BerkAlert Frequently Asked Questions
1. What contact information should I provide Berkeley College for BerkAlert?
The Berkeley College BerkAlert system stores up to five phone numbers, including a cell phone number representing your text messaging device. Please provide us with all of your emergency contact telephone numbers and email addresses. Please know that the more information you provide, the more opportunities we will have to reach you in the case of an unforeseen event.
2. If I change cell phone providers but keep the same number, do I need to adjust my BerkAlert contact information?
No. Once you have specified a particular phone number, it remains in the BerkAlert system.
3. How do I begin to receive text messages from Berkeley College BerkAlert?
You must provide a text-enabled phone number in the cellular phone field via Self Service at https://engage.berkeleycollege.edu. Please Note: T-Mobile will require recipients to reply to the confirmation message to be opted into the system via text messaging. All T-Mobile recipients must reply Y BERK or YES BERK to be opted in. Only T-Mobile customers must perform this request.
4. What happens after I enter my cell phone information for text messaging via the Student/Employee web portal?
After you enter your cell phone information online via Self Service, https://engage.berkeleycollege.edu, BerkAlert will automatically send a text message to your cell phone. This occurs during business hours between 10:00 AM and 6:00 PM PST.
5. What will the confirmation text message say?
[BerkAlert]: You are now confirmed to receive alerts from us. More info text reply, "HELP" or "STOP BERK to opt-out.
6. From what number will these text messages arrive from?
You will see "23177" as the 'sent from' number sending you the confirmation text message as well as all subsequent BerkAlert messages. Please save this number on your cell phone as a contact (e.g., Berkeley College BerkAlert) so that you can quickly recognize this number as the source of official Berkeley College BerkAlert messages.
7. If I sign up at night, when will I receive the confirmation message?
Confirmation messages are sent during business hours (10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. PST). Since we upload data into the Berk-Alert system Monday through Friday only, you should expect the confirmation request to arrive the following day.
8. I did not receive a confirmation message. What happened?
Please check with your cell phone provider to find out if your device accepts text messages. You may also want to check with your provider to see if text messaging has been enabled. You may need to subscribe to a text messaging plan in order to receive or reply to text messages.
9. I did not receive a confirmation message because my phone was not text enabled. I have since contacted my cell phone provider to enable it. Do I need another confirmation message sent?
No. If your text message-capable phone was already submitted to our database, you should be confirmed to receive text message alerts from us. However, you may also test to find out by texting the word "SUBSCRIBE" to 23177 and you will receive the following reply:
[Berk-Alert]: This phone number has already been opted in. More info text reply "HELP" or "STOP [BERK]" to opt-out.
10. How do I discontinue receiving Berk-Alert text messages?
You may do so at any time by texting "STOP [BERK]" or "QUIT [BERK]" to 23177.
11. What if I chose to discontinue receiving Berk-Alert text messages but later decide to continue again?
You may request to begin receiving text messages by texting "SUBSCRIBE [MALERT]" to 23177.
