Wake Alert Notifications
Wake Forest’s approach to communicating in emergencies is using numerous notifications to quickly and promptly communicate with faculty, staff, students, parents and families, the public and news media.
Wake Alert, the University’s emergency notification system, provides information and advisories through various communication channels.
Methods for announcing emergency Wake Alert notifications include:
Wake Alert Website
The University’s Wake Alert website (wakealert.wfu.edu) is the primary source of information on emergencies. Wake Alert is also used for non-emergency messages that may be related to safety and security matters, including criminal activity, potentially threatening weather and University closures or delays due to weather conditions.
Wake Safe App
University Police maintains the Wake Safe app which features many safety tools. Download the app now and turn on safety notifications.
Computers / Digital Signage
Wake Alerts may be posted as an emergency banner at the top of University website pages, shared on all computers connected to the Wake Forest network and on University television screens campuswide.
Text Messaging
The University will send brief Wake Alert messages to mobile phones of students, faculty and staff who are registered to receive text messages. Undergraduates must register for the messages by providing their mobile phone numbers when they register for classes each fall. Faculty and staff, as well as, graduate and professional school students are encouraged to register.
The University will send a Wake Alert message to Wake Forest e-mail addresses of students, faculty and staff.
Voicemail
The University will send voice messages to mobile phones of students, faculty and staff registered to receive messages. Undergraduates must register for the messages by providing mobile phone numbers when they register for classes each fall. Faculty and staff, as well as graduate and professional school students, are encouraged to register.
Social Media
- X: Wake Alert website announcements will appear on x.com/WakeAlert/
- Facebook: Wake Alert announcements will appear on facebook.com/WakeAlert/
Indoor warning system
Some administrative and academic buildings are equipped with indoor alert systems that announce messages.
Outdoor warning system
A Wake Alert message may be broadcast outdoors using speakers that activate a siren and announce a brief prerecorded or live message. Emergency messages announced by the outdoor system will be preceded by a siren. The system also shares a Wake Alert update announcement after an incident has ended.
Sign Up for Wake Alert Text Messages and Voice Messages
Wake Forest University uses mobile phone numbers of students, faculty and staff to send text alerts and voice messages during an emergency. Texts will alert the campus community about the nature of an emergency and may include specific instructions. Your phone number will not be used for general communication, and numbers are stored in a secure location.
Undergraduate students are required to provide their mobile phone numbers. Faculty, staff, graduate and professional students are encouraged to register. If faculty and staff do not register a mobile phone number, messages during an emergency will be sent by other methods.
Adding, updating your mobile number in Workday
(PDF version of the following directions, including screenshots)
- Log in to Workday.
- In the top right corner, click on the Profile icon.
- Click on the View Profile button.
- From the left column, click Contact.
- To edit contact information, click the Edit button.
- To edit the Phone section, click the Edit icon (pencil).
- Either add or change your mobile phone number. Mark it as primary.
- Under Details, you can edit the Visibility. Setting it to Private will allow emergency text messages but will hide it from other Workday users, other than specific administrative departments.
For help, contact the Information Systems Service Desk at help@wfu.edu or by phone at 336.758.4357.
Unsubscribing from text messages
While it is essential for crisis communications that faculty, staff and students receive Wake Alert text messages, the University recognizes that some parts of the community may not come in contact with the geographic areas related to Wake Alerts (participants in online-only learning, for example).
In that case, community members can text STOP to 226787 or 67283 or 77295 or 78015 to cancel messages. To restart messages, text START to any of those same numbers.
NOTE: If you stop receiving text messages, this includes text notifications when the University closes or adjusts operations for weather-related reasons. You will continue to be notified through email and other methods.
