Statement of Purpose
Email to a university account is and will remain the official form of university communication. Text messaging campaigns are an additional method of communication the university may use to communicate with its constituents. While email remains the university’s official communication channel to students, faculty, and staff, mass/systematic text messaging provides an additional communication channel for timely, relevant, and important information to constituents.
The purpose of this policy is to:
- Define the circumstances under which the university may communicate with constituents via text messaging;
- Ensure that information about different opt-in and opt-out options is made available to constituents for all non-critical text messages; and
- Ensure that the university establishes the appropriate governance around the use of text messaging between the university and its constituents.
The policy does not apply to person-to-person text messaging between university constituents.
Entities Affected by this Policy
Entities affected by this policy include constituents and designated UNLV employees permitted to use approved university applications or systems to communicate with constituents who have opted-in to one or more text messaging campaigns.
Who Should Read this Policy
All students and UNLV employees should read and be familiar with the policy.
Policy
This policy applies to mass/systematic text messaging sent to students from university applications or systems approved for text messaging. The policy does not apply to person-to-person text messaging between university constituents.
- Text messaging campaigns may be utilized by authorized university officials to relay information to constituents:
- that affects health and safety;
- that is time-sensitive;
- impacts academic success; and/or
- encourages student engagement.
- Constituents have the right to opt-out of receiving text messages conveying critical information. However, constituents are strongly encouraged to remain opted-in to the university text channels designed to convey critical information for health and safety reasons.
- Constituents must be able to choose whether they are willing to receive non-critical text messages on an ongoing basis via accessible and clear opt-in processes.
- Constituents who have opted-in to non-critical text messages must be able to stop receiving (opt-out) text messages offered by the sender at any time.
- Text messages must be delivered in an accessible format.
- Text messages may only be sent from approved university applications or systems.
Information related to this policy, including procedures and how to request an exception to this policy, resides with the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost at https://www.unlv.edu/policies/current.
Per the Emergency Alert System section (Title 4, Chapter 1, Section 35) of the NSHE Board of Regents Handbook, each institution is required to have an emergency alert system that uses cell phone text notifications. At UNLV, the RebelSafe application delivers those messages and is governed by this NSHE policy, not the Student Text Messaging Campaign Policy.
For questions and to obtain information about the policy, please contact:
Text Messaging Administration Committee (TMAC)
tmac-group@unlv.edu
Related Information
University Policies
Links
Contacts
Definitions
- Accessible
-
Text messages delivered in a manner compliant with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
- Authorized University Officials
-
Full-time university employees who have received departmental or unit authorization, university applications or systems approval, and campaign approval
- Campaign
-
A set or series of messages sent to a list or segment of recipients who have opted in to receive text messages with a specific purpose, including information dissemination, calls to action, notifications, and/or reminders
- Constituents
-
Individuals with an affiliation with the institution, such as students, faculty, staff, parents, and community members
- Critical Information
-
Text messages, approved by the appropriate authority, that convey health and safety matters and/or time sensitive information
- Opt-In
-
When the recipient replies to an invitation to receive future text messages from the sender
- Opt-Out
-
When the recipient chooses to no longer receive text messages from the sender
- Students
-
Individuals who are actively enrolled, who were previously enrolled and are eligible to reenroll, and who may choose to enroll at UNLV in the future, or who have graduated
- University Applications or Systems
-
Technical services administered by UNLV to support business processes that have been approved to deliver text messages