Students in an emergency used to be able to phone police on landlines in their dorm rooms, but with those lines removed, students without cell phones would be unable to reach authorities, said Paul Goldblatt, director of the Department of Residence Life.

“When the university decided to go away from landlines, it was extremely important to give students access to emergency services,” Goldblatt said. “We were more focused toward students without cell phones, but what if the cell phone is not working? This is a safety net.”

There are more than 140 emergency phones across campus, MSU police Sgt. Florene McGlothian-Taylor said.

The program was piloted in Mayo, Holden and Brody halls. Officials plan to install emergency phones in all residence halls by the fall semester, said Tony Frewen, director of marketing communications for MSU’s Residential and Hospitality Services.

“As cell phones have become more popular, very few landlines have been in use,” Frewen said. “The university decided to remove the landlines. It’s a better way to inform students; police can broadcast safety emergency messages. Overall, it saves the university money.”

The phones are connected to the MSU police dispatch and originally were intended to be used by students in emergencies. Now, the MSU police can inform students through an intercom on the phones about emergency situations, such as a weather advisory or a shooting, Frewen said.

Some students, such as criminal justice senior Simone Terfa, said the phones are a good idea in principle, but the number of emergency phones on each floor in the residence halls is unnecessary.

“If I were living in the dorms and it was an emergency, I’d (use my cell phone to) call 911 or the police, not go run down the hallway and push a button,” Terfa said in an e-mail. “I really would like to say that the money could go to more lighting around Lot 91. It would make more sense to implement security measures where incidents have already occurred. I’d rather see that money going there, than for all those emergency phones.”

East Neighborhood night receptionist and advertising junior Troy Troutman, said the emergency phones won’t make a significant change to the residence halls.

“If you’re going to use the emergency phones, you’re still going to be alone, so you should come down (to the night receptionist desk) anyway to tell someone,” Troutman said. “But the phones could be the only source to letting someone know.”