• Section 1 - Purpose and Scope
• Section 2 - Process and Key Controls
• Section 3 - Key Requirements
• Email
• Bulk Messaging
• Section 4 - Roles, Responsibilities and Accountabilities
• UQ Consumers
• UQ Staff
• ITS Manager, Application Administration
• ITS Manager, CRM
• Section 5 - Monitoring, Review and Assurance
• Section 6 - Recording and Reporting
• Section 7 - Appendix
• Authorisation to Send Bulk Messages
• Bulk Message Delivery Times
• Definitions

Section 1 - Purpose and Scope

(1) This Procedure outlines requirements at The University of Queensland (UQ or the University) for using UQ email accounts and sending messages to groups of UQ staff (including title holders) and students via email or SMS.

(2) This Procedure must be read in conjunction with UQ’s Information and Communication Technology Policy (ICT Policy) and applies to all consumers of UQ ICT resources as defined in the policy (UQ consumers).

Section 2 - Process and Key Controls

(3) UQ provides staff, students and alumni with an email account for the delivery of official UQ email.

(4) UQ staff and students must use the UQ email account in accordance with this Procedure and relevant policies, including:

1. for staff, the Staff Code of Conduct Policy; and
2. for students, the Student Code of Conduct Policy.

(5) UQ email accounts are issued for UQ purposes. UQ monitors email access and usage in alignment with the ICT Policy. Use of UQ email is not considered private, and UQ may monitor, access, restrict, terminate or suspend email accounts with approval from the Chief Information Officer or their delegate. Additionally, emails, attachments, and other documents in UQ email accounts may be subject to access applications under the Right to Information Act 2009 and Information Privacy Act 2009.

(6) UQ may communicate with all staff and students relating to University business.

(7) UQ may request staff and student mobile phone numbers to enable the receipt of official UQ communications via SMS.

(8) UQ staff may send bulk messages, with appropriate authorisation (see clauses 27-28), that are consistent with UQ policies and are for UQ purposes only.

Section 3 - Key Requirements

Email

(9) The following requirements apply to anyone with a UQ email account – this includes staff, students, alumni, contractors and sub-contractors, title holders, volunteers and Higher Degree by Research (HDR) students.

(10) Individuals must:

1. maintain their mailbox within the allotted mailbox size to ensure University mail can be delivered to the mailbox;
2. use their UQ email securely and in compliance with University policies, including the ICT Policy and the Acceptable Use of UQ ICT Resources Guideline;
3. prevent the use of their email accounts by persons not authorised by the University;
4. review emails before opening attachments or clicking links to ensure they are not malicious in nature (read more about email scams);
5. report suspicious emails to IT support (read how to report an email scam);
6. take caution forwarding emails, particularly if they contain SENSITIVE or PROTECTED information, or personally identifiable information (read more about information security classifications).

Staff Email

(11) The following requirements and controls apply to any individual with a UQ staff email account (including title holders, contractors, sub-contractors, volunteers, and HDR students):

1. UQ maintains a directory of staff and their assigned UQ (@uq.edu.au) email addresses including subdomains (e.g. name@its.uq.edu.au).
2. To request a custom email domain, submit an IT support request. Custom email domains must be related to official UQ business, and additional approvals (e.g. from Marketing and Communication, Head of School) may be required.
3. Staff email accounts should not be forwarded to an external service provider (e.g. Gmail or Hotmail) because there is no ability for UQ to provide content backup or information security, or to protect UQ’s information assets associated with email correspondence. Individual exceptions to this requirement may be granted by the Head of Organisational Unit if the staff account relates to a joint appointment or while the individual is seconded to another organisation. To request mail forwarding, complete and submit the request form via the Forwarding staff email to a non-UQ address web page. Group exceptions to this requirement (e.g. Academic Title Holders) must be reviewed and approved by the Chief Information Officer.
4. Staff must not use external email accounts (e.g. Gmail or Hotmail) for UQ correspondence.
5. Staff may delegate access to their mailbox when required, noting that additional approval may be required in some instances. Read more about allowing another person to manage your inbox.
6. Staff must apply the correct sensitivity label to their emails. Read more about sensitivity labels.
7. UQ recommends that the disclaimer below is added to email signatures (email signature templates are available in the UQ Digital Asset Manager):
   “This email (including any attachments) is intended only for the intended addressee, and it may contain confidential information. The University of Queensland does not waive the confidentiality of any such confidential information. If you are not the addressee, we do not authorise you to transmit, distribute, print or copy this email. If you received this email in error, please delete it and notify me. Unless stated explicitly, any opinions expressed in this email do not necessarily represent the official position of The University of Queensland.”
8. UQ will not provide individuals with access to their UQ email account after they have left the University. However, UQ staff can request an account extension prior to leaving – visit the Keeping staff email after you leave UQ page for instructions.
9. When a staff member becomes aware that their employment with the University may be (or has been) terminated, the staff member may copy personal emails or information (e.g. HR or financial information related to their employment, employment references) to their personal email account. Staff must not copy, delete, move or alter emails relating to UQ business (unless copying or moving to another UQ system such as SharePoint or TRIM).

