Frustrated by the low numbers of the students who have signed up for an emergency text messaging alert system, the University of Missouri system has found a new way to encourage students to register their cell phone numbers.

At the beginning of each semester when students log into the student system at any of the four campuses, they will be greeted with a screen reminding them to enter their contact information, or to update it if they have changed numbers. Students can still opt out, but the university hopes they will opt in.

Last September, the UM system purchased an emergency alert system called 3N. It allows the university to rapidly notify students, faculty, and staff of emergencies through voice mails and text messages to cell phones as well as e-mail.

Most universities around the country instituted similar emergency alert systems after the shootings at Virginia Tech. But also like many other universities, student participation to register their cell phone numbers with the schools has been quite low.

By July, only 31.5 percent of students had signed up for the alert service within the UM system. That is up from December, when 21.25 percent of students had signed up.

“We’re making progress,” said Jennifer Hollingshead, university system spokeswoman. “But the numbers have been lower than we wanted.”

Here’s a breakdown of the percentage of students who have signed up for the service at each campus as of July:

• UMSL: 17 percent
• Mizzou: 20 percent
• Missouri University of Science and Technology: 39 percent
• UMKC: 50 percent