Although many students at Baker are not even aware of what B-alert is, they are responsible for keeping current their information on the alert’s website. Only a handful of these mass texts or emails have been sent in the last few years, and in some cases new students are not even sure who or where they came from.

Freshman Mira Scavuzzo said she had never heard of the system, but she was curious as to what it was and what it did.

Dean of Students Cassy Bailey said B-alert is part of an “emergency notification management system.”

She said that years ago, when the system was first put into action, the administration felt it necessary to implement the system at Baker after a massive school shooting occurred at another college in the Midwest.

“We had to have some way to reach students and faculty,” Bailey said.

Freshman McKena Metzger was glad to hear of the program and said it is beneficial to the safety of the students as well as a source of reassurance to parents.

“I know Baker is a small campus, but that doesn’t mean anyone doesn’t have access,” Metzger said.

The program is for emergencies and is only used when all students need to be reached at the same time, such as cancellation of class due to weather or an intruder on campus.

LMS System Administrator Toby Ebel is in charge of keeping the system up and running.

“If everyone does what they’re supposed to, then we should be able to send them a text, email or call them on the phone depending on what emergency we have,” Ebel said.

He said students have a responsibility to do their part to keep the system as valuable as it can be.

“It’s only as good as our data is and as successful as people updating their phone numbers,” said Ebel.

Students were emailed a password and username at the beginning of the fall semester in case they needed to edit their profile. Yet, according to Bailey, most students aren’t even aware they were given these options.

On the website, it is possible to sign other numbers up, such as a student’s parents. It is also possible to opt out of the program, as well as update your information. Ebel said this can be all be done on the provider’s website, www.getrave.com.

B-alert is the collective name for the messages, emails and voicemails that are sent. However, the provider is through the Rave Alert System.

Ebel said that B-alert data automatically updates once a month, but “anyone who needs it sooner, you can just send a request to the help desk and we can get you in then.”

The management program will only be used for emergencies, but university employees are still striving to make it better.

“We are considering making more changes and improving the system,” Ebel said.