Mass E-mail Guidelines

Mass E-mail Guidelines

Mass e-mail is a blast message sent to a large group such as all faculty, students, staff, or administrators who have USD e-mail accounts (xxx@sandiego.edu). It is used to convey emergency information, critical alerts or important information of campus-wide interest.

With the development of the integrated MyPostings system and the MySanDiego portal system with its dynamic features for targeted information, events must first be posted through MyPostings before the mass e-mail message will be considered.

To send a mass e-mail, the following guidelines apply:

Approval

• The text of the message must be approved by the Vice President to whom the individual department or group wishing to send the message reports. See below for divisional contact person(s) to whom the mass message request should be sent. The divisional contact may also authorize employees in their division to upload e-mails to the mass e-mail queue without having to send their text for approval.

• Events must first be posted through MyPostings before the mass e-mail message will be sent out. An event is any activity open to a broad group of the university community. Examples: seminars, trainings, conferences, workshops, lectures, receptions, concerts. This does not include private meetings or department meetings.  The mass e-mail system should not be used to send out event reminders, unless for major campus events, such as Commencement, All Faith Service, etc.  A personal message in MyPostings is an option for event reminders.
  
• Messages for enrollment or registration in USD degree programs or classes will not be approved except if they are part of a USD strategic initiative. A personal message in MyPostings is an option.

• Only one message per event or group of events is allowed. If more than one department or division is planning or promoting an event or group of events, it should be decided ahead of time which department or division sends out the mass e-mail.
• Requests for mass e-mails ideally should be received at least three (3) business days prior to the requested send date. (Ideally there should be at least two full business days notice for the approved e-mailing.)
• E-mail the full mass e-mail message with subject line, return e-mail address, and designated group to the following individual in the specific vice presidential area:

Division	Official Contact	Secondary Contact
Academic Affairs	Peggy Agerton	Lisa Fernandes
Business Services and Administration	Michael Catanzaro	Courtney Blokland
Mission and Ministry	Cathy Johnson	N/A
Student Affairs	Kathe Myrick	Jacque Morganson
University Relations	Bernadette Maldonado	Diane Callahan

Content

• Include the subject of the message and the e-mail address of the individual to whom replies concerning the message should be sent.
• No attachments or graphics can be included with the message. Links to documents on Web sites are permitted.
• A link to a Web page can be included in the message to provide additional information when needed.
• Keep the message short and succinct. Long messages may be returned to the sender for editing.
• Messages should contain information about USD only; no messages promoting issues not directly related to the university will be approved.
• It is recommended that AP Style guidelines are used when composing your message. A shortened list of common AP Style usage is available at http://www.sandiego.edu/web/pdf/brief_ap_style.pdf. As an example, building names should be spelled out (e.g., Mother Rosalie Hill Hall rather than SOLES).
• Please proofread your message closely. No “corrected versions” will be sent after the original message has gone out.

Formatting

• There are two templates available (Standard Text and USD HTML). The USD HTML template uses the group or sub-group under which the sender is listed as a header in the body of the message.
• The following formatting can now be used with the USD HTML template: bold, underline, italics, bullet lists and numbered lists. To do this, click the “Switch to HTML Entry” button at the bottom of the queue, below the body of the message.

Targeted Groups

• You can send mail to everyone at USD or to a list of divisions, schools or departments (noted in the mass e-mail queue as groups or sub-groups). You can also separate by Administrators, Faculty, Staff, or Students.
• Departments with fewer than 40 employees are not listed as a sub-group.

It is the responsibility of the individual requesting the mass message to meet the above requirements.