As part of the continuous assessment of emergency notification protocols and procedures, campus officials will test the CU Boulder alerts system at approximately 12:15 p.m. (MST) on Tuesday, Jan. 20.

The annual testing, required by a federal law known as the Clery Act, involves checking the university’s systems for sending text messages, emails, social media posts, computer desktop alerts, push notifications to the CU Boulder Safe app and website announcements. CU Boulder conducts alert tests each semester to ensure the university stays current with best practices and maintains readiness to respond in case of emergencies.

Before the Jan. 20 test, students, faculty and staff members should check their Buff Portal or MyCUInfo accounts to make sure their contact information is up to date.

The information below outlines how to ensure you receive emergency notifications, the types of emergency notifications the campus provides, and how to stay informed about off-campus incidents.

How to receive CU Boulder alerts

Students should consult the student alerts step-by-step guide. Faculty, staff and others with university email accounts (colorado.edu) can consult the employee alerts step-by-step guide. CU Boulder employees can now opt to receive alerts in languages other than English. This service is also available to students.

CU Boulder partners who have cu.edu, cufund.org, cusys.edu, ucdenver.edu or cuanschutz.edu email domains must register and maintain their information on the CU Boulder Rave webpage.

Affiliates who are not students, faculty or staff and do not have a CU email domain can opt in to receive CU Boulder text alerts by texting “cuaffiliate” to 67283. Registration expires one year after opting in and must be renewed annually. You may text “STOP” at any time to 67283 to be removed. As a member of CU Boulder Alerts, you will receive text notifications for campuswide events.

If there is a true ongoing campus threat to personal safety or a campus closure, a campuswide alert will be sent using one or more of the available communication methods. Text messaging is the preferred method, as it reaches the most individuals in the least amount of time.

After the scheduled test, if you believe you should have received an alert and did not, or if you need help signing up for the system, please email the Emergency Management team.

What are CU Emergency Alerts?

CU Boulder issues emergency notifications, called CU Emergency Alerts, to the campus community when there is a confirmed immediate threat to the safety of those on or near campus, particularly in areas with high student populations.

Such threats may include an active harmer, a natural disaster, severe weather or other time-sensitive life safety concerns. CU Emergency Alerts can also be used in the event of campus closures or delayed starts.

Other notifications: CU Safety Alerts and CU Advisories

The university uses three levels of emergency notification.

In addition to CU Emergency Alerts, campus officials issue CU Safety Alerts (timely warnings) in accordance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act.

For non-immediate threats or incidents that may impact daily life on campus, CU Boulder issues CU Advisories.

What about off-campus emergencies?

Campus community members who live off campus or spend significant time off campus may want to stay informed about nearby incidents and safety concerns. This article explains how the university responds to off-campus incidents in areas with high student populations and provides guidance on staying informed.

The city of Boulder and Boulder County distribute emergency alerts through a system called BOCOAlert (Everbridge). Community members with Boulder addresses are automatically enrolled. Those who live outside Boulder but want to receive alerts must sign up separately.

The university encourages all community members to follow @CUBoulderAlerts and @CUBoulderPolice on X (formerly Twitter). The CU Boulder Police Department is part of the Division of Public Safety.

The Boulder Police Department and Boulder Fire-Rescue also maintain social media channels for nonemergency information. Local news media can also be a reliable resource, particularly when misinformation is circulating.

For more information about emergency management at CU Boulder, visit the Emergency Management website or email the team. Emergency Management also provides a list of common emergency definitions, which is linked on the CU Boulder Alerts website.