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Bulkmail Procedures

PROCEDURES

The following procedures comply with the Bulkmail Policy.

All authorized messages must include the following plain text information in this, or a similar, format:

1. From: [sender address at usu.edu]”
2. Reply-to: [reply-to address at usu.edu]” if not the sender
3. Standard subject line tags to indicate urgency level: Official, Urgent, Important, FYI
   1. [USU:Official]... indicates an official communication that must be received by every recipient due to regulation, requirement or law. The sender must find another way to contact the recipients of messages that cannot be delivered by the email system.
   2. [USU:Urgent]... indicates a message that everyone needs to read
   3. [USU:Important]... indicates a message that everyone will want to read
   4. [USU:FYI]... indicates a message that the sender wants everyone to read
4. At the end of the message: "This message to [constituent group] was authorized by [name],[administrative title]."
5. The USU Bulkmail Utility is provided as an optional way to comply with these requirements.

All authorized messages must have the following attributes:

1. To protect the privacy of recipients from each other (in compliance with possible FERPA restrictions), eliminate subsequent spamming with "reply-to-all", prevent the unauthorized re-distribution of the addresses for other purposes, and avoid the interference of a huge recipient list appearing above your message, recipient addresses must be hidden from each other by:
   1. generating messages individually or
   2. using the “Bcc:” field for the recipient list.
2. Message contents must be in plain text or html (but not in attachments) whenever possible. URL Links to web forms or document files stored on a USU or other reputable web server should be used instead to provide access to graphical media, documents and formatted information. This avoids possible confusion with virus messages, worms, hoaxes, and other scams contained in unexpected email attachments that may try to imitate legitimate university messages.
3. Official communications that are sent in compliance with a rule or regulation must begin with “[USU-Official]” on the subject line and comply with other requirements for official communications, including followup of delivery failures for confirmed contact by other means.

Getting the appropriate list of recipient addresses can be the hard part of the whole process.  Please note that "Global Address Book" lists are NOT appropriate in most cases, even to "all employees".  A carefully crafted inquiry to Banner for the "preferred email address" of an appropriately targeted list of recipients is usually best.  For assistance requesting the list, contact the "owner" or "data steward" for the constituency being targeted. (e.g. HR for employees or the Registrar for students.)

Requests by others for access to or use of such lists must be approved by the administrator responsible for that constituency. For example, use of lists of:

1. the entire student body must be approved by the President, Provost or VP for Student Services as well as the Executive Director of Public Relations & Marketing.
2. the entire faculty, by the President, Provost, VP for Business and Finance or Faculty Senate President
3. students in a major, by the appropriate Dean, Department Head or Academic Advisor.
4. professional employees, by the President of PEA or VP for Business and Finance.
5. classified employees, by the President of CEA or VP for Business and Finance.
6. students with fees due, by the Manager of the Cashiers Office.
7. residents of USU housing, by the Director of Housing & Food Services or VP for Business and Finance.
8. students in a course, by their instructor.

The Outlook Global Address Book, is generally not appropriate for any target group. 

GUIDELINES

1. All USU units (depts., offices, organizations) should have access to university email resources to communicate with their constituency.
2. The administrator of any USU unit may build and maintain a list for the current constituency of that unit.
3. Anyone may maintain an "opt-in" list of any willing recipients.
4. Messages at regular intervals (e.g. weekly) to all faculty, staff or students should be handled by the Office of Public Relations and Marketing.