About
Receiving Alerts
UConnAlert is the University’s official emergency notification and alerting system. In the event of an emergency that poses an immediate threat to one of our campus communities, the UConnAlert system will be activated. Components of the UConnAlert system may also be utilized to notify the UConn community of impacts to business operations, including weather closings and significant class schedule alterations. This website, alert.uconn.edu, is the definitive source of emergency information from the University of Connecticut and will always provide the current operating status for each campus, excluding UConn Health.
The major components of the UConnAlert system that may be activated during an emergency can be explored below.
Online
Text Message
Email
myUConn
Social Media
Banner- Sirens
alert.uconn.edu
This website, alert.uconn.edu, is the definitive source for emergency information from the University of Connecticut. The website is designed to operate on a continuous basis. The UConnALERT website provides the current status for each campus, excluding UConn Health (found here), guidance during an emergency situation and a blog style narrative to provide additional information to the University community throughout an incident. This page also includes detailed information about the UConnALERT system. All UConn community members are encouraged to bookmark this website. Any alerts or notifications that are distributed through the UConnALERT system will be posted on the homepage of this website.
Text Message
Students, Staff and Faculty
During an immediate emergency or major class alteration, the alert posted on the UConnALERT website may be texted to enrolled cell phones as well. Staff, faculty and students may enroll up to two personal cellphone numbers. For more information on how to enroll, visit the “Get Alerts” page and follow the instructions provided.
Community Partners
Parents, local businesses, visitors, community partners, and others can now get the same UConnAlert text messages that students, faculty, and staff receive in the event of emergencies or other urgent situations. Those messages can be received by anyone who texts “UCONNALERT” (one word, not case-sensitive) to 888-777.
Standard messaging and data rates apply, and anyone who signs up can opt out by simply texting “STOP” to the same number. This is not a routine messaging tool, and those signing up will only receive urgent communications about situations with potential impact to health and safety. Whenever such a message is received, be sure to follow guidance in the text alert and visit this site, alert.uconn.edu, for additional information and updates.
UConnALERT may also send email alerts and notifications to enrolled email addresses. All official University email accounts (@uconn.edu) are automatically enrolled into UConnALERT. University email is an official communication method for important information. Staff, faculty and students may enroll an additional personal email address. For more information on how to enroll, visit the “Get Alerts” page and follow the instructions provided.
MyUConn
The myUCONN mobile application is the official app of the University of Connecticut. In addition to class schedules, athletics and bus information, the myUCONN app also receives emergency alerts from UConnALERT. In the “emergency” section of the app, current university status is live. If an alert is triggered by the system, it will post to the app within minutes. Enable push notifications for the app on your phone to receive them directly as they are activated. The mobile application is available in both the iOS App Store, Android Google Play Store and for any web browser online at my.uconn.edu. To download the application, visit mobile.uconn.edu. This is recommended for any community member, including parents/guardians, who wish to receive UConnALERTs.
Social Media
UConnALERTs will post to the official UConn Facebook and Twitter accounts. The official UConn accounts are the only social media platforms that distribute emergency information on behalf of the University of Connecticut. Individual departments may utilize their own accounts to provide specific information about their respective department or event. You can follow UConn on Twitter and on Facebook.
Web Banner
Depending on the nature and duration of an event, UConnALERT may display a banner with the alert information on the main UConn homepage, as well as the homepage for each regional campus, excluding UConn Health. The banner will link back to the primary source of information, alert.uconn.edu.
Sirens
For the Storrs campus only, each siren will emit a loud, waveform tone to alert anyone in hearing distance that an incident is occurring that presents immediate danger to health and safety. The sirens will not include a recorded voice message. Instead, this will be another signal to students, faculty, staff, and visitors that a dangerous situation is taking place, and that they should visit alert.uconn.edu for guidance. The sirens will be included in regular tests of the UConnAlert system which take place once per semester.
Default: Campus Status Normal
“Campus status normal” is the default message for each campus to denote when there is no alert active. All text notifications include a go to www.alert.uconn.edu, however as situations are dynamic and evolving, the site will be updated as soon as possible. There will be a time delay as emergency officials are responding, confirming and advising of the situation. At the conclusion of an emergency situation, an “all clear” will be distributed to the community by the same components of the UConnALERT system that sent the alert out.
Periodic testing of each of the alert components will be conducted and the University community will be notified in advance of any tests. Testing information will be distributed to the UConn community via the Daily Digest, generally one week in advance.