The University of New Brunswick is exploring the use of text messages as a way to communicate with students in the case of an emergency.

The institution has joined with Simon Fraser University in British Columbia and the University of Alberta to conduct a three-year study into emergency messaging on campuses.

The research group, which launched in November, was formed in the wake of the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre in which 33 people were killed on campus and the 2006 shooting at Montreal's Dawson College in which one student was killed and 19 others injured.

Following the incidents, there were reports from many students at both schools who said they didn't know there was a danger on campus until after the emergency was over.

Text messages sent via cellphones and other devices could be a way to reach students quickly in an emergency, said University of New Brunswick law professor David Townsend, a member of the campus emergency messaging research group.

"The one that seems to have the most attention is text messaging," Townsend told CBC News. "Students and faculty come to the campus with a number of types of handheld devices that are capable of receiving text messaging."

Alert to come by text, e-mail, public-address system

The study will examine whether text messaging is a viable option and whether it could be used for other notifications as well, such as deadlines, severe weather cancellations and exam schedules. An integrated system that could include text messaging, internet and e-mail notifications and a public address system on campus will also be looked at.

The University of Calgary implemented a text messaging system in September. Students sign up for the service, and in the case of an emergency, the messages are also displayed on monitors throughout campus.

The University of British Columbia has also purchased a campus-wide text message alert system but has not yet put it to the test — not even during a police lockdown last week of a building on campus following a threat. When the threat was reiterated this Tuesday, the school sent an e-mail to all students and staff. About 40 per cent of the university's students have registered for the text messaging system, UBC officials said. 

Stephanie Hill, a student at the University of New Brunswick's Fredericton campus, said she is concerned that in an emergency, the message alerts could be providing information to the perpetrator as well as students.

"If it's another student causing the danger, they're going to know it's going out, and they might try to cause more harm than they would've intentionally," she said.

She added not all students carry cellphones, and those who do don't all have text message capability.

The university will be sending out a survey to students to get more feedback on how they would like to be informed of campus emergencies, Townsend said.

The study will also be looking at how people would actually respond to the alerts and legal issues involved in mass text messaging.

Preliminary findings of the study are expected in 2009.