Emergency Management

PSU Alert FAQ

If you cannot find your question here, please email PSU Emergency Management: emr-mgmt@pdx.edu

How do I register for PSU Alerts or update my PSU Alert information?

All @pdx.edu email addresses are automatically enrolled and can not be removed. PSU students, faculty and staff must opt in to receive PSU Alert messages via text message or phone call. PSU encourages all students, faculty and staff to register to receive via other modes (text, calls, and/or personal accounts). To update your PSU Alert preference, follow these steps:

Students:

  • Log into myPSU.
  • Select My Account.
  • Fill in or update your information.

Employees:

  • Log into Banweb with your Odin username and password.
  • Select Personal Information.
  • Select PSU Alert Emergency Notification System.
  • Fill in or update your information.
  • Save your preferences.

How does the PSU Alert emergency notification system work?

In an emergency situation a message can be quickly disseminated to the PSU community through multiple modes. Possible modes include: text message, email, voice calls, as well as posts on social media, and PSU websites. PSU uses Rave Mobile Safety as the tool to push PSU Alert message. 

Who gets PSU Alert messages? 

All PSU employees and students* will get PSU Alert messages sent to their @pdx.edu email addresses. Employees and students can also subscribe to receive PSU Alert messages via other modes (text, calls, emails to personal accounts). 

*Note: for the purposes of the PSU Alert system, “student” is defined as individuals enrolled for the previous, current, or next term, excluding anyone who has graduated unless they are enrolled for the current or next term.

Will the PSU Alert system be tested?

Yes. The PSU Alert system will be tested twice per year. Tests may be announced or unannounced, and may include some or all modes.

How do I know the message is official?

  • A PSU Alert phone call will come from caller-id: 1-877-725-9111
  • A PSU Alert text messages could come from any of the following short codes: 67283, 226787, 78015, 81437, 77295 or 22911. 
  • We encourage you to set these numbers up as contacts on your phone to ensure that you recognize incoming PSU Alert messages. Note: Alerts from other institutions in the area may be sent using the same text message short codes, so be sure to read the message content to confirm the sender.

I took time off between semesters, do I need to re-subscribe?  / I was a student but now I am an employee, do I need to re-subscribe?

That depends. Taking time off or changing your role (e.g. previously a student, now an employee) will not impact your subscription. During the time period when you are not an employee or student, your information will not be included in the PSU Alert system and you should not receive PSU Alert messages. However, when you return as an employee or re-enroll in classes, your PSU Alert profile will be re-activated with the original contact information that you provided. If your contact information changed in the interim, please update your subscription. Regardless of your situation, it's a great idea to just double check your subscription. 

How do I close my PSU Alert account?

As long as you have an active ODIN account, your @pdx.edu email address is automatically subscribed to receive PSU Alert messages and cannot be unsubscribed. You can update your other subscription information via myPSU (under the Personal Information tab). 

I didn’t answer the phone, can I still hear the PSU Alert message?

Yes. When a PSU Alert is sent as a recorded phone call to subscribers, the recipient can hear the message one of two ways:

  • Answer the phone to hear the pre-recorded message. 
  • If the recipient does not answer the phone, the recording will be left as a voicemail message.
  • If for some reason no message is left or it the recipient wants to hear the message again, they can call 1-855-473-7529 from the phone number that is registered for PSU Alert. 
    • Note: This call-back service is provided by Blackboard Connect. The phone call must be placed from the number subscribed to PSU Alerts and cannot be blocked / marked as private or unknown in order for the Blackboard Connect system to verify the caller ID to a current subscription record. 
    • Pre-recorded phone messages will be available via this service for 1 year. 

Can parents or spouses / partners sign up for PSU Alerts?

At this time, only current employees and students can sign up for PSU Alerts (they do so via myPSU). However, a current employee or student could enter the email of their parent or spouse / partner into the fields for “Additional email address” and / or “Additional phone” (for recorded calls). 

Do I need a specific carrier to get the text messages?

No. The tool used to send PSU Alerts uses industry standard SMS text messaging protocol to send messages to your text-enabled cell phone, regardless of your carrier. Your cell phone plan will need to accept text messages to work properly. At this time, the tool used to send PSU Alerts cannot deliver text messages to international numbers.

What do I do when I receive a PSU Alert message?

Read these messages promptly and follow the instructions. Additional messages may be sent with follow-up information as the situation changes.

Can I register my Google Voice phone number?

You can enter a Google Voice number to receive phone calls but NOT text messages. The system we use for text message notification cannot send text messages to Google Voice numbers. If this feature becomes available, it will be announced to the PSU community. 

Can I register with an international number?

Not at this time. The tool used for PSU Alerts cannot send phone calls or text messages to international numbers. If this feature becomes available, it will be announced to the PSU community. 

I registered, but didn’t get the most recent PSU Alert, why not?

There are several possible reasons why you did not receive the PSU Alert message. Please review the following possibilities and remedies.

  • The number entered into myPSU (students) or Banweb (PSU employees) may be incorrect. 
    • Log into myPSU (students) or Banweb (PSU employees) and double check that your number is entered correctly in the fields associated with your preferred contact modes. The number should include the area code and your 7 digit phone number. You do not need to include a "1" before the area code. You can enter the number with or without characters (e.g. 5037253000, (503) 725-3000, and 503-725-3000 all work equally well) 
    • Note: follow instructions on the the page regarding the specific section to complete to subscribe to text messages and phone calls. To receive both phone calls and text messages, you should enter your number in both sections.
  • The phone number entered into myPSU (students) or Banweb (PSU employees) is not a cell phone with texting capabilities.
    • Landlines cannot receive text messages. Check to see if you entered a landline phone number (including VoIP) into the section labeled “Subscribe to PSU Alert text messages”.
  • If your cell phone is not text-enabled, blocks text messages, or your service plan does not include text message, you will not receive the PSU Alert. To check if either situation is the case, please contact your carrier.
  • You entered / updated your subscription information more recently than the last system update.
    • The PSU Alert system is refreshed daily, at 5am. 

I don’t have a cell phone or use text messages. How will I get PSU Alert messages?

  • PSU Alert messages are sent to multiple modes to try to reach as many people as possible. In addition to text messages, PSU Alert message may be sent via the following modes:
    • Email: All @pdx.edu email of current employees and students will receive the PSU Alert message. You can also subscribe a personal email account to receive PSU Alert messages. 
    • Phone call: you can subscribe your home or office phone number to receive PSU Alert phone calls.
    • Social Media: You may also see PSU Alert messages in some or all of the following places: 
    • PSU’s Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/PortlandStateU/) 
    • PSU’s Twitter (https://twitter.com/Portland_State)
    • PSU’s website (https://www.pdx.edu/)  
    • Recorded message: You can also call the PSU main phone line (503-725-3000) and follow the prompts to hear a recorded message regarding current PSU Alert messages, if any. 
    • Local Media: In many cases PSU will inform local media of PSU Alert messages (e.g. campus closures). 

I don’t want to get spammed. Will PSU Alert be used to send other kinds of information?

The PSU Alert system will only be used to notify you about real emergency situations. The system will also be tested twice per year. 

Does PSU Alert cost anything?

PSU does not charge for subscribing to PSU Alerts.

Are PSU Alert message available in languages other than English?

At this time, PSU Alerts are published in English. We are looking at options to provide individuals the opportunity to select a preferred language. If this feature becomes available, it will be announced to the PSU community.