FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Contact: Robert Preston, Jr.,
912.260.4276
robert.preston@sgc.edu
SGC Improves Emergency Preparedness and Communication
with Implementation of Connect-EDŽ Service
School-to-Student Communication System Built Specifically
for Higher Education Allows Campus Leaders to Reach Thousands of Students,
Faculty and Staff in Minutes
SGC announced today the immediate deployment of the Connect-EDŽ
communication service from Blackboard Connect Inc. a wholly-owned subsidiary
of Blackboard Inc. (NASDAQ: BBBB), to provide college leaders with the
ability to reach students, faculty and staff with time-sensitive information
within minutes.
“Today we are forced to prepare for situations that years ago we never could
have anticipated happening,” said SGC President Dr. Virginia Carson. “We
recognize the important role that immediate communication plays in safety
and have selected the Connect-ED service because of its successful track
record and multi-modal capabilities that will allow us to keep students and
staff informed whether they are in their dorms, sitting in front of their
computers, or on their way to class.”
Built exclusively for post-secondary institutions using the experience
gained in delivering hundreds of millions of messages for educators over the
past seven years, the service enables campus leaders to schedule, send, and
track personalized voice messages at up to six phone numbers and two e-mail
addresses per student and staff member. In all, the multi-modal service
helps officials reach out to students and staff via:
- Voice messages to home phones, work phones, cell phones, and even
e-mail addresses
- Text messages to cell phones, PDAs, networked digital signage, and
other text-based devices
- Text messages to e-mail accounts
- Messages to TTY/TDD receiving devices for the hearing impaired
“It’s crucial that we are able to notify students quickly in
time-sensitive situations because up-to-date communication helps minimize
the spread of misinformation, restore order and provide direction,” states
Wanda Lloyd, Vice President for Business Affairs.
The system can be used to notify entire student populations and staff
members of closures and contingency plans due to unforeseen incidents. The
Connect-ED service has been successfully used for communication by schools
across the country during events, such as the wildfires in Southern
California, Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Ernesto, school evacuations, campus
notifications required by the Clery Act, and to help locate missing persons.
SGC advises that it is also testing the data provided by students. If you
are a community member who erroneously receives a call, please contact SGC’s
Public Information Officer, Robert Preston Jr., at 912-260-4276.
About the Connect-ED Service
The Connect-EDŽ service is provided by Blackboard Connect Inc., a
wholly-owned subsidiary of Blackboard Inc. (NASDAQ: BBBB). The service was
created specifically for K-12 schools and school districts based upon the
award winning Connect platform. Additionally, the company provides the
Connect-ED for Higher ED service, a unique service designed to meet the
needs of institutes of higher learning. *Blackboard Connect Inc. does not
sell, lease, share, or rent personally identifiable information (names,
addresses, phone numbers, etc.) to any companies or persons outside of
Blackboard or its service providers.
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About South Georgia College
South Georgia College (www.sgc.edu)
was founded in 1906 and is an accredited two-year institution in the
University System of Georgia. Located in Douglas, Ga., the college's
environment gives students exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary
study and close collaboration with faculty. With over 20 majors and transfer
opportunities, South Georgia College provides the finest education possible
to the citizens of its service area.
