Mass Email Procedures Policy

General Information

Mass emailing involves sending unsolicited email messages to a group of otherwise unrelated campus email addresses. Mass email messages are a useful and convenient way of informing the campus community. However, because they have the potential to unnecessarily consume resources and clutter campus inboxes, the college requires that senders of such messages adhere to usage guidelines.

• Use of campus mass email is subject to SUNY Plattsburgh's Responsible Use of Technology Policy (See Appendix).

Whether mass email messages are sent by using a personally constructed list of addresses or a system-generated list (i.e., a Digest), there is no difference in the effect or applicability of this campus policy. Recipients of system-generated lists do not have the ability to opt out of this system.

Acceptable content criteria

While the ability to send mass emails is confined to authorized users, those users are obligated to restrict such use to mailings that fit the following criteria:

• Be non-commercial in nature
• Be related to the college's mission or business functions
• Be issued in text format with no attachments
• Be brief (200-400 words), and include a link to a web site or shared Google drive document if more information needs to be communicated
• If a survey, be approved by Sponsored Research prior to being sent to any email list.

Improper content

The following types of announcements should not be sent out as mass emails:

• Lost-and-found notices
• Personal statements
• For rent/sale items

Mass Email Lists

The campus maintains several system-generated mass email lists, sent as listservs targeted to specific groups and Digests,

Digest Lists

These lists send messages once a day after being collected in the system. There are two lists: one for students and one for employees. 

• [email protected] – received as “Employee-Digest."  This Digest feed goes to all active employees of SUNY Plattsburgh (only faculty & staff can send to this list)
• [email protected] – received as “Student-Digest.” This Digest feed to all enrolled students (all active students, faculty & staff can send to this list)

Lists Targeted to Select Campus Groups

Several population-defined lists are also maintained. These lists are considered mass email lists, and users must follow acceptable content guidelines, as stated above.

Anyone with a campus email address can post to these lists.  The lists are not moderated or constrained, nor do they include any branding.

Lists targeted to select campus groups

Several population-defined lists are also maintained. These lists are considered mass email lists, and users will follow acceptable content guidelines as stated above. Only faculty and staff can post directly to the specific system lists; these are:

• Auxiliary - Auxiliary Services Employees
• Classified - SUNY Plattsburgh Classified Employees (includes classified M/C and staff represented by CSEA, PEF, and University Police Bargaining Units)
• Emeriti - SUNY Plattsburgh Emeriti
• Faculty - SUNY Plattsburgh Faculty Employees (includes Academic, Professional, and M/C)
• RF - SUNY Plattsburgh Faculty Employees who are part of the Research Foundation
• Union-CSEA - CSEA Union Members
• Union-MC - Management Confidential Staff
• Union-PEF - PEF   Union Members
• Union-UUP - UUP  Union Members

To send to the lists above, add @plattsburgh.edu to the ending of the listname.

Critical and Emergency Mass Email Lists

Four special mass email lists are reserved solely for critical and emergency alert circumstances. Messages sent to these lists are delivered as quickly as possible.

The Digests, critical lists, and emergency lists are tightly controlled. A limited number of authorized users are permitted to send messages to these lists. Messages sent to these lists also include special campus branding and are moderated. All users are obligated to restrict such use to mailings that fit campus criteria. A list of authorized senders can be obtained by contacting the ITS Dean's office.

• [email protected] - the email distribution to all employees and academic building occupants, for high-urgency, critical alerts only
• [email protected] - the email distribution to all on/off campus students, for high-urgency, critical alerts only
• [email protected] - the email distribution to all employees and academic building occupants, for emergency alerts only
• [email protected] the email distribution to all on/off campus students, for emergency alerts only

A limited number of authorized users are permitted to send messages to the critical and emergency lists. All users are obligated to restrict such use to mailings that fit campus criteria. A list of authorized senders can be obtained by contacting the ITS Dean's office.

Examples of Critical mass emails messages:

• Registration
• Weather policy
• Downtime for major computer systems (e.g. Banner, network, etc.)
• Professional development
• Facilities information regarding heating/water/major construction
• Interviews for candidates @ director level and above
• Campus-wide speakers and events

Examples of Emergency mass emails messages:

• active shooter
• class cancellations
• state/national/local/campus emergencies