Procedure for Use of the College’s Everyone Email System

Administrative Procedure 3.105

Purpose 

Elgin Community College's electronic mail (email) is recognized as an official College correspondence. To reduce the number of non-essential emails sent to all employees, access to the 'everyone' email distribution list is restricted. Emails that are not directly related to business operations, institution-wide initiatives and strategic priorities, or not immediately time-sensitive, will need to be approved by the Communications Department. 

The purpose of this policy is to provide guidelines for the distribution and use of 'everyone' emails that are sent to all employees. 

The 'everyone' email distribution list is available for the sending of messages that relate to timely sharing of business operations, institution-wide initiatives, and strategic priorities. For campus events, employees are encouraged to post to the campus calendar and share in advance with the Communications Office for inclusion in social and traditional media distributions. Most emails are more appropriate for department listservs. 

Scope & Definitions 

This policy applies to all employees of Elgin Community College. 

Access and Approval 

The following employees have access to the 'everyone' email distribution list and can send emails without prior approval: 

  • The President’s Office 
  • Cabinet Members 
  • College Deans 
  • Emergency Management 
  • ECCPD 
  • Facilities/Operations 
  • Information Technology 
  • Communications Department 

Requests from the broader college community that meet the criteria of this policy can be requested on an individual basis to be reviewed and approved by the Communications Department. 

Use 

Generally speaking, 'everyone’ email communications are appropriate for messages that 

  • Directly relate to carrying out the business of the college; 
  • Relate to changes in college policy or time-sensitive issues; survey distribution; and 
  • Inform a select group of people (e.g., faculty, staff, members of a specific department, etc.) of an announcement or information about their specific role within the college. 

All communications should comply with ECC’s 7-104 Electronic Mail policy. In addition, inappropriate use of ‘everyone’ email communications include, but are not limited to: 

  • Messages that are not in line with the mission of the college; 
  • Messages that are personal in nature; 
  • Messages that are commercial in nature, with the exception of those messages that are in support of college business and are approved by the stipulations defined in this policy. 
  • Announcements that do not meet this criteria of urgency and/or critical college information, should be distributed via other methods, such as MyElgin and appropriate department pages, the ECC event calendar, or Spartan Review. 

To promote institutional operating efficiency and network security, the following guidelines are intended to prevent an adverse impact of email services during working hours: 

  • A mass message should be brief, self-explanatory, clear, and concise, and should be used only for important messages relevant to all recipients college-wide. 
  • Messages should not exceed 250 words. To reference detailed information, website links can be included in the body of the message. 
  • Attachments should be limited in size and less than 2 MB. Links to information on My.Elgin and elgin.edu should be incorporated whenever possible. 
  • Avoid sending frequent or repeated messages. 
  • To prevent, numerous replies, be sure to bcc all recipients. 
  • Send collaborative messages with others at the college to avoid redundancy. 
  • Messages sent via the College email addresses must be consistent with existing College policies (See 7-104 Electronic Mail.) 

Broadcast communications must NOT be used for commercial advertisement purposes. Examples include: 

  • Commercial advertising for merchants or service providers external to the college, except for notices of services and discounts arranged for employees by the Human Resources Department 
  • Solicitations for contributions, charities, or participation in personal activities not related to college purposes or not sponsored by the College. 
  • Solicitations for non-college businesses operated by College faculty or staff. 
  • Surveys or solicitations to employees selected on demographic characteristics, such as selected groups or individuals identified as candidates for research subjects. Requests must go through the Institutional Research Department. 
  • Targeted audiences that might appear discriminatory or may appear to constitute an infringement on privacy. 

Selected notices and announcements of broad interest, usefulness, or need are among acceptable uses of an ‘everyone’ email. Such notices and announcements include those for: 

  • Emergency notices. 
  • Expected street, traffic, and parking interruptions resulting from construction 
  • Broadcasts of ECC Information Technology service changes, updates, and service interruptions. 
  • College special events, such as celebrations, commencement, or convocations. 
  • Other announcements or news reports directly affecting the community or the college. 

Enforcement 

The Communications Department along with the Chief Marketing, Communications and Government Relations Officer reserves the right to approve broadcast emails that meet the aforementioned criteria. If not approved, the Communications Department will provide consultation and recommendations on the most effective way to distribute information, including the use of sharing content on My.Elgin, the College’s internal hub for information.

This policy was last reviewed on 01/08/2024.

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