Mass E-Mail Communication

Some E-mail addresses used for mass communications, and members of each designated group who will receive messages sent to them, are created and updated by the University's Information Technology Services (ITS) organization.  Others are created and maintained by members of Student Organizations, Academic Departments, and Administrative Offices.  Some are also generated automatically by information systems capable of allowing group messages to be sent from within the application (e.g. Canvas).  The following are included with this service depending on the needs of each preceding use case: 

•  Creation, modification, and deletion of new E-mail addresses for sending messages to relatively large groups (e.g. all Students), and then updating who is (and is not) included in these groups and when based on specific business rules for adding, modifying, and removing members.  ITS also manages the list of authorized users who have permission to send messages to these groups as well.  The creation, modification, and deletion of lists and authorized senders is jointly defined and agreed upon by members of the University’s cross functional Administrative and Student Information management team.
• Assistance with the creation of new E-mail distribution lists and permissions for sending messages to relatively smaller cohort groups that are owned and managed by a designated member of a Student Organization, Academic Department, or Administrative Office.  Managing the list of members included on the distribution groups and authorized senders is the responsibility of the designated owners (rather than ITS). The designated owner of the distribution group must submit a request to ITS In order to modify group membership or change who is authorized to send messages.
• Periodic data exports or real-time systems integration with information systems that are used to generate and manage E-mail correspondence with various groups.  (When technically feasible and appropriate to do so).

This service is especially handy if you need to send an E-mail message to more than a hundred recipients.  Or, just to make your own mass E-mailing more efficient.

Student Organizations, Faculty, and Staff who meet the applicable pre-requisite criteria (below).

• Permission to create an E-mail address for mass communications and its authorized use, for any of the lists managed by ITS, must be approved by the University’s Office of Marketing and Communications and abide by their policies, standards, guidelines, and procedures.
• Users who create and manage their own lists need to abide by the University’s Office of Marketing and Communications policies, standards, guidelines, and procedures.
• Only recognized student organizations may request the creation of E-mail distribution lists with the approval of the organization President and the Dean of Students or designee.

Click on “Request Assistance with Mass E-Mails” or "Report an Issue with Mass E-Mails" from this web page in order to provide us with some basic information about your unmet or anticipated need and then submit your request.

• Acceptable Use Policy
• Procedures for Mass E-Mail Communication

Within three business days, someone from Information Technology Services (ITS) will respond to your request. Depending on the complexity of the request and workload within ITS, a target fulfillment date will be set between two and four weeks out from the initial request.  Priority will be given to urgent requests where warranted and efforts will be made to expedite the turnaround time for these requests as may be necessary.