District Procedure Regarding Electronic Notifications

This page outlines the State Center Community College District (SCCCD) procedure in regards to electronic notifications to students, staff, and faculty via cell phone text messaging and emails to personal accounts and devices. There are two major categories of electronic notifications that the District may send out that are deemed as either an emergency or non-emergency. Details of each notification category are defined below:

Emergency Notifications

Emergency notifications are handled by the SCCCD Police Department. These types of communications are deemed necessary to prevent potential bodily harm or loss of life.  These communications can be of emergencies, such as, but not limited to:

• Shooter on campus
• Fire on campus
• Building evacuation instructions due to a bomb threat, harmful chemical spill or gas leak

The following District affiliates will be automatically enrolled into such emergency notifications and will be unable to opt-out until such association with the District is terminated:

• Active Students – defined as any student that is enrolled in any current or upcoming course for the current term at any District campus*. Active students can receive emergency communications for the campuses they are enrolled and can receive such communications 2 weeks prior to start of term. Students transitioning from active to former status will stop receiving emergency notifications automatically 2 weeks after a term ends, at which time the former student can manually opt-in if desired.
• Active Instructors – defined as any instructor that is scheduled to teach any current or upcoming course for the current term at any District campus*. Active instructors will receive emergency notifications for the campuses they are teaching and can receive such communications 2 weeks prior to term start. Instructors transitioning from active to former status will stop receiving emergency notifications 2 weeks after a term ends, at which time the former instructor can manually opt-in if desired.
• Active Employees of District or any college campus will automatically receive emergency communications for all District locations. This is due to the nature that classified staff can attend meetings at any location throughout the District. The Active Instructor role will supersede the Active Employee role when an individual is deemed both insofar as emergency communications are concerned.

While the above District affiliates are unable to opt-out of emergency notifications, the affiliate does have the option on how to be notified. These affiliates can choose to be notified by either text message via a personal cell phone number, or by personal email address, or both by providing the appropriate contact information using the Communication Preferences form. Please see the Communication Preferences information page on how to provide and validate a personal cell phone number or email address for the purpose of electronic communication channels and self-service password resets.

Once a District affiliate is no longer deemed as active**, the emergency notifications will discontinue automatically. Former affiliates can choose to opt back into receiving emergency notifications by logging into My Portal and subscribing into the service from the Communication Preferences form. Please see the Subscribing or Unsubscribing Communication Channels page for more information and directions.

Prospective students that have completed a CCCApply application but are not yet registered for any District classes will have to subscribe manually to the emergency notifications channel if they desire to receive these communications. Once a perspective student transitions to active status the emergency notification channel will automatically be subscribed to emergency notifications as described above for Active Students. Please see the  Subscribing or Unsubscribing Communication Channels page for more information and directions.

Non-Emergency Notifications

All non-emergency notifications are completely optional and must be opted-in manually to receive these communications. Students, staff, and faculty can subscribe and/or opt out of such notifications by using the Communications Preferences form in My Portal.  These communication options can be of such topics as, but not limited to:

• Road closures or construction within, near, or surrounding an area of a District campus
• Notification of class cancellations
• Notification of payment due before being dropped from a class
• Risk of failing a class

Please see the Subscribing or Unsubscribing Communication Channels page for more information and directions.

* District campuses consist of: District Office; Fresno City College; Reedley College; Clovis Community College; Madera Community College; Oakhurst Community College Center; Herndon Campus; and Career Technology Center.

** Examples of inactive District affiliates: student no longer taking classes; instructor no longer teaching District courses; employee resigns from position or retires.