News Summary

OXFORD — Miami University will send text messages to students' cell phones to let them know about situations of imminent danger on campus.

The urgent messaging system uses a third party company, e2Campus, to send out the text messages, according to MU officials.

The university has also begun using a rapid e-mail as a way to inform the campus community of campus closures or situations that threaten student safety.

The system supplements the Web site that the university uses to communicate with faculty and students, said university spokeswoman Claire Wagner.

Wagner said the April 2007 Virginia Tech shootings prompted the university to find new emergency communication tools.

"It's important to have as quick and far reaching a communication tool as possible," Wagner said.

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Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2122 or rwilson@coxohio.com.