By the end of the fall semester, current CU Boulder employees will be able to choose to receive certain emergency and campus closure messages in Spanish, Chinese (simplified and traditional), and Hindi, making it easier to deal with speakers natives and readers of these languages. information quickly, without having to translate it.
Additional languages are being reviewed for compatibility with the university’s emergency notification system, RAVE Mobile Safety, and will be considered for addition in the future.
Current CU Boulder faculty and staff will have the ability to select emergency messages in other languages first, followed by students in the spring of 2023. The timing difference is because employee data and students are housed in separate systems. Students will receive a notification and instructions to select language preferences in Buff Portal when this option becomes available.
Faculty members and student leaders have broached the idea of alerts in multiple languages over the past academic year. CU Boulder emergency management officials conducted research to understand the possibilities of the translation project.
The ability to select a preferred language will only apply to the highest level of notification, CU Emergency Alerts, sent via text and email, and will not apply to CU Security Alerts or CU notice. Below is information about the three levels of university notification.
Employees who wish to select a language other than English for which to receive alerts can simply change their language preferences in MyCUInfo. Employees can ask their department’s human resources representatives for assistance in the selection process, if needed.
“We would like to thank faculty members and student leaders for raising the idea of providing alerts in different languages. We are thrilled to be able to roll this out so quickly,” said Doreen Jokerst, Deputy Vice Chancellor for public safety and police chief.
Garry DeJong, UC Boulder’s director of the Division of Events and Emergency Management, said the translation service would be a welcome upgrade. “During conversations with managers of departments with a greater number of non-native English speakers, it became apparent that providing language options for emergency messaging, in addition to existing translation support of the 911, could be beneficial.”
Employees can expect to see the changes starting in early December. To provide feedback on the user experience, please contact CU Boulder Emergency Management.
As a reminder, CU Boulder has three levels of emergency notifications. CU Emergency Alerts are the highest level of notification, sent when there is an immediate and confirmed threat to the safety of people on campus; life-threatening activity near campus in areas with high student populations; or a change in the operating status of the university due to weather or other issues.
Anyone with a CU Boulder email address will receive CU emergency alerts via email. In addition, mobile phone subscribers will receive text messages. To ensure receipt of SMS alerts, employees can view and update their contact information through MyCUInfo.
The university sends CU security alerts for certain crimes committed on or near campus, in accordance with Clery Law guidelines. Safety alerts sent via email, also shared on social media, provide increased community awareness of current or dangerous situations, as well as safety tips.
The university shares UC notice for incidents both on and off campus that could potentially impact campus operations or activities, including police activity for non-life threatening incidents at proximity to campus, traffic problems or prolonged power outages. Reviews are sent via social media, on the WITH the Boulder Police and Boulder CU Alerts Twitter accounts.
All students, faculty, staff, community members, parents and other family members are encouraged to follow CU Boulder Alerts on Twitter and enable push notifications to receive emergency messages for all three levels of alerts. Boulder residents are also encouraged to follow Boulder Police on Twitter.
#Coming #Choose #receive #emergency #alerts #Spanish #Chinese