Shocker Alert FAQs

Rave Wireless is a nation-wide organization, with extensive physical resources and expertise. Rave Wireless has contractual arrangements with all major mobile services providers that ensure any emergency alert messages are transmitted as quickly and reliably as possible. Rave Wireless also has four messaging data centers placed strategically throughout the US. This reduces the risk of any single data center being unavailable when needed. WSU can only gain access to this level of service through a collaborative effort.

You can access the Rave system from the ShockerAlert channel inside myWSU. This will transfer you to the Rave system login page. Once you log in, you should see a page with two tabs in the middle/top of the page, the My Account tab will show you the specific email addresses and mobile/cellular numbers you have associated with your account. The Groups tab will show you a summary of your account and will show you if you have email and/or text messaging setup.

The Shocker Alert System will only be used to send critical messages to you in the event of an emergency on, or around one of our campus locations.

The Shocker Alert System (SAS) will send alerts to email addresses. At the beginning of each semester, WSU email addresses for all students, faculty, and staff are automatically setup for the email alert communication system. You have the option of adding additional email addresses if you so desire. To make this change, you need to access the Rave system, and follow the instructions under the My Account tab.

In addition to email, the Rave system has the ability to deliver emergency alerts via mobile/cellular text messaging. This is the fastest method for emergency alert information to be communicated to our campus community. In order to receive alerts via mobile/cellular text messaging, you must add that service to your existing Rave account. You can add your personal mobile/cellular number, as well as a number for another person. Please login to the Shocker Alert System once each semester to verify your information is correct and to perform a messaging self test.

Shocker Alerts will be sent by either Strategic Communications, University Police, Physical Plant, or Information Technology Services depending on the nature of the urgent situation.

In order to receive text messages, users must have a text-capable mobile phone, register their mobile number with Rave and must be able to receive text messages (not have text messages blocked). Users must log in to Rave to add phone numbers to their Shocker Alert account.

Current students, staff, and faculty with an active WSU email address are eligible to sign up for Shocker Alerts. All current students, staff, and faculty are automatically signed up for this service with their wichita.edu email address. If desired, an additional 2 email addresses and up to 3 mobile phone numbers can be added to a Shocker Alert account.

At this time, registration for the emergency notification service is limited to currently enrolled students, faculty and staff of WSU with a valid wichita.edu email address. Parents or other family members' numbers can be added to your account (you have 3 fields for mobile phone numbers and 2 fields for email addresses). Parents and other community members should check https://www.wichita.edu, http://www.facebook.com/ShockerAlert and/or check the local news/radio during an emergency for update information.

Use your myWSU ID and password to login to the Rave system at https://www.wichita.edu/alert. If you forgot your password, go to http://myWSU.wichita.edu and click on the Manage your password link. If you have any problems or questions while setting up your Rave account, please contact the WSU Helpdesk during regular business hours at (316) 978-HELP or helpdesk@wichita.edu.

Once each semester, you should perform a self test of your SAS account. After you have logged into the Rave Site, click on My Account and click the Test button for each contact. Rave will send a test text message to your mobile device and email account. If you do not receive the test message, notify the WSU Help Desk.

There is no charge by WSU or Rave Wireless to send or receive SMS messages, however standard or other messaging charges apply depending upon your wireless carrier plan and subscription details. Once registered, you can opt out of SMS messages at anytime by texting STOP to 67283 or 226787.

67283 and 226787 are the Common Short Codes used by Rave, the vendor that provides the Shocker Alert System. Text messages received from these numbers are valid and part of the Shocker Alert System.

Tip: It may help to add this number to your Address Book or Contact List in your mobile phone and modify the display name to WSU Shocker Alert in order to make it more recognizable to you for future messages.

Go to www.wichita.edu/alert, and login to your account. Once logged into your account you can choose to edit your cell phone number and/or email address using the links. Also if you have changed carriers, you should indicate that change.

Phone numbers and email addresses added to your Shocker Alert account are not copied to any other Wichita State University computer system.

There are some cases where a Domain Administrator might identify and correct an obvious mistake in contact information such as a typo in an email address. However, in general, WSU will not verify the accuracy of the data that you enter. The user is responsible for making sure that his or her contact information is correct and up-to-date.

Yes, we have found that some carriers do not support SMPP delivery. For example, Tracfone runs on AT&T's network, but AT&T does not support SMPP delivery for those handsets via the system that Rave Wireless uses to do their mobile phone number lookups. Tracfone phone numbers appear in the registry database as deactivated AT&T numbers, but are still sent out, only via SMTP. Also, at this time, Cricket/Leap only sends messages via SMTP. Also, we have found that some Cricket/Leap customers in this area have had problems receiving text alerts. We advise all users of Cricket/Leap to keep Voice alert enabled, in case the text does not go through.

There are many other channels of communication the university uses to notify its students, staff, and faculty in the event of an emergency. Classroom computers have software installed to provide a full screen alert in the event of an emergency.