NU Alert | Emergency Notification System

Northeastern has implemented NU Alert, a service that allows University officials to reach all students and staff with time-sensitive information during unforeseen events or emergencies. The system uses voice, e-mail, and text messaging to broadcast pertinent information and, when appropriate, provide directions to those in the affected area(s).

Northeastern University utilizes the NU Alert Emergency Notification System for communicating emergency notifications, timely warnings, and other types of information to the Northeastern community. The system can deliver voice message, e-mail, text message, and social media posts based on the type of communication required. NU Alert is powered by RAVE Mobile Safety, which offers a set of communications tools specifically designed for higher education institutions.

Any and all contact information you provide, such as home telephone numbers, mobile phone numbers, and e-mail addresses, may be used to notify you of an emergency or crisis that may affect you and/or the University community. Your emergency contact information may also be used to notify your designated emergency contact(s) of an emergency or crisis that may affect you and/or the University community. Your University e-mail address is automatically enrolled into the NU Alert system.

Examples of emergency or crisis situations include the following.

  • Active Threat Situations
  • On-Campus Crime and Assaults
  • Natural Disasters
  • Fires
  • Serious Facilities issues
  • Extraordinary weather conditions

What you need to do now!

Provide Your Contact Information. If you have not already done so, please provide your most current contact information now by logging into the Rave Portal, Student Hub (Students), or Workday Portal (Faculty/Staff) and following the appropriate instructions below. The information you provide is kept completely confidential and will only be used to provide updates to the NU Alert system.

Information that you normally enter into the Student Hub and Workday are automatically carried over to the NU Alert system and no further action is required. Additionally, you may go directly into the NU Alert System (Rave) to update and confirm your information as well as add additional contacts, such as a personal email address or a secondary phone number.

For Any Northeastern Community Member:

Direct access to the Rave Portal is available to any member of the university with myNortheastern login credentials. You may have to initially select Northeastern University to access the user interface. From the user profile, you can view, edit, add, or test your Mobile Devices, Voice-Only Phone Numbers, and Email Addresses associated with the NU Alert Emergency Notification System.

For Students:

Students are prompted to register their devices (cell phone and personal email accounts) annually via the Student Hub. A student’s Northeastern email account is automatically enrolled. Students can review or update their contact information via the link to Permanent Address Form on the Student Hub Resources page.

For Faculty/ Staff:

Follow the steps below to keep your information up to date:

  1. Log in to the Workday system
  2. Click on the Person Icon in the top right navigation
  3. Select View Profile
  4. Click Contact on the left sidebar
  5. Review information in both Contact and Emergency Contact upper tabs
  6. Press Edit to make changes
  7. Click Submit if you make any

In addition to confirming that the information on file is accurate, please verify that your Device Type is set to Mobile to enable emergency university texts.

 

Frequently Asked Questions | NU Alerts & Advisories

What is the NU Alert – Emergency Notification System?

As part of Northeastern University’s ongoing effort to ensure a safe environment, the university utilizes the NU Emergency Notification System [ENS], known as NU Alert.  The NU Alert ENS is a comprehensive communications solution that allows the university to quickly disseminate an urgent message through multiple communication mediums.

Northeastern employs the NU Alert system to communicate emergency notifications and timely warnings to the affected Northeastern University campus. NU Alert messages will be sent to all community members with contact information associated with the affected campus. The NU Alert system is updated on a daily basis through centralized University databases. Members of the community are reminded to update their University contact information at the beginning of each semester, or at any time, by visiting the the Student Hub (Students), Workday Portal (Faculty/Staff), or visit the Rave portal directly. A test of the NU Alert system is conducted on an annual basis to ensure proper functionality.

Who are NU Alert messages sent to?

Emergency Notification System messages are sent to every single member of the Northeastern University campus community who has current personal contact information registered in Rave, the Student Hub, or the Workday portal for the affected campus or audience.  Those individuals who do not have current personal contact information registered may not receive these critical messages.

