UF asks students to submit emergency information at registration

October 22, 2007

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Starting this fall, all University of Florida students will be asked to provide emergency contact information when they register for classes.

UF is the first institution in the state and one of the first in the country to adopt this policy.

Starting today, each student who logs on to ISIS, UF’s Web-based registration system, will be able to access the emergency contact information update form. Students are advised to complete the form before their assigned class registration times to avoid delays.

Students will be asked for their current street addresses, e-mail addresses and cell phone numbers, as well as the contact information of a parent, relative or other trusted individual. This information will have to be updated each semester during registration.

In an emergency, administrators will now be able to immediately send text or voice messages to the entire student body or students located in a specific campus building.

Because the addresses and phone numbers will be used only in the event of an emergency, they will be kept private and are exempt from Florida public records laws.

The collection of contact information is one part of a larger emergency notification program designed to ensure the instant communication between UF administration and students needed in any crisis.

Also included in the new response plan is a system of bullhorn-like mobile warning devices that can be mounted on university police vehicles.

These measures are additions to the emergency communication methods already in use, such as e-mail messages, press releases and posts on the UF home page.