Main campus lost power at 5:21 p.m. Monday, which led University officials to cancel evening classes about one hour later, but communication could have been better.

The failure to update the emergency conditions hotline and the delay in updating the Web site and other services designed to inform students of major on-campus problems is unacceptable. In a severe crisis, a few minutes delay could have serious consequences. The University needs to use its Web site to get as much rough information out there and find ways to ensure students on and off-campus can access information during any crisis.

Capt. Jon Barnwell said Campus Police acted quickly to attend to safety problems and maintain a sense of order.

The text message alert system also provided a quick update on the situation, getting students information about class cancellation for the night up to an hour after officials made the decision.

The University is right in emphasizing that sending 10,000 text messages simultaneously is not technically feasible, and there is some delay in getting the alert out.

The WolfAlert text message directed people who had signed up for the program to the University Web site. Yet the Web site was not fully updated for at least an hour, even though some people received text message alerts as early as 6:20 p.m. The emergency conditions hotline had not been updated.

In contrast, the Office of Information Technology’s SysNews Web site had a notification of the power outage by 5:33 p.m, with another update at 6:09 p.m.

If the OIT site can get information up within 12 minutes of the reported start of the power outage, the University can do so as well with its Web site. Regardless of whether administrators have made a decision regarding classes, the Web site should reflect the fact that main campus lost power and officials are discussing the possibility of canceling classes.

The text message alerts, recorded hotline and other media sources of information direct students to consult the University Web site for more information. Someone must be standing by to update the Web site the instant administrators make a decision – in a true crisis, every second matters, and administrators would be wise to keep this in mind.