New Jersey School Mandates School Issued Cell Phones

by Heather McLaughlin

This story is a little different than many that deal with schools and the use of cell phones. Montclair State University, located in New Jersey, is making all students carry school issued mobile phones enabled with GPS services.

The idea behind the mandate is that the phones are designed with student safety in mind. If, for example, someone is following a student, or threatening them, then a beacon on the cell phone can be set to go off for a predetermined period of time. If, at the end of that period, the student has not disabled the alarm, then campus security can use Google Maps to locate the student (thanks to the required-cell-phone’s on-board GPS) and inform the local authorities. The service is even available when off-campus, whether the student is merely somewhere in town, or home for the holidays.

The phones are all automatically registered with the campus alert system as well, notifying students via text message of any situations that may arise, be they canceled classes due to weather, power outages, or, God forbid, a shooting like the one at Virginia Tech.

Of course, the phones can be used to make phone calls and send text messages, as well as to listen to lectures via podcast or to take digital notes.

Staff Security monitors the system 24/7 and thus far all alerts to police have been false alarms.

What are your thoughts on school issued mobile phones? Would that give you a heightened sense of security on and off campus or is this a violation of students privacy rights?

Switched.com