Though none of them really wanted to ever have to think about such a thing, the need for effective crisis communication on college campuses has become pressing, especially in the wake of tragedies such as the numerous shooting incidents that have occurred on US university campuses over the past few years. A growing number of universities and community colleges are turning to digital signage system to effectively communicate emergency and crisis information to students all over campus.
These colleges are installing a number of digital signage displays at numerous strategic locations across the campuses. In the event of a crisis these monitors can all be updated with messages very quickly, from one central location. Although communicating emergency information was the primary driving force for many colleges to install digital signage systems on campus, they are also finding out that digital signage is just very effective for communicating all kinds of information, not just emergency communications.
Colleges can display class schedules, timetables and all kinds of information that is useful to students via digital signage in an efficient manner that has never really been possible before. These digital signage systems can communicate information to a huge percentage of the student body at one time, all over the campus. This information can be constantly updated from the central location to keep it completely up to date and relevant. They can even add relevant, informative and entertaining video programming to their digital signage systems.
Some savvy colleges have begun to use their digital signage systems to sell limited advertising space, generating revenue that is much needed by many cash strapped colleges. Advertising to students on campus is not a new concept, it has been a common practice for years, but digital signage makes it far easier and effective than ever before.
Many community colleges have expanded the concept to popular off campus meeting places such as coffee shops, in order to reach as much of the student body as possible, especially useful since the majority of community colleges do not provide student housing and the majority of students live off campus.
Whether it is to warn students in an emergency, or just to remind them what time they are supposed to be in class, there is little doubt that more and more colleges and universities will be turning to digital signage systems in the future to solve their college campus communications needs.