Emergency Preparedness
To report any campus emergency, dial 9-911 (or 911 from a cell phone). University Police can be reached at 605-658-6199 and University Relations at 605-658-6260.
Campus alerts are displayed on the top of each page of our website. In the event of a major emergency, the USD homepage will be updated with information about the nature of the emergency and further emergency procedures.
The Campus Alert system is an emergency notification tool for the public universities governed by the SD Board of Regents. This system uses the Everbridge platform to help us notify students, staff, and faculty of emergencies that occur on or near campus locations. Emergencies may include, but not be limited to, weather alerts, school closings, fire or criminal activity.
Students are automatically a part of this system through their campus-assigned email address. An email is also sent to the campus-assigned email account with information about how to log in and change contact preferences for the alert system. By logging in and registering, you may opt to register your personal telephone numbers, personal email addresses, or other personal electronic devices to receive these Campus Alerts. It is recommended that you at least assign your Mobile Phone as a secondary contact. In that case you would receive an email to your USD email account and a phone call with a recorded message to your Mobile Phone.
Staff and faculty are also automatically included in this alert system with their campus-assigned email address. Staff and faculty are required to register and add any campus-provided phone numbers (desk, cellular). Inclusion of personal contact information such as home telephone or personal cellular phone is encouraged, but not required.
Logging In
- Instructions - How to Log in (Read This First)
Notification Options:
- Mobile Phone
- Second Mobile Phone
- Home Phone
- Business Phone
- Campus Assigned Email
- Secondary Email
- SMS (text message sent to mobile phone)
- Instant Messaging
You will be able to assign priorities to each of the above contact options. In the event of an emergency, your priority one contact will be notified first, followed by your second, and so on. Once you receive a message from the emergency system you will be asked to reply to the message to confirm that you received it. If you do not confirm you will continue to be contacted at the numbers and addresses that you set up when you registered over and over again until you confirm.
Note that once you confirm you may still get a few more emails or phone calls. The system will take a few minutes to catch up and acknowledge your confirmation and until then, the system will keep contacting you with the emergency notifications.
The administrator of the USD Campus Alert System is Student Services (studentservices@usd.edu).
The safety of our students, faculty, and staff is paramount to the University and we have an Emergency Operating Plan in place to ensure the effective management of emergency efforts involved in preparing for and responding to situations associated with emergencies.
The Emergency Operating Plan provides USD with a systematic approach for solving problems created by the threat or occurrence of any type of disaster or emergency. The major goals of the Plan are the preservation of life, the protection of property and continuity of academic and business operations. In any disaster situation, the University expects to make full utilization of its resources to meet its needs and to call upon outside agencies when University resources are or become inadequate.
- Emergency Operating Plan
The timely and accurate release of information is essential in any campus crisis or emergency.
The V.P. of Marketing and Enrollment or designee will assess the emergency situation and facilitate the preparation of official statements.
Marketing Communications & University Relations is the only office through which official university announcements, activities and statements may be communicated to the general public and the media.
- The university has a variety of tools to communicate with the public in the event of emergencies. Depending on the type and timing of the emergency, tools such as the Campus Alert system (text, phone, email), local media and usd.edu website will be used to inform faculty, staff and students of the emergency.
- Alerts (weather, natural disasters, cancellation of classes, campus alerts, etc.) will appear at the top of web and myUSD portal pages.
- Depending on the nature of the crisis, the university may hold a series of press briefings.
Marketing Communications & University Relations
Phone: 605-658-6260
After Hours call University Police
Phone: 605-658-6199
The Campus Alert system is an emergency notification tool for the public universities governed by the SD Board of Regents. This system uses the Everbridge platform to help us notify students, staff, and faculty of emergencies that occur on or near campus locations. Emergencies may include, but not be limited to, weather alerts, school closings, fire or criminal activity.
Students, faculty and staff are automatically a part of this system through their university-assigned email address.
