Digital Mass Messaging Policy

Members of the University community who have a record(s) in any of the University’s databases, such as Banner. These individuals include students, faculty, staff, retirees, parents, donors, and alumni, and employees at foundations or other University-related organizations. Individuals who do not have a record in an official database may also be constituents through other relationships, for example by providing their email addresses when subscribing to listservs or purchasing tickets to athletic or cultural events. 

To all faculty, staff and students. 

A University-managed platform message, such as email, UNCG Mobile App push notification or other, to 500 or more constituents, whether sent at once or in segments, or sent University-wide. 

Communication(s) delivered through email, text, or UNCG Mobile App. 

Exceptions to pre-approval requirements include:

• Certain types of repetitive communications (for example, applying for graduation) for which on-going pre-approval has already been given; 
• Newsletters or listservs to which recipients have subscribed; 
• Annual notices required by law; 
• Transactional emails (such as billing reminders) that are deemed part of normal business practice and for which timely communication is crucial to sustained operations; 
• Notices to employees with certain responsibilities that cross units (for example, informing employees engaged in research that federal disclosure requirements have changed);  
• Communications to prospective students through the Office of Admissions and Office of Enrollment Communications to support annual recruitment strategies. 

The mass distribution of surveys to students, faculty, and/or staff, or any combination thereof, as a Mass Digital Communication must be pre-approved by the appropriate Associate Vice Chancellor(s) and/or Vice Chancellor(s). Distribution dates of anticipated student surveys must be shared with and approved by the Vice Chancellor for the Division of Student Affairs. Other than what is outlined in this Policy, there is no exception from the pre-approval requirement for survey distribution.  

Notification must be given to the Director for the Office of Research Integrity prior to the distribution of surveys related to academic research. The administration of such surveys is outside the purview of this policy and additional approvals may be required.  

Questionnaires, polling, and surveys distributed by an Associate Vice Chancellor, Vice Chancellor, or Dean only to their respective unit for logistical or planning purposes (for example, scheduling a meeting or asking constituents in their unit to provide feedback on a given process) are not bound by the provisions of this section. 

In order to safeguard the relevant and correct flow of information during an emergency or time of crisis, the Chancellor or designee may temporarily suspend applicable pre-approval requirements.