MAYVILLE - A cell phone system that would alert students and employees at North Dakota colleges during emergencies should be in place this fall, university system officials say.

The state Board of Higher Education approved a contract Thursday with a company called NotiFind. The system will provide phone calls or text messages during threatening situations.

The system will be offered "at a nominal charge" to students and at no cost to employees, said Pat Seaworth, the university system's attorney.

"It certainly makes sense to implement this system," Seaworth said.

Board members say recent shootings at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois illustrate the need for emergency notification systems.

"It's getting widespread attention with these tragic events occurring," said John Q. Paulsen, the board president.

University system officials are wrestling with ways to use the system and still prevent cell phones from disrupting class, said Laura Glatt, the university system's vice chancellor for administrative affairs.

"Can we ask students to turn off cell phones … if the faculty has a way to receive emergency notification?" she asked.

Schools also are working on other ways, such as e-mail and loud speakers, to inform students and employees about emergencies, Glatt said. "This is only one piece of an emergency notification system," she said.

All employees will be required to participate in the program, but students will be able to opt out by declining to provide emergency contact information.

The contract applies to all colleges except Bismarck State and Minot State. Those two schools have signed up with a company called ConnectED for emergency notification.