Broadcast Email Practice Directive

Division: University Advancement
Department: University Marketing and Communications
Contact Information: (Executive Director of University Marketing and Communications / Jeff Angileri / 262-472-1195 / angilerj@uww.edu)
Effective Date: Approved by the Chancellor’s Cabinet on Feb. 17, 2021
Revised Date: May 4, 2022


Authority:

University Marketing and Communications is the office designated by the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater to manage the dissemination of university-wide information.


Objective:

The purpose of this practice directive is to ensure clear and consistent application of the approval of broadcast email communications.


Statement:

The broadcast email system, https://announcements.uww.edu/, shall be used to disseminate information of university-wide importance. To maintain audience trust and to avoid information fatigue, excessive emails should be avoided and only information of significant interest and need for faculty, staff, and/or students will be disseminated. 


Procedures:

Any administrative unit or academic department associated with UW-Whitewater may submit an announcement request as long as it follows the requirements in this practice directive. Once approved, the announcement will be posted to the announcements website and will be sent to selected campus audiences via a mass email. Announcements will be distributed to the narrowest applicable group(s). 

University Marketing and Communications, the Office of the Provost, ICIT and Human Resources and Diversity review submissions and reserve the right to make edits, refuse announcement requests that do not fit the criteria, change audience distribution groups, and to shorten the time period of approved announcements if it is deemed excessive.


Broadcast email announcements may be approved for the following purposes:

  • University-wide meetings, listening sessions or addresses of great importance such as the chancellor’s annual address and budget discussions.
  • Efforts that significantly impact enrollment, such as UW-Whitewater Foundation annual scholarship availability, high-level admissions and marketing campaigns, and student financial and registration information.
  • Annual reminders or requests for action/information to ensure the university is in compliance with federal or state law, and UW System or university policy. 
  • Important Human Resources information, such as employee benefits opportunities/changes and payroll reminders.
  • Obituaries of current students, faculty and staff members. Note: Emeriti and alumni obituaries are published in the Warhawk Pride alumni and friends email newsletter..
  • Selected campus-wide surveys or polls. Note: Requires pre-approval by the chancellor (for faculty/staff surveys) or the vice chancellor for student affairs (for student surveys); and if applicable, pre-approval and/or an exemption by Institutional Review Board for the Protection of Human Subjects.
  • Unexpected change of date, time or place, or cancellation of university-wide meeting or program.
  • Inclement weather announcements concerning class cancellations.
  • Significant changes in governance, policy, practice or university operations.
  • Health-related issues such as vaccines and mental health screenings.
  • Open forums/hiring of a cabinet-level or dean-level position.
  • Messages requested for mass communication by UW System, and applicable higher education announcements by the governor.
  • Grant application opportunities.
  • Governance group chairpersons can submit announcement requests to go to their respective governance group.
  • Monthly digest of LTC training and LEARN Center training.
  • Call for university-wide nominations and award announcements that are part of a unified, centralized message campaign.
  • ICIT announcements that impact widely-used essential systems, such as WINS and Canvas.
  • Any announcement requested or approved by the Chancellor.

 


Emergency communication

The broadcast email system is not meant to serve as a means to disseminate crisis information. The university’s crisis communication platform, https://emergency.uww.edu/, is specially designed for this purpose, with direct connection to the university and city police department, and with capabilities that include simultaneous email notification, mobile push notification, website alert and mobile text alert.


Events

The broadcast email system is not meant to disseminate information on university events, such as lectures, speakers, performances, panel discussions, exhibits, etc. Organizers seeking university-wide promotion for their events can submit information for inclusion on the university’s Events Calendar and/or for inclusion in Warhawk Weekly.


Searchable Words:

Mass email
Broadcast email
Announcements