If you believe your information may be outdated, please follow the process above to update your personal contact information.

An NU Alert is an emergency notification to a campus community that provides action to take during the emergency situation. Resources are targeted to prioritize the safety of those impacted and involved in the emergency.

What if I study or work at multiple campus locations?

If you are connected with multiple campus locations, or otherwise wish to receive emergency alerts for additional campuses within the Northeastern Global Network, you are able to Opt-In to campus alerts. You will always receive alerts for the campus you are primarily associated with.

To Opt-In to additional campus locations, visit the Rave Portal to access your profile. At the top of the profile page, select the “Opt-In” tab and then check off the campuses you wish to receive messages for.

An NU Alert is an emergency notification to a campus community that provides action to take during the emergency situation. Resources are targeted to prioritize the safety of those impacted and involved in the emergency. If you are receiving alerts for multiple campuses, please note that you may receive a notice that does not directly impact you at that time and you should take note of the campus abbreviation in the alert (e.g. NU-SEA for NU Seattle).

 

What might an NU Alert message say?

The emergency notification will contain information regarding the event, as well as instructions regarding immediate protective action that should be taken.  The NU Alert system will send emergency notifications to the affected population via text message to mobile phones and via university e-mail.  Additional methods of communication such as voice message and/or social media may be utilized for emergency notifications.  Follow up messaging will be sent to the NU community when such instructions are required and/or emergency conditions have abated utilizing the same methods of notification as the initial message at minimum.

In an actual emergency, here are a few sample messages you may receive via text message or email – emergency messages are preceded by “NU Alert” and often includes a Date/Time stamp as well as a campus designation:

  • Hazardous Materials Incident in Building ‘X’ / Seek shelter if nearby or avoid the area if possible
  • Tornado Warning issued for the Boston Campus / Go inside immediately and seek shelter. Avoid windows.
  • Fire in Building ‘X’ / Evacuate Building ‘X’ immediately. Follow instructions from authorities. Avoid the area.
What should I do if I receive a NU Alert message?

Do what the message tells you to do!  The message is being sent from a university authority and the information being sent has been confirmed. If the message tells you to “Take shelter” or to “Shelter-in-Place” do just that.  Your goal should be to find a room that you can lock yourself into (if the situation calls for it).  Avoid leaving the building you are already in, unless the threat is inside with you.  If you are outside, quickly get to the nearest building.  If there is a clear and present threat in the immediate area, like an active threat, you are going to have to make the best decisions for your own safety.  Hazardous weather and chemical spills may also be situations for this type of action.

If the message tells you to “Exit the building” or “Evacuate” do just that.  Your goal is to get out of the building in a calm and organized manner while looking around your work area for anything suspicious or out of the ordinary.  Follow others leaving the building to an assembly area.  If you notice anything suspicious, be sure to report it to first responders as they arrive.

Can parents register to receive NU Alert messages?

Please note that the Emergency Notification System (NU Alert) is only available to individuals with myNortheastern credentials. When the NU Alert system is activated, we encourage students to notify their family and friends that they have received an alert and are safe. During an active incident, please do not contact NUPD unless you have an emergency, or have urgent information pertaining to the ongoing incident.

Students, Faculty, and Staff may add additional contact information directly into the Rave Portal.

Emergency Contact(s) information is collected separately for situations that may involve an individual having an emergency and an Emergency Contact may be needed by first responders.

There was a recent NU Alert sent, but why did I not receive every form of communication?

The intent of the system is to get every person at least one form of communication (text, e-mail, call, web posting, person-to-person) in a timely manner.  Given the realities of life and limits of current technology, it is simply not possible to assure every person will receive every form of message.  There are several uncontrollable points within the electronic communications systems where errors can occur, most of which are points controlled by outside vendors such as cell phone carriers, e-mail providers, and computer systems.  If an individual receives an e-mail, gets a social media notification, gets a text message, or just hears the information from a friend or co-worker, then the system was successful.  The university is continually looking for ways to expand the number of components to the already redundant system.