Mass Email Policy

Mass emails are administrative or operational in nature and provide details needed by the recipients to successfully perform their roles or fulfill responsibilities. These messages are essential to job performance or completing academic requirements, or are a required notification due to university, state or federal policy, law or regulation. Recipients are unable to opt out of official university emails as they are often distributed universitywide or campuswide on behalf of executive leadership. These messages may also be sent to support timely updates specific to a unique population based on their location, role at the university, etc.

Texas A&M University’s mass email policy outlines appropriate uses for this type of email communication. The email policy applies to all mass emails, including those sent to your administrative unit, campus or universitywide, and applies to all parts of Texas A&M University. This policy recognizes the importance of electronic communication to the university’s operation while protecting its faculty, students and staff from mailbox clutter caused by unwanted or unsolicited large-scale mailings.

For this mass email policy, “large-scale emailing” shall be considered any electronic mailing sent to more than 200 people in the university community. If you need assistance determining whether your message qualifies as “large-scale emailing,” contact the Digital Experience team.

For Silver Taps, Bonfire Memorial and Muster, non-emergency mass email and opt-list communication distributions are suspended to show respect for our Aggie Traditions that honor those who have passed away. For Silver Taps, each day is blocked; however, if no student has passed, or if there is an emergency, the block is released.

Uses

Large-scale emailing is intended for use when the message is of common importance to the receiving community and is not easily conveyed via other media, including the university calendar, mobile app, etc.

Principles

• Large-scale email communications within groups or units require prior approval of that group or unit. In email communications involving multiple units, approvals from each unit must be obtained before sending a campuswide or universitywide mailing. The sender of an internal email is responsible for obtaining the necessary permissions from the designated approver for each unit.
  • An internal email to all faculty, students and staff within a college or school must be approved by the communications lead for the academic unit.
  • An internal email in a department sent to all faculty, students and staff is approved by the department head and executed by the communications lead.
  • Each unit is responsible for vetting content internally to ensure the email is appropriate. The communications team lead, or assigned designated user, must approve internal emails to all personnel within an academic, division or administrative unit and ensure the unit’s lead (e.g., Vice President, Commandant, etc.) supports the proposed divisionwide communication.
  • An internal email sent campuswide or universitywide will be reviewed and must be approved by the Division of Marketing and Communications. These communications are requested through an online form. Depending on the origin of the email, a formal request will need to be submitted through the scheduling form where the recipients, send date and content are provided.
  • When scheduling an email, the Digital Experience Team will review content and provide guidance if the communication is outside the scope of that unit.
• Mass email communications sent on behalf of the Office of the President or identified as “from” the President, Vice President of Operations or the Executive Vice President and Provost to the university community are drafted, edited and distributed by the Division of Marketing and Communications in collaboration with the appropriate team lead.
• The content and formatting of mass emails within your respective unit are the responsibility of the requestor(s) of the mass email. Verifying accurate content, including but not limited to fact-checking, spelling and grammar, must occur before scheduling the email on the calendar. The review and approval of content and placement in a template for universitywide or campuswide mass emails are completed by the Division of Marketing and Communications.
• All mass email communications must utilize the university’s email distribution solutions and adhere to the approved design, content formats and standards.
  • Mass email messages must be created using the approved templates provided by the Digital Experience team.
  • Using attachments is not supported. If there is a need for attachments, provide a web URL of the document or file location. Links referencing documents within an email must meet digital accessibility laws.
• Any mass email communication intended for distribution to ALL students, faculty or staff must be approved for distribution by the Division of Marketing and Communications at the executive leadership level.
• Large-scale communications that involve two or more units must be approved by all units involved, regardless of the sending or requesting unit. All email communications intended for a campuswide distribution must be reviewed and approved by the Division of Marketing and Communications.
• Messages intended for applicants or admitted students must be approved by the Office of Admissions prior to delivery.
• Proposed large-scale mailings in conflict with Texas A&M University regulations or applicable laws are not permitted. All communications must demonstrate a direct relationship to university business or be within the scope of the university’s mission.
  • Examples of requests not within the scope of the university’s business or mission include but are not limited to:
    • The promotion of illegal activities, support of commercial activities not associated with the university or offers of personal financial gain.
    • Content, material or links that do not support a positive learning or working environment.
    • Unsolicited messages.
• The Division of Marketing and Communications reserves the right to review, suspend or deny mass email communication requests. In addition, a user’s ability to send announcements may be rescinded, revoked and/or restricted for noncompliance with this and/or other university policies.

Support

• To request email assistance or to be directed to the appropriate individual or group for approving a proposed large-scale mailing or for reporting or responding to a violation, email the Digital Experience team.
• For more information or to express questions or comments about this policy, please email the Digital Experience team.