MIDDLEBURY, Vt.—The College’s need for emergency planning has created some urgent tasks for members of the Middlebury College community.
As announced earlier this fall, all students are required to provide a Personal Evacuation Plan in BannerWeb prior to registering for the Spring 2008 term. Students have been advised via e-mail, The Campus, table tent cards, and other means, said John Emerson, Dean of Planning, and yet many students have not filed their evacuation plans.
With Round I “practice” registration now open, students are finding that their access is blocked if they haven’t filled out their evacuation plan. And with the actual registration for second semester set to begin November 19, college officials anticipate that many more students will need to comply with the requirement.
The College hopes students have discussed their evacuation plans with their family and friends, Emerson said, because students must identify two locations to which they would likely travel in the event of a sudden campus closing. Middlebury also asks students if they would be willing to provide other students with a ride and/or temporary shelter.
The Emergency Planning Steering Committee, co-chaired by Provost Alison Byerly and Dean Emerson, has also introduced “AlertFind” to the campus. AlertFind is a broadcast notification system that will provide emergency communications college-wide via office phones, e-mail, cell phones, text messages, and home phones.
“The recent events at Virginia Tech and the train derailment right here in Middlebury point out the need for us to be able to reach community members in a swift and efficient manner,” Emerson said.
Therefore, all students and employees of the College have been asked to log into BannerWeb, select “Personal Information,” and enter the requested data—including cell phone numbers—before the Thanksgiving Break that begins November 21.
“Student, faculty, and staff cell phone numbers will not appear in the printed directory or in the online directory,” Emerson said, “but in this day and age people are making a mistake if they are not willing to provide us with their cell phone numbers for a real emergency.”
Plans call for the College to update the AlertFind system on a weekly basis so if a new staff member is hired, a faculty member goes on leave, a student gets a new telephone number, or some other change occurs, then the emergency notification system will be updated as well.
For information about personal evacuation plans for students, go to: http://go.middlebury.edu/emerg?stu
For faculty and staff information about AlertFind, go to: http://go.middlebury.edu/emerg?facstaff