In addition to UB Alert text messaging, emergency messages will be provided to faculty, staff and students using several official UB communication channels: a UB Alert email listserv, emergency.buffalo.edu, UB's home page, My UB, the UB Reporter, 716-645-News, UB Alert Twitter feed and the UB Facebook pages. Local television and radio stations may also be contacted by the university to communicate during emergencies or weather-related events.
Who can subscribe to UB Alert text messaging and email messaging?
What do I need?
How does it work?
Any student, staff, or faculty member of the UB community with a "@buffalo.edu" e-mail account (your UBITName plus "@buffalo.edu") can subscribe.
No. Only a "@buffalo.edu" e-mail account will work with this system. Many departments use an additional identifier in their email accounts, such as "UBITName@facilities.buffalo.edu" and "UBITName@business.buffalo.edu" to channel email. All UB community members have a UBITName. Students, staff and faculty must register for the text messaging service with their "UBITName@buffalo.edu" e-mail account.
No. Only UB community members with a "UBITName@buffalo.edu" e-mail address can register. UB Alert is only one of several communication and information sources utilized at UB. There are a number of other sources for emergency information, including: a UB Alert email listserv, emergency.buffalo.edu, UB homepage, My UB, the UB Reporter, 716-645-News, UB Alert Twitter feed and UB Facebook pages.
No. Only students, faculty, and staff with an active UB e-mail address can participate in UB Alert.
You will need to cancel your account by sending an e-mail request to cit-helpdesk@buffalo.edu from your @buffalo.edu e-mail address..
Your account will be removed from the system soon after you graduate, although this will not occur immediately.
You must have a cell phone to register for text messages. However, if you do not possess a cell phone, the university has in place several other channels to communicate with students, faculty and staff during an emergency, including: a UB Alert email listserv, emergency.buffalo.edu, UB homepage, My UB, the UB Reporter, 716-645-News, UB Alert Twitter feed and UB Facebook pages.
The following U.S. cell phone carriers will work with our text messaging system: Cingular/AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, Nextel, Boost Mobile, Alltel, Syniverse (Tier-3 carriers), Virgin Mobile, U.S. Cellular, Cellular One of Dobson, Cellular Systems, Cincinnati Bell. Some prepay or minutes cell phone plans may not work with the text messaging system. Also, some smartphone Verizon plans may not allow you to register. These issues are currently under review.
If you change your mobile number, you will need to edit the mobile number in your account. If you keep the same mobile number, and simply change cell phone provider, you do not have to change anything.
You will need to access your account on the website and edit your mobile number.
Timely notification of any UB emergency situation or critical message.
You will receive messages during emergencies, incidents that may affect your personal safety and when adverse weather conditions affect normal campus operations.
UB’s Emergency Response Team, including designated associates of University Police and University Communications, will send the text and email messages.
UB Alert messages will be activated and
implemented following the guidelines set forth in the University at
Buffalo All-Hazard Emergency Plan (linked at right).
The frequency of messages is determined by the number of emergency situations or critical incidents. In addition, the university runs one test of the system each semester.
There is no registration or subscription fee associated with this service. You may incur a “per text message” cost determined by your actual cell phone plan.
Although we do not recommend terminating
this messaging, you can cancel your account in Rave as
follows. (Please note that students, faculty and staff who
have an active affiliation with UB cannot be removed from receiving
alerts to their @buffalo.edu email accounts.)
TO LOG IN:
1. Point your web browser to: https://www.getrave.com/login/buffalo
2. Enter your buffalo.edu email address as your Username.
3. Enter your password. This is NOT the same as your UBIT password.
TO REMOVE YOUR ACCOUNT:
1. After logging in, click the "My Account" tab.
2. Click the "Edit" link to the right of the "Rave Account" heading.
3. Click the "Delete Account" link at the bottom of the page and follow the directions provided.
You can suspend the text messages by logging into your account. However, you will still receive email notifications from the UB Alert email listserv, which includes all UB faculty, staff and students.
If you don’t/can't register for UB Alert through a cell phone or smartphone, you will also receive emergency messages through several official UB communication channels: a UB Alert email listserv, emergency.buffalo.edu, UB homepage, My UB, the UB Reporter, 716-645-News, UB Alert Twitter feed and UB Facebook pages. Local media, including WBFO 88.7, may also be contacted by the university to communicate during emergencies or weather-related events.
Due to the new emergency messaging initiative, the disruption in the classroom policy is being reviewed to include an allowance for the instructor or designated member of the class to keep their cell phone activated; however, the designated person must have registered to receive alerts.
Each semester, UB will test our messaging network to ensure proper operation and functionality in the event of an actual emergency or critical message broadcast.
No. Your e-mail address and cell phone number will not be provided to organizations outside of UB.
At this time, only one cell phone number can be included at registration.
Use of additional channels and groups is a future function of our system. Although it appears information can be added on the “create a channel” pages from the website, entries are not being saved or reviewed at this time.
If you need assistance, contact cit-helpdesk@buffalo.edu.
