Summary/Purpose: This policy establishes a process for the authorization, approval, and distribution of blast emails from the Alumni Association by Alumni staff to on- and off-campus constituents.
The purpose is to ensure a properly edited, branded and appealing email message is delivered. A second purpose is to coordinate the transmission of emails so that adequate notification is provided to Alumni staff.
Always verify that you are sending any blast email from the appropriate account or sub account. If you are unsure, ask someone in the Alumni MarComm dept.
Do not use imported static lists that are more than one month old. If you cannot build a dynamic list (segment) in the blast email application to meet your needs, request a list from IT using a data request form. When reusing dynamic lists, be sure to click the “refresh” button on the Segments page before using that list.
Once your email is completed, send a test to yourself and forward that test to the Alumni MarComm team for review, edits or other pertinent comments. Do not send email drafts before you have all the information needed for the final email, and do not send multiple tests of the same email. You are responsible for ensuring provided edits are applied. You can expect same-day turnaround on these tests, typically within half a day. At a minimum, either the director of communications and marketing, assistant director for communications or assistant director for marketing and membership should approve all blast emails from Alumni Association accounts before they are released. If one of the team members is unavailable, you may rely on those who are available. If you are working with an external contact on your email, such as a club or school, also get a signoff from that contact before releasing the email. Failure to follow the approval process may result in loss of access to blast email services.
Do not enter into an agreement with a third party to send emails from OMAA on their behalf unless prior approval has been granted by the director of communications and the CEO. OMAA corporate partnerships and sponsorships are overseen by the director of membership and marketing.
If your email may result in phone calls or emails to the Alumni office with questions or requesting more information, please ensure support staff are aware of your email’s content and send time. If the message pertains to membership, Alumni Records should also be included. If response to the blast email is expected to be significant, the requestor should provide applicable staff additional advance notification and instruction separate from the actual e-mail.