University institutes 9-911

Members of the University community who wish to reach 911 dispatchers will now have to dial 9-911 when using campus phones, according to an announcement made by Networking Services and Information Technologies (NSIT). Previously, both 911 and 9-911 would reach 911 dispatchers.

In February, however, NSIT began compliance with Illinois Electronic 911 (E911) regulations which require phones to automatically give location information.

It came to light that, as a result of using direct-dial 911, the University was receiving a number of reports of accidental calls to 911.

As a result of this finding, campus phones will require dialing a 9 before dialing 911, as is the case with other outgoing calls. NSIT emphasized that students who accidentally dial 911 should stay on the line and inform dispatchers that the call was accidental, so that officers are not sent out on an accidental call.

–Whet Moser

Elm trees removed from campus

Five elm trees were removed from various locations around campus over the course of the past several days. The trees all had Dutch Elm disease, which is a deadly disease caused by a fungus that grows like bread mold and can kill a tree in as few as three weeks by destroying its ability to conduct water.

One of the diseased elms was in the west lawn panel of Hull Court. Two were on the northwest corner of Swift Hall, and two were near Rockefeller Chapel—one on the north side and one on the west side. Removal is typically the only way to deal with trees affected by this disease.

–Tim Miller