A Message Regarding Immunization and Campus Emergency Alert System

August 2007

Dear Students:

Last spring, after the tragic events at Virginia Tech, Boston University undertook a review of its emergency response capabilities. One of the results of this review has been the adoption of “Send Word Now” (http://www.sendwordnow.com), an on-demand alert and response system. In the event of a campus emergency, Send Word Now’s technology would allow us to contact the entire campus community immediately through a variety of electronic means, including text messaging, e-mail, and voice mail. To ensure the effectiveness of this system, we need your current emergency contact telephone number on the Student Link. If you have already provided this number, you need to revisit the Student Link and confirm that the number you entered is still valid. If you have questions about the Send Word Now system, please visit http://www.bu.edu/emergency/sendwordnow/faq.html.

In addition, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts requires that all full-time students and many part-time students enrolled in colleges and universities complete a series of immunizations. The necessary immunizations are outlined on the Student Health Services website (www.bu.edu/shs); you are informed of this requirement when you enroll at Boston University and we remind you of this each year. Please check the Student Link to learn whether this state regulation applies to you and, if so, whether Student Health Services has received the appropriate documentation.

We are asking you to provide your current campus emergency contact telephone number by August 24, 2007, and to review your compliance status with Massachusetts Department of Public Health Immunization requirements, which you can do at the Student Link. 

These requirements signify the University’s commitment to the safety and well-being of our students and the entire BU community. We urge you to visit the Student Link promptly to provide this important information. Consequences of failing to comply with these requirements may affect your enrollment status at the University. We are confident, however, that you will appreciate the benefits of providing this information in a timely fashion.

Thank you for your cooperation and for your support of these policies. We look forward to welcoming you back to campus this fall.

Sincerely,

Kenneth Elmore                    David K. Campbell

Dean of Students                  University Provost