Columbia faculty and staff may now register their cell phone numbers to receive text message notifications from the University during emergencies. Last term, Columbia piloted this system with the student body; about half of our students have now registered.

Text message notifications will complement the existing forms of communication that the University uses for sharing important information. These include website postings, email messages and in-person communications. We anticipate that text messages will be used rarely; some instances when the University might send a text message include severe weather, major transit interruptions and campus closures. These brief text messages will not replace longer, in-depth communications from the University.

Registering for text messages is simple. Please follow these instructions:
* Go to https://my.columbia.edu
* Log in with your UNI and password
* Click on the Faculty & Staff tab at the top of the page
* Click on Update Personal Information
* Select Cellular from the phone type and add your mobile phone number
* Click Save

Signing up for text messaging to cell phones is optional. Please know that ONLY urgent messages will be sent through the text message system. Your cell phone number will not be used by the University for any other purpose, nor shared. The system used for text messaging is encrypted and secure.

Frequently asked questions about text messaging can be found on the Human Resources website:
http://www.hr.columbia.edu/hr/wacguide/safety/txt-msg/index.html