UI
Hawk Alert — Emergency Notifications
The University of Iowa's Office of Campus Safety uses Hawk Alert to notify the campus community of immediate threats to health and safety — such as violence, severe weather, or fires in progress — distinguishing it from a Crime Alert, the university's Clery timely-warning message for crimes that have already occurred but may pose a continuing threat. All students, faculty, and staff are automatically enrolled, and Hawk Alerts are delivered via text, phone call, email, and full-screen Alertus Desktop pop-ups.
Read the official policyInstitution
University of Iowa
Public R1 · IA
~31,452 studentsHawk Alert
In the policy’s own words
What the policy says
Hawk Alert purposeverbatim
The Office of Campus Safety uses Hawk Alerts to notify the campus community of immediate threats to their health and safety in emergency situations such as extreme weather events or violence.
- — Identifies Hawk Alert as the immediate-threat emergency-notification tool and names the issuing office (Office of Campus Safety).
Delivery channels and triggerverbatim
While email is required, text message is the fastest way to receive an alert.
- — Establishes email as the mandatory baseline channel while steering users toward SMS as the fastest delivery method.
Alertus Desktop pop-upverbatim
When the university issues an emergency alert (Hawk Alert), all computer workstations and laptops running the Alertus system will display a full-screen pop-up alert providing messaging about the emergency on campus and what actions to take.
- — Documents the desktop-popup channel: a full-screen Alertus alert pushed to participating campus computers during a Hawk Alert.
Test message wordingverbatim
This is a test of the Hawk Alert system. No emergency action is required. This is only a test. More: emergency.uiowa.edu
- — Verbatim text of an actual Hawk Alert system test, archived in the university's Emergency Updates feed.
At a glance
How this policy works
- When it activates
- A Hawk Alert is issued when there is confirmation of an immediate threat to the health and safety of the campus community — emergency situations such as extreme weather events, violence, or fires in progress. No alert is issued if a suspect is immediately arrested or detained and there is no imminent or ongoing threat. Past crimes that may pose a serious or continuing threat are handled through a separate Crime Alert (Clery timely warning).
- Who decides
- The Office of Campus Safety issues Hawk Alerts upon confirmation of an immediate threat to the health and safety of the campus community.
- Timeliness standard
- Hawk Alerts are sent when there is confirmation of an immediate threat; the university emphasizes speed (text message is the fastest delivery method) for these immediate, ongoing threats requiring urgent action.
- Emergency notification vs. timely warning
- Two-tier model aligned to the Clery Act: Hawk Alert = emergency notification (immediate, ongoing threats); Crime Alert = timely warning (a Clery crime that has already occurred but may pose a serious or continuing threat, sent by email within the university's Clery geography).
- Testing cadence
- Hawk Alert tests are conducted in coordination with the National Weather Service and Johnson County severe-weather drills (e.g., an annual spring severe-weather-week test at 10 a.m.); outdoor sirens are tested at 10 a.m. on the first Wednesday of each month, weather permitting.
- Scope & limits
- Hawk Alert is reserved for immediate threats to health and safety; it is not issued when a suspect is immediately arrested/detained and there is no ongoing threat. Already-occurred crimes with continuing-threat potential are covered by Crime Alerts (email) rather than Hawk Alert.
ChannelsSmsPhone CallEmailDesktop PopupSiren
Analysis
Reading the policy
The University of Iowa frames its alerting in two tiers that map onto the Clery Act's two requirements. **Hawk Alert** is the emergency-notification tool: per the Office of Campus Safety, it is used 'to notify the campus community of immediate threats to their health and safety in emergency situations such as extreme weather events or violence.' A separate **Crime Alert** serves as the Clery timely warning — the university's own Hawk Alert v. Crime Alert guidance explains that a Crime Alert 'provides you with a timely warning about an incident that has already occurred but may pose a serious or continuing safety threat,' sent via email when a Clery Act crime is committed within the university's Clery geography and reported to a campus security authority or local law enforcement. The distinguishing factor is immediacy: Hawk Alerts address ongoing threats requiring urgent action, while Crime Alerts cover past crimes that may still pose a continuing threat.
On **trigger and authority**, Hawk Alerts are issued by the Office of Campus Safety 'when there is confirmation of an immediate threat to the health and safety of the campus community.' The guidance also states a notable limit: 'No alert will be issued if a suspect is immediately arrested or detained and there is no imminent or ongoing threat,' reflecting the Clery standard that notification is tied to a live or continuing danger rather than to every reported incident.
On **channels**, Hawk Alerts can reach recipients via text message, phone call, and email based on each user's settings, plus an opt-in desktop pop-up. The university notes that 'while email is required, text message is the fastest way to receive an alert,' and that Alertus Desktop will 'display a full-screen pop-up alert' on participating campus workstations and laptops. All UI students, faculty, and staff are automatically registered; preferences are managed through MyUI and Employee Self Service. The university also extended access to non-affiliates: campus guests can opt in by texting 'HAWK4WEEK' (one week) or 'HAWK4YEAR' (one year) to 67283, an enhancement the university ties to Clery alignment so visitors are informed of imminent threats.
On **testing**, Campus Safety conducts a Hawk Alert test in coordination with the National Weather Service and Johnson County severe-weather drills (e.g., the March 25 test at 10 a.m.), during which sirens are activated and registered users receive test messages reading 'This is a test of the Hawk Alert system' and 'This is only a test.' Outdoor sirens are separately tested at 10 a.m. on the first Wednesday of each month, weather permitting. **Scope:** Hawk Alert covers immediate, campus-wide or segment-specific threats; routine or already-resolved crime situations are handled through Crime Alerts rather than Hawk Alert.
Takeaways
Key findings
The University of Iowa operates a two-tier Clery alerting model: Hawk Alert for immediate threats (emergency notification) and Crime Alert for already-occurred crimes posing a continuing threat (timely warning).
Hawk Alerts are issued by the Office of Campus Safety upon confirmation of an immediate threat to health and safety.
No alert is issued when a suspect is immediately arrested/detained and there is no imminent or ongoing threat.
Channels include text, phone call, email (required baseline), and an opt-in full-screen Alertus Desktop pop-up; all students, faculty, and staff are auto-enrolled, and campus guests can opt in via text codes (HAWK4WEEK / HAWK4YEAR to 67283).
Hawk Alert is tested in coordination with NWS and Johnson County severe-weather drills; outdoor sirens are tested at 10 a.m. on the first Wednesday of each month, weather permitting.
Policy, meet practice
When this system actually fired
19 documented times UI’s alert system was used, from the case archive.
+ 11 more in the case archive.
Provenance
Sources
- Official
- Official
- Official
- Official
- Official
Tags
policyemergency-notificationtimely-warningcrime-alertcleryalertusiowa
Added 2026-06-21Updated 2026-06-21Via ingestion