Emergency Notifications

The Department of Public Safety manages the University's Emergency Notification System and sends real-time notifications during emergency events.  

Text message alerts will only be used in rare cases where ongoing events pose an immediate threat or have a significant impact. Possible scenarios include severe weather conditions, emergency campus closures, crimes in progress that may endanger the community, and major transit interruptions.

Below is information about the service for:

Text Message Notification: Columbia and Barnard students

Columbia and Barnard students can register for or opt-out of text message notifications through Student Services Online. After logging in, click on "Text Message Enrollment," and add or remove the cell phone numbers you wish to register or opt out. Students can include their parents or family members by registering up to three cell phone numbers to receive alerts. 

Text Message Notification: Columbia faculty and staff with access to People at Columbia (PAC)

Columbia faculty and staff with access to People at Columbia (PAC) can register for or opt-out of text message notifications by logging into mycolumbia.edu using your UNI and password.  

Within the “View or Update Your Personal Information" section, look for the "Campus Alert" fields and add your cell phone number and those of family or friends you wish to register (up to 3 total) in the "Campus Alert 1", "Campus Alert 2" and "Campus Alert 3" fields. To opt-out, simply remove the number(s) and save. 

Keep in mind, only numbers listed under the three "Campus Alert" fields will receive emergency text messages; "Mobile" and "CU Mobile" will not.

Text Message Notification: Community/General Public

Registration for emergency notifications through the community portal is for: 

  • Neighbors/members of the general public 
  • Faculty/staff/students of neighboring institutions (Teachers College, Jewish Theological Seminary, Union Theological Seminary and more) 
  • Additional family members of Columbia students and staff not added through their affiliate’s account 

Non-affiliates interested in receiving emergency alerts from Columbia can sign up by clicking on the “Register” button on the upper right corner of the registration page and entering their name, email, and phone number. To complete the account setup, users will receive a confirmation code on their phone and will need to verify their account via email. 

This free service is convenient and confidential. Telephone numbers that have been enrolled in the system will not be retrieved or used by Columbia University for anything other than text messaging during serious emergencies. 

Community/general public registrants can opt-out of the Emergency Text Alert System at any time by texting STOP to 226787 or by logging into the system, where they will be able to manage their information.