Since October 2007, BGSU has added a new way of reaching students and staff in the event of an emergency. Text messages are sent to warn of such situations as crimes in progress, building closures, severe weather and classes canceled.

The new program, which adds another dimension to the campus’s overall crisis management plan, is only used in emergencies. The campus police department sends the messages.

Participants choose to receive alerts on their cell phones and email. The service is provided through the e2campus company.

Signing up is simple and can be done at the secure MyBGSU site. Click on the AlertBG tab at the top of the Welcome page. The signup form asks for a name, password, mobile phone number and service carrier. You can also set a date by which to opt out (typically, students' expected graduation date). Once you have established text message alert service you may add email alert notification.

To encourage students to register, participants will be entered to win a $50 University Bookstore gift certificate.

However, only those who have registered their cell phone numbers can be contacted, so be sure to sign up so you can receive these important warnings.