Email

University Relations strives to use campus communications resources effectively and efficiently. Email is an efficient, cost-effective and environmentally friendly way to communicate and share important institutional updates and information with faculty, staff and students. Non-strategic use of mass email can reduce employee productivity and hinder the University’s ability to deliver critical messages.

Recognizing these expectations and concerns, University Relations – Health Sciences has created guidelines to ensure email remains an effective form of communication.

Mass email is any email message sent to the entire WVU Health Sciences community (e.g., all undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in one of the five health schools, all residents, faculty and staff with an @hsc.wvu.edu email address).

Mass email is 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:

  • Alerts the campus community to situations about health and safety risk, as defined in the West Virginia University Crisis Communication Plan;

  • Provides information essential to the operation or execution of University business related to information technology or facilities issues;

  • Communicates information from the Office of the Chancellor and Executive Dean.

Mass emails are not permitted for distribution by individuals. All such communications must be approved and sent directly by University Realtions - Health Sciences (Add link once communicator contacts are created) administration.

All other announcements for the entire WVU Health Sciences community can be shared via Health Sciences Weekly.

Health Sciences faculty, staff and students may use departmental LISTSERVS for official school-related communications only. Only official email addresses will be used (@mix.wvu.edu for students, @hsc.wvu.edu for faculty and staff) on LISTSERV lists.

Remember, mass email is not the only tool for sharing information, nor is it necessarily the most appropriate tool for all communications. These guidelines are intended to reduce the number of unsolicited Health Sciences-wide email messages, while preserving the effectiveness of email and maintaining the free flow of information. Announcements that do not meet the guidelines should use other communication channels.

Information about LISTSERV and Office 365 Groups for targeted audiences can be found in the WVU IT Help Center.