Alerts spur campus evacuation plans
As staffers at the Centers for Disease Control amd Prevention spilled onto Clifton Road during an evacuation last week, Emory University officials were busy soothing jittery students on the school’s new emergency Web site. And Thursday, when University of Georgia buses skidded to a halt after a phoned-in bomb threat, students and staff could jump online to find out more about what was happening. As the country continues to hang in what seems like a perpetual state of high alert, Georgia’s college and universities have stepped up efforts to instantly communicate with their campus populations. From sending mass e-mails to leaving campuswide voice messages, schools are taking the time to revisit their post-Sept. 11 security plans and reach out to their students. Emory President William Chace recently sent an e-mail update directing students to the school’s new Web site. Georgia State University sent a note to students and staff assuring them the school is taking proper precautions. And Georgia Tech officials say they’re preparing to send a similar note. Full Story