University Email Distribution Guide

When planning an email to a specific group of UMB constituents, start by answering a few key questions and considering the scope of your message.

‘The Elm’: UMB’s Preferred Communication Tool

Understanding the Office of Communications and Public Affairs' (OCPA) email guidelines, along with the purpose and function of The Elm, can help you build a strategic plan for distributing your message. For communicating with UMB's internal audience, The Elm will likely be your best option.

• The Elm is a Universitywide publication, so all University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) employees have access to it and automatically receive The Elm Weekly recap email each Monday morning.
• The Elm web-based news platform and its companion, The Elm Weekly email, were created at the request of UMB faculty, staff, and students specifically to reduce the number of emails constituents were receiving.
• The Elm is a channel for sharing stories, announcements, accolades, voices and opinions, and calendar events.
• The Elm Weekly is a user-submitted weekly email newsletter featuring items of interest to the UMB community. Note that not all content on The Elm website is included in The Elm Weekly email.

When ‘The Elm’ Is Not the Best Option

Sometimes a person or department needs to convey a message Universitywide (e.g., a leadership communication) or to a large targeted group (e.g., a Human Resources health and wellness communication).

• Leadership emails: When an email contains content from UMB leadership — such as the President's or a Vice President's office — OCPA assists with preparation and distribution using Constant Contact, a digital and email marketing platform.
• Targeted group emails: If a unit or department wants to email a targeted group, there are a few options:
  • Submit a request to OCPA to determine whether the message meets the criteria for distribution through OCPA's Constant Contact account.
  • For recurring or targeted emails that don't meet those criteria, OCPA recommends purchasing your own Constant Contact subscription. Keep in mind:
    • Your contact list may include only opt-in subscribers.
    • Because of the opt-in policy, OCPA does not share its email contact lists.

Email Request Guidelines

• Requests for emails sent through OCPA must be submitted at least five business days before the intended launch. Your email will be scheduled around other concurrent requests, and OCPA cannot guarantee a specific launch date or time.
• Leadership emails are generally prioritized.
• Universitywide emails are reserved for promotion or new-hire announcements at the Vice President or Dean level only.
• All emails are subject to final approval by the Senior Vice President for External Relations.

Once your information is submitted, the email workflow is as follows:

1. Created in Constant Contact
2. Reviewed by a small, CPA-defined group of editors, along with your assigned email approver(s)
3. Sent to a university email test listserv for editorial review
4. Scheduled for distribution

Information Needed for OCPA-Executed Distribution

Once your email is approved for sending through OCPA, please provide the following:

• Requested Drop Date: Preferred send date
• Preferred Drop Time: Preferred send time, if applicable
• Point of Contact: Person who initiated the request and can answer OCPA's questions
• Test List: Name(s) and email address(es) of those approving the first draft (typically one to two people)
• Audience: Email list(s) to use, e.g., faculty, staff, students, affiliates (some or all); alumni; or a custom list provided in Excel with column headings
• From: Usually an office name, e.g., "University of Maryland, Baltimore | Office of the President" or "University of Maryland, Baltimore | Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion"
• Reply Email: A "reply to" address, if applicable; otherwise, state "None" and OCPA will use donotreply@umaryland.edu
• Subject Line: The email's subject line
• Template: A specific logo or template to use, if any
• Header Needed (Y/N): Whether a custom header is required; if so, attach artwork or coordinate with design to create one
• Other Info: Any additional details the email publisher should know
• Content: Signee name(s), title(s), and credentials, if known — otherwise OCPA will add them

Another Option: Creating an Opt-In Newsletter

Departments, units, or centers that want to send regular updates to their audience can purchase their own Constant Contact account to distribute a newsletter directly to subscribers.

This newsletter goes only to people who have opted in through Constant Contact's subscription feature.

All opt-in newsletters must be approved by Communications and Public Affairs' Chief Marketing Officer (see the OCPA branding page for details.) OCPA also offers services such as creating and loading templates into Constant Contact, promoting an opt-in newsletter to help build your mailing list, and adding a sign-up form to a webpage. To request these services, submit a work order request.