Frequently Asked Questions

General

What is UA Alert?

UA Alert is the emergency notification system for the University of Alaska. The University has had similar systems for years, but UA Alert, powered by RAVE, leverages contact information contained in the UAOnline / Banner system and other means of mass notification.

What is Rave, Rave Alert, Rave Mobile, Rave Guardian ?

Rave, Rave Alert, Rave Mobile, Rave Mobile Safety, Rave Wireless or the Rave Wireless Attendant may appear in UA Alert documentation and are all property of Rave Wireless Inc., the vendor for the UA Alert system. These are references to proprietary information of Rave Wireless Inc. that UA Alert may refer to.

Why did I receive a UA Alert? I didn’t sign up.

The UA Alert Notification System integrates with the University's UAOnline / Banner system, automatically enrolling all persons with active records, all faculty, staff, and registered students.

Why did I NOT receive a UA Alert?

If you did not receive any notifications at all and your information is correct, and you saw other individuals around you receiving notifications, please contact ua-alerts@alaska.edu and we will review the situation. Sometimes, messages are only sent out to areas that would be affected.

Will I be charged for UA Alert?

The University of Alaska will not charge for the UA Alert Notification System. Please be aware, however, that your Mobile phone carrier may charge you for each message, depending on your service agreement. Pleaes refer to your mobile phone's service plan for more information.

Who is automatically considered for inclusion in messages disseminated from the the UA Alert Notification System?

Persons with an active employment status with the Univeristy of the Alaska. Two weeks prior to the beginning of a semester through the end of the current semester, students attending in state will be included All students registudents tered students, and University affiliates including, AIMS students and staff, contractors listed in Banner, Gateway and external students, guest faculty (CNM, ROTC, etc.), retiree emeritus/a, STC. The University of AlaskaMG and The University of Alaska Foundation employees, The University of AlaskaH rotating staff, The University of Alaska contractor staff, and visiting academic colleagues, are automatically enrolled in the system.

Who is NOT automatically included in the UA Alert Notification System?

Staff, faculty and affiliates located outside the United States, community members, emeritus or retirees, parents and friends, unregistered students, vendors on campus, widows and widowers of employees are NOT included in the UA Alert Notification System.

How can I receive messages from the UA Alert notification system if I am not affiliated with the University system but I live in the community, I am a patron, or I am a parent?

Individuals not affiliated with the University system who want to receive UA Alert can sign-up here: at the UA Alert Community site. Active Students and Staff are already enrolledor follow UA Alert Twitter or UA Alert Facebook The University of Alaska employees do not need to sign up for UA Alert. The system integrates with the University's Banner system and automatically enrolls persons with active records.

I am not affiliated with the University and I have not signed-up for alerts but I am receiving messages. What do I do?

We apologize for this inconvenience. Please report the matter to ua-alerts@alaska.edu and include your name and how the system is contacting you. Please include in your message specific phone numbers and e-mail addresses. We will then go through our records to try and remove erroneous information.

What is the difference between signing up for the social networking sites and the community site?

Univeristy of Alaska students, faculty and staff should NOT sign into the Community site, but rather through UAOnline through this link: https://uaonline.alaska.edu

Messaging

What do I do if I receive a UA Alert?

Individuals are expected to follow the instructions received via UA Alert. In addition, recipients should share the information with others in their immediate area, just in case others did not or have not yet received their own alert.

I didn't receive an alert, but the person next to me did. What happened? You should log in to UA Alert Preferences and check your contact information. Mobile numbers can be updated at and tested directly from the site.

Why does it take so long for the message to get to me? Shouldn't I be warned earlier?

Please remember this is not a warning system, but a notification system. The university itself may have little or no warning of an incident. If there is an urgent situation, we work to contain the incident, collect information to notify our community, and to provide updates throughout the incident as deemed appropriate.

The person next to me received a Text alert, but mine was delayed. What happened?

