• Who can sign up for eaccALERT?

Currently enrolled East Arkansas Community College students, faculty, and staff may register for the eaccALERT text messaging service.

• Why should I sign up for eaccALERT?

Text messaging provides a means by which the College can immediately communicate emergencies to you via a device that you are likely to have on hand: your cell phone.

• Will my cell phone number be kept confidential?

Yes. Cell phone numbers registered with East Arkansas Community College’s eaccALERT service are not shared or sold to any other systems, services, or advertisers.

• How many eaccALERT text messages will I receive?

eaccALERT messages will only be sent to notify you of closings and emergency situations. The exact number is difficult to predict, but there should be very few. If you decide to opt-in, there is no guarantee of delivery (e.g. the demands on local cell towers are outside the College’s control).

• Does this mean that I should leave my cell phone on in class?

No. Classroom cell phone use will continue to be guided by policies set by individual faculty. The eaccALERT messaging service is just one of the methods the College will use to communicate emergency information to students, faculty, and staff. We will continue to use a variety of other methods as appropriate, including email, telephone intercom, news broadcasts, and other mediums of communication deemed appropriate.

• What do I need to get eaccALERT and how much does it cost?

All you need is a cell phone with text messaging capabilities. There is no charge for signing up; however, individual cell phone plans may apply nominal charges for text messages, so check your cell phone contract.

Note: All landlines, most Tracfones and some pay-as-you-go phones will not register on the eaccALERTsystem. We are sorry, but this is a limitation of the phone providers.

• What if I change my cell phone service provider?

When you change cell phone providers, but keep your existing mobile number, it is considered "ported," and doesn't need to be re-registered in the eaccALERTsystem.

• What if I change my number?

If you change your cellphone number, you will need to register your new number with the eaccALERT system and delete your old number from the system. To do so, visit the EACC Hompage (www.eacc.edu) and click on the “Information” link. Under the “Students” section, choose “eaccALERT”. Then, log in to the eaccALERTsystem with the username you entered when creating your eaccALERT account and follow the instructions.

• How do I sign up for eaccALERT?

Registering is quick and easy - all you need is your cell phone. Visit the EACC Homepage (www.eacc.edu) and click on “Information Links”. Under the “Student” section, click on eaccALERT and select the “Sign Up” button. Enter your EACC Student username (eacc\lastname.firstname) and password. You will be forwarded to a web page that will allow you to create an account within the eaccALERT (e2campus) system. You MUST use your EACC e-mail account name (for example if your e-mail address is smith.john@eacc.edu, you must use “smith.john”) as your username. However, for security purposes, DO NOT use the same password for this account as you use at the College— the password that you choose for eaccALERT will be stored within a third-party vendor’s system and not within a campus system.

When your account is created, the system will send a validation text message to your phone. (Standard text messaging rates will apply.) Enter the 4-digit code on the web page and login.

• I received a five digit code via text message, not a four digit one. Why?

 The validation text message that you receive may be sent from an account with a five digit number. This is not the validation code. To find the validation code, open the text message. You will see a message like this: “#### is your service validation code.” This is the number to enter into eaccALERT.

• I registered but did not receive the four digit code. What now?

eaccALERT is a system that requires people to opt-in to the service. One way that this is handled is by having the system send the cell phone a four digit code upon registration that must be entered into eaccALERT online to complete registration. If you do not receive the code or do not enter it into the system, the registration of your cell phone is not verified and you will not receive eaccALERT messages. Here are some possible solutions:

• Check your account for a “Validate Now” link. Log into your eaccALERT account (through the “eaccALERT” link found under the “Student” section on the EACC Homepage). Once logged in to the eaccALERT account, click the “Services” tab. If you have previously established an account but have not yet entered in the four-digit validation code, you should see a blue “Validate Now” link. Click the link and follow the instructions as stated.

• Have you entered your cell phone number correctly? Ensure that you have entered the correct cell phone number by logging into your eaccALERT account. The 10 digit format (8706334480) should be used; include the area code but do not include dashes or a 1 before the number.

• Are you an AT&T/Cingular customer? Due to the merger between Cingular and AT&T, be sure to select the best option in the drop down menu of choices. If you had an AT&T cell phone that later became a Cingular phone and then back to AT&T, then select the option listed as AT&T (Legacy). If this does not work, try the other selection listed as AT&T (Cingular). There have also been reports of customers whose plans were changed during the merger and text messaging was (unexpectedly) no longer enabled. If neither selection works, try contacting AT&T to find out if text messaging is enabled on your plan.

• Can your cell phone receive SMS text messages? To test this, go to http://www.e2campus.com/test_your_phone.htm. If you do not receive the text message, contact your wireless service provider for further information. It may be your plan or the model of phone that you have. (Some older cell phone models do not support text messaging. Many cell phones and mobile devices made after 2002 support text messaging. If your cell phone is older than that, then you may or may not be able to receive SMS text messages)

• Is your phone turned on and within service range? Most cell phones have an antenna icon on the display screen that shows the strength of your current signal. If your signal is weak or out of range, please move your phone to a location with a better signal.

• Will the eaccALERT system be used to send emails in the event of a crisis?

No. Broadcast emails will be sent as they are currently (via the students EACC e-mail account).

• I am no longer attending East Arkansas Community College. How can I stop receiving the eaccALERT?

 You can discontinue receiving messages at any time just as quickly and easily as you signed up.

Visit www.eacc.edu and click on “Information” link. Under the “Students” section, choose “eaccALERT” and log in using your username.

Once in the eaccALERT (e2campus) system, select the Services option. Next to your cell phone number, select Change Status and follow the instructions to inactivate your phone. You will no longer receive messages at that cell phone.

• What if I need help registering or changing my cell phone number?

There may be individuals located in the Learning Center, Computer Education Center, and the Learning Resource Center (Library) that can assist you. You may also contact Michelle Wilson at (870) 633-4480, ext. 252 or rwilson@eacc.edu.