Alert System
Sam Houston State University understands the importance of communicating quickly with students, faculty, staff and visitors in the event of an emergency. KatSafe is a campus-wide notification system used to notify the Sam Houston State University community of emergencies.
Types of Alerts
Below is a suite of communication tools which may be utilized in the event of an emergency.
Text & Voice
Text messages are one of the main forms of communication used during a campus emergency. Automated voice calls are also used to distribute information. You can enroll in text messaging and add up to 10 phone lines to your account in MySam.
Official emergency information may be sent via email to SHSU email addresses. Also, professors may send emails related to class or course materials via email or to Blackboard during an emergency.
Website
Detailed alerts are posted to the KatSafe website during emergencies at shsu.edu/katsafe. Important information about emergencies or timely warnings will be posted in a colored box on the top of all SHSU pages. Additionally, the KatSafe icon in the upper right-hand corner of all SHSU pages will turn red if there are emergency updates.
Desktop
Alertus is used to alert people during an emergency by displaying a message on the screens of all computers connected to SHSU’s network. This system is tested monthly.
Social Media
The official Sam Houston State University social media channels are frequently updated during emergencies. These channels are monitored and a good place to ask questions regarding campus activities during emergencies.
How to Sign Up
All SHSU community members are automatically enrolled in KatSafe voice and emails. Users can update their personal information using the SamWeb portal and add up to 10 phone numbers. Each night the system automatically updates the database, capturing any changes made by students/employees that day. Parents are encouraged to have their student add their number if they wish to receive alerts.
Sign up for Text Message Alerts
Students and employees can sign up for text message alerts with the following steps:
- Login to your KatSafe Emergency Contact Preferences
- Under “Phone”, ensure that “(txt & voice)” is beside your phone number. If it is not, select the “Add” button.
- In the pop up, enter your phone number, select “txt & voice” then select the “Add” button