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The Wayne State University Broadcast Messaging Service delivers emergency notifications and other significant university messages to WSU students, faculty, and staff — via the communications devices or tools everyone uses on a regular basis these days.
WSU's easy-to-access Broadcast Messaging Service gives you the convenience and flexibility of being able to choose the types of messages you want to receive from Wayne State and how you want to receive them: via text message to your cell phone or instant message and/or e-mail to your computer. Check the WSU Broadcast Messaging Service often as additional features and message types and categories are being added as the need arises.
The first time you log in to the WSU Pipeline portal after the launch of this service on August 1, 2007, you are asked to register your cell phone (if you choose) and to select whether you want to receive emergency messages from Wayne State by cell or Instant Message. (Note that Campus Emergency messages are automatically pre-set to send WSU E-mail messages to everyone.)
You can easily and conveniently access WSU's Broadcast Messaging Service at any time through WSU Pipeline on the Web, using any computer connected to the Internet. The link to this service is on the My Pipeline tab. In the My Pipeline Links information channel on the left, run your pointer over WSU Resources and select Broadcast Messaging. It is recommended that you access the system soon after initial set up, so you can set your messaging preferences for any other types of messages available at the time.
Information follows on how you can set up to receive messages from Wayne State via text message to your cell phone or via WSU Instant Messaging on your computer.
To receive text messages from Wayne State on your cell phone, you first must have the ability to receive text messages on your cell phone. Then you need to register your cell phone number and carrier. You can use any phone number and most cellular carriers. Note that this service is optional, and that, if you register your cell phone, a text message is sent to that number confirming your registration.
Wayne State does not charge you a fee to register your cell phone number or to send you text messages through its Broadcast Messaging Service. Per-message fees from cellular carriers may apply, however.
To use WSU Instant Messaging, you need to download and install the free Spark IM Client software program, which runs on multiple computing platforms (Windows, Mac, Linux). Spark is supported by Wayne State's Computing & Information Technology Help Desk. (See below.)
Instructions for downloading and installing the Spark IM client to use with WSU's Instant Messaging Service are in the WSU Knowledgebase at:
Check the WSU Broadcast Messaging Service often, because the university has plans to add message types over time, and you will want to set your preferences for how you want to receive them (text message, IM, and/or e-mail). Moreover, your preferences may change over time, as well as your cell phone number or carrier, so you want to make sure this information is up to date.
To change or update your message preferences or add/change your cell phone information, you can conveniently access the service at any time through WSU Pipeline under My Pipeline Links / WSU Resources.
You also can set times to pause text message delivery of non-emergency WSU messages to your cell phone during a specific time of day (under Account Information). Note the points mentioned below:
Volunteer Testers Group:
Immediately after you register your cell phone information, you are offered on opportunity to play an active role in making the Wayne State campus safer — by volunteering to join a group of Broadcast Message System Testers. As a volunteer, you agree to allow the Wayne State Police Department to send you test communications via your cell phone, WSU E-mail, and/or Instant Message. We estimate that 1 to 4 test text messages will be sent per month.
Before signing up as a volunteer WSU messaging tester, however, you need to make sure your cell phone plan allows for an unlimited or large number of free text messages. As a volunteer tester, you are still responsible for any charges levied by your cell phone carrier.
Full systems tests:
It is important for Wayne State students, faculty and staff to be aware that the university will conduct full systems tests also on a regular basis to ensure that WSU's Broadcast Messaging Service is capable of functioning properly in times of emergency and that the university's networks can handle, in a timely manner, the high volume of traffic that this service generates when sending an emergency message. More information is available about a Full Systems Test of the WSU Broadcast Messaging Service.
If you need help using WSU's Broadcast Messaging Service, contact the C&IT Help Desk at (313) 577-4778, send an e-mail to helpdesk@wayne.edu or use the contact us form to send an e-mail request.