myBama
Office of Information Technology

Mass Email

What Faculty and Staff Need to Know 

Email is one of the University’s most effective ways to reach large audiences — but it also comes with legal, accessibility, security and deliverability requirements. To protect our campus community and ensure messages reach their intended audience, the University has established requirements for sending mass email communications. 

This page explains: 

  • What faculty and staff need to know before sending mass email 
  • Approved email tools 
  • When and how to request approval to send mass emails to campus audiences 
  • How to request exceptions to the policy 

Mass Email Policy 

UA’s mass email policy outlines rules and guidelines for using mass email to communicate with faculty, staff and students as well as off-campus email addresses, such as alumni, donors, etc.  

All faculty and staff engaged in creating, writing or sending mass emails should become familiar with the policy. 

Mass Email Policy

What Counts as a Mass Email?

A mass email is any email sent through University systems to 50 or more recipients from a single address. This includes: 

  • Newsletters 
  • Announcements 
  • Event invitations 
  • Marketing or promotional emails 
  • Messages sent to large internal or external distribution lists 

Emails related to faculty‑student class interactions are not considered mass email and are excluded from this policy. 

Key Things to Know  

  • All mass emails must be sent using University‑approved email tools. 
  • Unapproved tools (like MailChimp or Constant Contact) are not allowed without an approved, documented exception. 
  • Campuswide emails require review and approval before sending. 
  • All emails must meet accessibility, branding and security requirements. 
  • Using unapproved tools may result in emails being blocked or not delivered — even if they appear to send successfully. 

What You Need to Do Before Sending a Mass Email 

  1. Review mass email policy. 
  2. Determine your audience size and scope (departmental, college‑level, or campuswide) This will determine who needs to approve and/or send the email. 
  3. Choose an approved email tool. 
  4. Confirm accessibility and branding requirements are met. 
  5. Secure required approvals. 
  6. Coordinate timing with StratComm (if applicable). 

            Approved Email Tools

            All mass email must be sent using tools approved by OIT and the Division of Strategic Communications (StratComm).  

            Important: Recipients with non-UA.edu addresses must always be able to unsubscribe or opt out of future emails. 

            ToolBest used forAudienceSubscription based?How to Request Access
            OutlookDay-to-day, plain text emails related to UA business Individual emails to internal and external audiences No All faculty and staff have individual accounts. Generic maildrop accounts can be requested through OIT. 
            Staffbase Mass emails with visual elements like photos, logos, etc. (ex. Newsletters, event invitations, letters from leaders, important announcements, etc.) Internal audiences only (faculty, staff, students) No. Users cannot unsubscribe. Request through Strategic Communications
            Emma Mass emails to external audiences (ex. alumni newsletter, marketing email for prospective students, event invitation, etc.) Internal or external audiences Accounts for sending to external audiences are required to include a link to unsubscribe. Internal accounts are not required to include an unsubscribe link.Reach out to your division manager
            Listserv Plain text mass emails and/or lists where members can email the list with varying permission levels Internal and external audiences Can be subscription-based or not, depending on audience.Request through OIT

            Other Tools  

            UA approved tools and software with primary functions other than email (such as Qualtrics) may also be used for mass email, provided they comply with the mass email policy and all University accessibility and opt‑out requirements. 

            Exceptions 

            Departments may request an exception to send mass emails with a tool not listed above. Exceptions will be considered for: 

            • Platforms with primary functions other than mass email or email marketing, such as customer relationship management (CRM) software, learning management systems (LMS), etc. 
            • Departments using a custom/non-UA.edu domain for sending emails (For example, info@name.org) 

            Who Needs to Approve Your Email? 

            Approval depends on who you’re emailing. 

            Emails to Recipients Outside UA 

            Faculty and staff who send mass emails to recipients outside the University must follow their unit’s internal policies and procedures regarding approval and sending. Prior authorization from StratComm or OIT is not required for external‑only emails. 

            However, all external mass emails must comply with the University’s mass email policy, including approved email tools, accessibility and opt‑out requirements. 

            Requirements for External Contact Lists 

            • Recipients must have explicitly opted in to receive communications from you (for example, through sign‑up forms, event registrations, subscriptions, or prior permission granted through an approved email platform). 
            • Purchased or scraped email lists cannot be used. 
            • All mass emails to external contacts must include a clear opt‑out or unsubscribe option. 

            Emails to Students, Faculty or Staff Within Your Unit 

            Schools, colleges, departments and administrative offices are authorized to send messages to their students, faculty or staff in accordance with department, school or college guidelines and procedures. Contact your supervisor, chair, dean or communication staff member for direction and/or approval. 

            Emails to Recipients from Multiple Units 

            If your message involves more than one unit: 

            • Approval is required from each unit. 
            • The sender is responsible for securing all approvals before the email is sent. 

            Campuswide Emails 

            • Emails sent to the entire campus (all faculty, staff, and students) must be approved and distributed by the Division of Strategic Communications (StratComm). 
            • Emails sent to a campuswide subgroup (all faculty, all staff, all employees or all students) must be reviewed and authorized by StratComm, but may be sent by the originating unit once authorization is granted. 

            Request a Mass Campus Email 

            1. Complete the mass campus email request form. 
            2. StratComm reviews. Completion of the form does not mean automatic approval. 
            3. StratComm provides written confirmation or denial to requestor. 

                Exceptions 

                Units that need to routinely email campuswide subgroups may request an exception to the review and authorization process above. Units with an exception must still coordinate timing and scheduling with StratComm to avoid conflicts with Universitywide communications. 

                Request an Exception to Send Mass Campus Emails Without Prior Approval 

                1. Submit the exception to mass campus email review request form. Completion of the form does not mean an exception is granted. 
                2. StratComm approves or denies and provides written confirmation of the decision to requestor. 
                3. Exception is documented in a spreadsheet shared with OIT. 

                Accessibility Is Required — Not Optional 

                All mass emails must be accessible to all recipients and comply with the University’s Web Resources Accessibility Policy. 

                This means: 

                • Information conveyed in images must also appear as real text. 
                • All images must include descriptive alt text. 
                • Videos and audio must include captions or transcripts. 
                • Emails should be readable using assistive technology. 

                Accessibility requirements apply to email content and linked materials. 

                Attachments Are Not Allowed 

                Mass emails may not include attachments. 

                If you need to share a document: 

                • Host it on a University‑approved website or cloud platform 
                • Include a link in the email  
                • Ensure linked materials are accessible 

                Security, Compliance, and Enforcement 

                All mass email must comply with: 

                • University policies 
                • State and federal laws 
                • Minimum security standards for mailing lists 

                Use of University email systems for personal, financial or commercial purposes is prohibited. 

                OIT and StratComm reserve the right to: 

                • Review mass email requests 
                • Deny or suspend requests that do not meet requirements 
                • Restrict or revoke access to email tools for repeated non‑compliance 

                Periodic audits may be conducted to ensure compliance. 

                    Resources

                    OIT and StratComm are here to help you: 

                    • Choose the right tool 
                    • Understand approval requirements 
                    • Access training and templates 
                    • Avoid common pitfalls that delay or block emails