Messages are sent from the UA Alert Notification System to the individual Mobile phone carriers. If you are out of range or or there are issues reaching your carrier we may be unable to provide the service. Differences among the carriers and an individual's location and signal strength can all affect the timing of message sending and receiving.

How often will I receive a UA Alert message?

(warning siren system, text messaging, e-mail messages and web page update) is tested at the beginning of each semester (spring, summer, and fall). Other than those test messages, UA Alert will only be used to provide safety and weather alerts, or notification of any event which may pose a threat to the University’s ability to conduct regular activities.

How do I know if an alert is real or just a test?

The Campus Warning System, which includes sirens, web pages, e-mail and text messaging is tested at the beginning of each semester. These tests are advertised in advance, and messages will indicate that they are indeed a test.

What will UA Alert messages look like?

UA Alert messages will come from 226787, 67283, 78015, 81437, and 22911 which are the Common Short Codes used by Rave, the vendor that provides the UA Alert Notification System. Text messages received from these numbers are valid and part of the system. It may help to add 226787, 67283, 78015, 81437, and 22911 to your Address Book or Contact List and modify the display name to UA Alert, in order to make future messages more recognizable.

I received a text message from one of the following short message codes 226787, 67283, 78015, 81437, or 22911. What does this mean?

226787, 67283, 78015, 81437, and 22911 are the Common Short Codes used by Rave, the vendor that provides the UA Alert Notification System. Text messages received from these numbers are valid and part of the system. It may help to add these numbers to your Address Book or Contact List, and modify the display name to UA Alert, in order to make future messages more recognizable.

Is there a "rave" on campus? Was this a SPAM message?

No and no. Please see What is Rave(above)? UA Alert will only be used to provide Clery notifications, safety, and weather alerts, or notification of any event which may pose a threat to the University's ability to conduct regular activities. While the system will not be used to announce a campus rave, individuals are expected to follow the instructions received via UA Alert. In addition, recipients should share the information with others in their immediate area, just in case others did not or have not yet received their own alerts.

Will I receive unsolicited messages (SPAM) from UA Alert on my Mobile phone or at my e-mail account?

No. The University manages and maintains the UA Alert Notification System, and will only use it to provide safety and weather alerts, or notification of any event which may pose a threat to the University's ability to conduct regular activities.

Is UA Alert just for Mobile devices?

No. The UA Alert Notification System can send messages to any device that can receive voice, text messages, or e-mail.

The voice message I received was cut off or distorted. If you are on your Mobile and the message is distorted, check to see what your service is like. Poor coverage can result in distorted messages. If you’re on a land-line and experience this, please report it to ua-alerts@alaska.edu.

What if I don’t have a Mobile device?

UA Alert is just one part of the University's emergency notification system. The other components include the campus warning siren system, e-mail alerts and web page updates. You may also follow UA Alert Twitter or UA Alert Facebook.

I don’t have a text-messaging capable move device. Does this mean I won’t get messages?

No, however, without a text-capable messaging device one would not be able to receive text messages. UA Alert is just one part of the University's emergency notification system. The other components include the campus warning siren system, e-mail alerts and web page updates. You may also follow UA Alert Twitter or UA Alert Facebook.

What if my Mobile phone provider changes?

If you keep the same Mobile number, and simply change Mobile phone provider, you do not have to change anything. However, it may take several weeks for your Mobile provider to update the UA Alert Notification System. During that time it is possible that you will not be able to receive messages unless you login to UA Alert Preferences and update your carrier information.

I saw (907) 450-8224, 907-786-6822, or Caller IDs of (907) 450-UAAI or "UA-ALERTS". Who is calling me?

These are phone numbers or Caller IDs displayed for the UA Alert notification system when it calls your office phone, mobile phone, or other landline phone. If you see this number calling your phone, please pick it up. It could be an important or urgent message regading an emergency at the univeristy. You should also save the telphone number as, "UA-Alerts," to your mobile phone contact list.

Why did I receive the email after the incident?

At times, email is not fast. If there is an urgent message, we will use multiple methods of commuunication to attempt to contact you.