safety. To decline receipt of emergency communication login to Banner Self-Service and remove your contact information.

I have an email address other than my cune.org address, can I receive messages at my other email address?

Yes, you are allowed one alternate email address. To receive emails at the alternate email address, login to Banner Self-Service. Once logged in click…

Terms to know

Evacuation

It may become necessary to evacuate a building, several buildings or the entire campus. Follow the instructions given to you if this situation becomes necessary. Buildings and Grounds staff will secure any evacuated buildings and place systems in a safe condition. .

Lockdown 

When/if a situation arises (active shooter or other event) that endangers people; it may become necessary to temporarily lock-down a building, several buildings or all buildings. The action required of the building occupants will be to lock all doors and windows, not allowing entrance or exit to anyone until the all clear has sounded.

Shelter-in-place

“Shelter-in-place” means to take immediate shelter where you are-at home, work, school or in between. It may also mean “seal the room;” in other words, take steps to prevent outside air from coming in. This is because local authorities may instruct you to “shelter-in-place if chemical or radiological contaminates are released to the environment. It is important to listen to TV or radio to understand whether the authorities wish you to merely remain indoors or to take additional steps to protect you or your family. 

Tornado warning

A tornado warning is issued when a tornado is indicated by radar or sighted by spotters; therefore, people in the affected area should seek safe shelter immediately.

Tornado watch

This is issued by the National Weather Service when conditions are favorable for the development of tornadoes in and close to the watch area. During the watch, people should review tornado safety rules and be prepared to move a place of safety if threatening weather approaches.

For more information about CUNE Alerts, contact:

Ron Down

Security Manager

Building & Grounds; Campus Security

402-643-7133 ronald.down@cune.edu Thom Leadership Education Center 014