All-Division Email Guidelines

Recognizing these expectations and concerns, the division has created these requirements, guidelines, and best practices to ensure all-division mass email remains an effective form of communication. 

Appropriate Use of All-Division Google Group Email

The all-division Google group (group-dasa-all@ncsu.edu) is open to anyone in the division and DASA faculty and staff are automatically added. All-division emails are appropriate for information that pertains to the majority of the recipients, is critical and/or time-sensitive, and meets one or more of the following standards:

• Provides information essential to the operation or execution of business;
• Notifies the division about changes in governance, policy and practice;
• Communicates important information from the vice chancellor and dean, chancellor, provost or other division or university senior leadership; 
• Notifies the division of an emergency situation, including weather-related emergencies.

If your message doesn’t meet one or more of these requirements, we ask that you submit your item to the DASA Internal Connections newsletter. Examples of things to submit to the newsletter include information about events, awards, or anything that isn’t extremely time-sensitive.

Inappropriate use of the all-division Google group includes, but is not limited to:

• Messages that are not in line with the division’s mission;
• Messages that are commercial in nature with the exception of those messages that are in support of university or division business;
• Political activities that advocate for or against a ballot measure or candidate;
• Messages for job postings or research recruitment;
• Solicitations for contributions, charities or participation in personal activities not related to university purposes or not sponsored by the university;
• Solicitations for non-university businesses operated by university faculty or staff;
• Messages that are discriminatory or infringe on privacy.

All announcements are moderated and must be approved by central communications before posting to the all-division group. 

Best Practices Guidelines

To promote operational efficiency and network security, the following guidelines govern internal mass email:

• A mass email message should be brief, self-explanatory, clear, and concise. If there is a need to convey more information, the sender should link to a webpage or seek other communication channels such as DASA Internal Connections.
• Include a succinct subject line that conveys the email’s purpose.
• Provide a link or contact information about where people may ask questions or get more information.
• Avoid sending frequent or repeated messages. Follow-up messages or reminders should seek other communication channels, with the exception of emergency communications.
• Collaborate with others in the division to avoid redundancy and reduce the number of messages sent.
• Links to web pages or Google docs are preferable to attachments.
• Avoid acronyms and jargon. Do not use acronyms on the first reference in the body of a message. For example, write out “Academic Success Center (ASC)” on the first reference, then use ASC on future references.
• Senders should avoid sending emails at the end of the day or on Friday afternoons to prevent their message from getting “lost” during non-work hours.

Sending an Email to the All-Division Google Group

• Anyone in the division can send to the all-division Google group.
• Craft your message using the guidelines listed above.
• Send to group-dasa-all@ncsu.edu.
• All messages are moderated by DASA Marketing and Communications and/or the Office of the Vice Chancellor and Dean before being distributed.
• Messages will be sent or returned for updating the same business day if sent before 3 p.m.