Mass Email Guidelines

Mass email is an important communication tool; however, it is not the only tool, nor is it always the best tool. Time spent by students, faculty and staff on processing unwanted email can be extremely frustrating. These guidelines are intended to reduce the number of mass email messages sent to Reed community members, preserve the effectiveness of email as a communication tool, and maintain the free flow of information within the Reed community.

First Consider Alternatives to Using Mass Email

Before sending a mass email to Reed community members, individuals are encouraged to consult with the Office of Public Affairs and/or consider using one or more of these alternative communication channels.

• Submit an announcement for the weekly Campus Announcements & Events email that is distributed by public affairs to the entire campus.

• Submit a story idea to public affairs. Public affairs will review your idea and consider it for publication in Reed Magazine or inclusion on the Reed homepage.

• Work with Conference & Events Planning to add an event to the Reed events calendar.

• Make a verbal announcement at a department or general staff meeting.

• Consider sending an email to a small targeted email list.

Mass Email Approval

If sending a mass email turns out to be the best way to communicate your message, it must be authorized by one of the following people in order for Computer User Services (CUS) to release it.

Primary Approver for Sending Mass Emails

• Faculty: Dean of Faculty Office
• Staff: Vice President/Treasurer Office
• Student: Vice President for Student Life or Dean of Students Office

Others Who Can Authorize and/or Send Mass Emails to All Lists

• All Senior Staff members or their designees

Others Who Can Authorize and/or Send Mass Emails to Faculty and Staff Lists

• Director of the Center for Teaching & Learning

Others Who Can Authorize and/or Send Mass Emails to Student Lists

• Associate Dean for Student and Campus Life
• Student Payroll Manager
• Director of Physical Education
• Mail Services Manager

Use of internal email lists to conduct surveys of students, faculty, or staff

Access to Reed email lists for internal surveys requires consultation with the office of institutional research.

Criteria for Mass Email Message Approval

• Confirm mass email is the best medium for your message
  Have you consulted with Public Affairs regarding the suitability of using mass email and alternative communication channels that may be more appropriate?

• Mass email should be relevant to the recipients
  Is the substance of the message relevant to the intended audience?

• Message should be clear and concise
  The message must include a subject line that is relevant to the message's content, and the body text must be clear and concise.

• Sender must use a Reed email address
  Use of an address at a domain not owned by Reed College to distribute mass email is prohibited.

• Message must be accessible
  The message must be composed in either plain-text or multipart plain-text/HTML. All information conveyed by the message must be in the text, not embedded in images or other elements that are inaccessible by text-to-speech software. Any images in the message must include "alt" text describing the image for low-vision readers.

• Prohibited content
  The use of mass email for commercial, political, or external fundraising purposes is not allowed.

• Use of external mass email services
  Use of an external mass email service—such as Constant Contact or MailChimp—must be approved by the Office of Public Affairs, comply with these standards, and provide recipients with the option of unsubscribing from future mailings.

• Sending mass emails to recipients outside of Reed
  Sending mass email to individuals outside of the Reed community by purchasing or otherwise collecting their email addresses without their consent is a violation of the law. Such mass emails may only be sent with the consent of the recipients. For further information, please consult the Public Affairs Office.

Reed Mass Email Lists

Official Reed mass email lists that address the entire Reed community, faculty, staff, or students cannot be unsubscribed.

(enrolled includes MALS, HIP, Language Scholars, Young Scholars, and enrolled employees)

If you wish to send mass emails to alumni, parents, or other constituencies, please consult with Public Affairs for assistance.

For Assistance or to Release a Mass Email message

Business Hours (Monday-Friday 8:30am - 5:00pm)

Contact Computer User Services staff (cus@reed.edu; x7525, 503-777-7525).

Urgent Mass Email Messages that Must be Sent Outside of Business Hours

Contact Community Safety (503-771-1112)
The Dispatcher will connect you with the Executive Director of Communications or Director of Strategic Communications.

Important Notes

• All replies, vacation messages or error messages will go to the email address from which a message is sent.

• Emergency Notifications should be sent via Reed’s Emergency Alert System by contacting Community Safety at x6666 (503-788-6666).

Adopted by CPC 3/5/2020