Policy Statement

Ramapo College provides mass communications and distribution list services to academic and administrative units as needed in order to facilitate communications. Mass communications are electronic communications intended for and addressed to large set(s) of recipients (hereafter “audience groups”) within the Ramapo College community. Mass communications systems generally include: email, text message, Web message, official social media accounts, and voicemail.

Thoughtful coordination of and limited authorization to distribute unsolicited mass communications to large and specific audience groups is required in order to foster the integration of communication efforts and increase the effectiveness of mass communications that are sent to the following audience groups:

1) all undergraduate students,
2) all graduate students,
3) all faculty,
4) all staff,
5) all managers,
6) all members of the Board of Trustees,
7) all RCNJ Retirees, and
8) all RCNJ alumni.

This policy does not apply to emergency situations, communications by first responders, Timely Warnings, and regulatory notices when timely notice to avoid danger and/or ensure compliance or understanding outweighs the benefits of wider review and approval of messages.

Reason for Policy

The purpose of this policy is to instruct users on the appropriate use of mass communications to include their purpose, coordination, and controls. It also serves to provide recommendations on how to effectively send mass communications to reduce recipient fatigue and confusion, and effectively utilize campus communication resources. To set forth policy and procedure relative to the purpose, coordination, controls, and approvals for the development and distribution of unsolicited mass communications via various systems to specific Ramapo College audience groups.

To Whom Does the Policy Apply

The policy applies to all members of the college community.

Related Resources

• Appendix 640A: Authorizations
• Procedure 640: Mass Communications
• Policy 228: Emergency Notification
• Policy 604: Responsible Use of Electronic Communications Procedure
• Policy 609: Social Media
• Emergency Preparedness Plan
• CAN-SPAM Act
• Ramapo College Brand Guidelines

Contacts

Office of Communications and Public Relations

I. Mass Communications Guidelines

II. Mass Communications Systems

Ramapo College recognizes the following mass communications systems:

• Mass Email: Mass email, for the purposes of this policy, is the electronic mail distribution of information to the College’s mass communications audience groups.
  • In furtherance of Policy 604: Responsible Use of Electronic Communications:
    • Email is the official communication mechanism with Ramapo College students and employees. All Ramapo College students and employees are provided with email accounts for the purpose of conducting official college business and are required to maintain an “@ramapo.edu” account.
  • Mass email communications must comply with the following content standards:
    • Reply To: All mass email messages include a “reply to” account as part of the message so that recipients will know to whom to direct responses to the message.
    • Recipient List: All mass email messages will mask the recipient list via the use of blind carbon copy when not utilizing an ITS-created distribution group. This practice will mitigate unintended use of the “reply to all” feature within most email programs.
    • Subject Line: All mass email messages deploy Subject Lines that address the primary purpose of the message content. Subject Lines should avoid using symbols.
    • Greeting Line: All mass email messages include a Greeting Line at the top of the body of the message clearly identifying the audience group(s).
    • Mass email messages do not include attachments or embedded images larger than 2 MB.
    • Mass emails shall adhere to the College’s brand guidelines. All authorized digital mastheads for mass emails are designed by the Office of Marketing adn Branding.

All senders of mass email messages are responsible for compliance with the Federal CAN-SPAM Act and all related College policies.

Only emergency/major disruption notifications and Timely Warnings may be broadcast simultaneously over both the mass email and mass voicemail systems.

• Text Message: Text Messaging, for the purposes of this policy, is the distribution of information to the mobile devices of registered audience group members. The use of text messaging for mass communications is generally limited to emergencies and major disruptions and is in accordance with the College’s Emergency Preparedness Plan and Policy 228: Emergency Notification & Timely Warnings.
  • Note: Limited offices also issue Push Notifications/Chat Messaging to select audiences for the purposes of timely non-emergency information sharing. Authorization to distribute these messages is described in Section IV and Appendix 640A: Authorizations.

• Web Message: Web messaging, for the purposes of this policy, is the posting of information to the College’s Internet Home Page and Intranet Home Page, and the College’s Emergency Preparedness Site. The use of Web Messaging for mass communications is generally limited to emergencies and major disruptions and is in accordance with the College’s Emergency Preparedness Plan and Policy 228: Emergency Notification & Timely Warnings.

• Official Social Media Accounts: The College’s official social media accounts, for the purposes of this policy, are stewarded in accordance with Policy 609: Social Media, the Emergency Preparedness Plan, and Policy 228: Emergency Notification & Timely Warnings.

• Mass Voicemail: Mass voicemail, for the purposes of this policy, is the distribution of pre-recorded information to the College’s registered voicemail users. The use of mass voicemail for communications is generally limited to emergencies and major disruptions and is in accordance with the College’s Emergency Preparedness Plan and Policy 228: Emergency Notification & Timely Warning. Only emergency/major disruption notifications and Timely Warnings may be broadcast simultaneously over both the mass email and mass voicemail systems.

III. Mass Communications Audience Groups & Governance

Ramapo College recognizes the following mass communications audience groups and associated governance:

• Undergraduate Students: All campus members with active undergraduate student enrollment status (full-time and part-time students, matriculated and non-matriculated students, and employees who are enrolled in courses). Information Technology Services (ITS) is responsible for the currency and access controls of the undergraduate students audience group.
• Graduate Students: All campus members with active graduate student enrollment status (full-time and part-time students, matriculated and non-matriculated students, and employees who are enrolled in courses). Information Technology Services (ITS) is responsible for the currency and access controls of the graduate students audience group.
• Faculty: All campus members who teach a course (full-time or part-time faculty, adjuncts, staff who teach). Also included in this designation are librarians, advisors, staff in the Office of the Provost, academic deans, and unit secretaries from the schools. People Operations and Employee Resources is responsible for the integrity of the membership of the faculty audience group. Information Technology Services (ITS) is responsible for the currency of the group and maintaining access controls.
• Staff: All non-faculty campus members who receive a paycheck (full-time and part-time). Also included are auxiliary services employees. Student employees are not included. People Operations and Employee Resources is responsible for the integrity of the membership of the staff audience group. Information Technology Services (ITS) is responsible for the currency of the group and maintaining access controls.
• Managers: All employees who receive a paycheck (full-time and part-time) who are not represented by a collective bargaining agreement. People Operations and Employee Resources is responsible for the integrity of the membership of the managers audience group. Information Technology Services (ITS) is responsible for the currency of the
  group and maintaining access controls.
• Board of Trustees: All current publicly appointed members of the Ramapo College Board of Trustees. The Office of the President is responsible for the integrity of the membership of the Board of Trustees audience group, its currency, and maintaining access controls.
• Retirees: All active retired faculty and staff of Ramapo College. People Operations and Employee Resources is responsible for the integrity of the membership of the retirees audience group. Information Technology Services (ITS) is responsible for the currency of the group and maintaining access controls.
• Alumni: All active graduates of Ramapo College. Institutional Advancement is responsible for the integrity of the membership of the alumni audience group, its currency, and maintaining access controls.

IV. Authorization for Mass Communications Systems and Audience Groups

Authorization to use the College’s mass communications systems and to access the mass communications audience groups is limited and is outlined in Appendix 640A: Authorizations (pdf).

Authorized Primary Senders may craft, endorse, and distribute mass communications.

Authorized Secondary Senders may craft, endorse, and distribute mass communications in the absence of an Authorized Primary Sender or at the direction of an Authorized Primary Sender.

Unless noted in this procedure, Authorized Primary and Secondary Senders are not permitted to distribute mass communications on behalf of other parties.

Unauthorized use of the College’s mass communications systems and/or audience groups may be subject to investigation and discipline.