Communication in an Emergency

In the event of an emergency on campus, the university relies on an array of communication tools to keep the campus community informed and relay safety instructions. University Marketing and Communications is the only campus office authorized to disseminate official information about campus emergencies to the campus community. The modes of communication include the following and vary with the nature and severity of the situation.

Campus siren: The sirens may emit a continuous three-minute sound warning. Please note that the sirens are tested at 11 a.m. each Friday.

Emergency alerts: Text messages and e-mails sent when immediate, specific action in response to a situation is needed.

Public safety notices: E-mails sent when no specific action to a situation is required but information may help raise awareness or mitigate rumors.

Ball State home page: In the event of an emergency, the home page would be one of the first places university officials would post official information for all audiences. Should www.bsu.edu become unavailable during an emergency on campus, the university may post information on the site http://ballstate.info.

Campus voice mail: As part of the emergency notifications process, official information also will be delivered to campus voice mailboxes.

The above tools are the official sources that help ensure safety and mitigate rumors and speculation. Be aware that the university does not use social media as a form of official communication in the event of an emergency or public safety situation. University faculty and staff should not discuss or post about emergency situations on social media accounts that belong to Ball State. Before discussing or forwarding messages about emergency situations, please check the official communication sources listed above to ensure the accuracy of the information.

In a crisis situation, accuracy and timing are critical, and the public needs to rely on one official, accurate source for its information. The primary source for Ball State is our website, www.bsu.edu, and our emergency alert system. Please direct requests from the media to University Marketing and Communications at 765-285-1560, and refer other external calls seeking information to the Ball State home page.