New fields have been created in Employee Self Service for faculty and staff to designate up to two HSC Alert numbers for text-enabled cell phones and one personal e-mail address to receive emergency messages.
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By Rosanne Fohn

HSC Alert is the UT Health Science Center’s text and e-mail notification system for emergencies and campus closures. In order to improve the HSC Alert system, we will soon be moving to our own databases to collect the cell phone numbers and an e-mail address you designate for emergency messages.

Following upon the success of a similar text/e-mail emergency communication program used during a shooting incident last fall at UT Austin, the UT System has asked all 15 of its components to increase campus safety through an expanded emergency text and e-mail system.

Faculty and staff
For this reason, all faculty and staff members are asked to go into Employee Self Service in inside.uthscsa.edu during May to designate the phone numbers for up to two cell phones with text-messaging service, and one non-university e-mail address, to be used for emergency communication. Emergency messages will be sent automatically to university-issued e-mail addresses. All three fields (two HSC Alert cell phone numbers and one alternate e-mail address) are not required, but the more contact information provided, the greater the chance that participants will receive an emergency message.

Change in procedure
“This is a change from how we have been collecting phone numbers and e-mail addresses in the past for HSC Alert,” explained Mary DeLay, chief of staff and communications. “Instead of going into a separate system required by HSC Alert, we are now able to have employees designate this information in new fields created in the Employee Self Service system. This is the system used by Human Resources and Payroll and will allow us to be more efficient in collecting and maintaining phone numbers and e-mail addresses so the chances of each person receiving emergency notification will be increased.”

Students
Similarly, students are being asked to enter this information through the Student Administration System during May. They will receive information about this soon in an e-mail from Student Services.

Student employees
“It is very important for students who are also employees to enter the exact same HSC Alert phone numbers and alternate e-mail address in both Employee Self Service and Student Administration,” DeLay said.

Medical residents
Medical residents will be asked to designate their HSC Alert information through their academic coordinators at a later date.

Keep information current
“We will continue to depend on faculty and staff to keep this information current. Our HSC Alert system is only as good as the information provided,” DeLay said, adding that by utilizing Employee Self Service, changes can be made much more quickly than through the current database, which will continue to be used only until the new system is activated in June.

To get text-message alerts
To designate up to two HSC Alert text-enabled cell phone numbers, faculty and staff are asked to follow these instructions:

1. Go to inside.uthscsa.edu (portal) and sign in
   
2. Under the Enterprise Menu box (top left), choose “Employee Self Service”
   
3. A new window will open titled "Menu." Click on "Self Service"
   
4. From the Main Menu, click on "Personal Information Summary"
   
5. Scroll down to the Phone Numbers section
   
6. Click on the yellow “Change phone numbers” button
   
7. Select “Add a phone number”
   
8. From the drop-down box, choose “HSC Alert 1” and enter your first cell phone number that has text-messaging service
   
9. Click “Save” and "OK"
   
10. Repeat step 7 to select the “HSC Alert 2” phone number field, enter the phone number for the second text-enabled phone, then click “Save” and "OK"

To get e-mail alerts
Your UTHSCSA e-mail address will automatically be entered into the system. To designate your alternate e-mail address:

1. Following Step 9 (above), click the blue link at the bottom of the page labeled “Return to Personal Information”
   
2. Scroll down to the Email section
   
3. Click on the yellow “Change Email Addresses” button
   
4. Click on the yellow “Add an Email Address”
   
5. From the drop-down menu, select “HSC Alert Alternate”
   
6. Enter the personal e-mail address through which you want to receive emergency messages
   
7. Click “Save” and "OK"
   
8. Sign out

If you need assistance, please contact the IMS Service Desk at 7-7777.Please help spread the word by downloading this flier and posting it in your department.