Student and Alumni Email

(12) The following requirements and controls apply to UQ student and alumni email:

1. Students are provided with a UQ email account, and they are responsible for checking their University email account on a regular basis.
2. Students and alumni may forward their UQ email to an external provider (e.g. Gmail or Hotmail) or to another UQ email address. If a UQ email account is forwarded to an external or third-party provider, UQ is not responsible for its successful delivery.
3. An alumni email account will be terminated at the request of the account owner.

Bulk Messaging

(13) Bulk messaging is the sending of an email or SMS message to all UQ staff (including title holders) and/or students, or a specific group of staff and students (e.g. all students within a school or faculty).

(14) The requirements below do NOT apply to bulk messages sent to groups other than current UQ staff and students. Contact UQ Advancement and Community Engagement for information on alumni and donor bulk messaging requirements. In other instances (e.g. messages to future students), the message organiser must ensure that messages follow the appropriate approval process for their organisational unit or department, and comply with the Spam Act 2003 (Cth) and any relevant UQ policies and procedures, including the Privacy Management Policy.

(15) The Service Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool is the centrally supported tool for sending bulk messages to staff and students. It includes a contact directory that allows UQ staff to send bulk messages to recipients within certain groupings or ‘segments’ and to custom contact lists which should be maintained by the organisational unit. Note that staff segments do not include externals (e.g. contractors, consultants, extramural accounts), however staff can add these as a custom contact list. Staff using other tools to send bulk messages must adhere to the requirements below as relevant.

(16) Staff who wish to organise and send bulk messages via the Service CRM must take the Broadcast Mailings training first. Certain authorised staff members may have the ability to send bulk emails to distribution lists via Office 365 (e.g. staff within a particular organisational unit) and they must adhere to the requirements below as relevant.

(17) The following requirements apply to sending bulk messages at UQ:

1. Staff organising bulk messages must ensure messages are checked or ‘proofed’ prior to sending.
2. Bulk messages must be authorised by a relevant UQ officer prior to sending. See the authorisation tables in section 7 (clauses 27-28) of this Procedure for guidance; however, depending on the message purpose and audience, each organisational unit may have their own approval hierarchies and delegations.
3. Senders are considered representatives of UQ and must ensure that messages are relevant to the entire recipient audience, consistent with UQ policies and are for a University purpose.
4. Messages should be sent from a UQ staff account or the account of a specific UQ role or function (e.g. Head of School, Chief Human Resources Officer, or Faculty Executive Manager).
5. If the message is being sent to all staff, the message organiser must contact Marketing and Communication (via communications@uq.edu.au) prior to sending, to ensure the timing of the message does not clash with other bulk messages.
6. Bulk messages to UQ staff and students must be sent to their UQ email, and not external email addresses (e.g. students’ personal email addresses).
7. The names of recipients should remain anonymous to other message recipients. For example, student names, student usernames, email addresses and student numbers should not be displayed publicly.
8. Custom contact lists uploaded to the Service CRM must contain current UQ email addresses and the preferred names of recipients (where possible). Contact lists larger than 1000 recipients can only be uploaded by the ITS Service CRM team (submit an IT support request to organise).
9. If personalising the bulk message via the Service CRM, the recipient’s preferred name must be used. Where there is no preferred name listed, use the first name or other name field.
10. Bulk messages should clearly explain to the recipient why they are receiving the message.
11. If embedding links in bulk messages, where possible use web links from UQ and other reputable and recognisable locations (e.g. state and federal government).
12. SMS bulk messages should focus on high priority topics and be sent to a relevant audience.

Section 4 - Roles, Responsibilities and Accountabilities

UQ Consumers

(18) UQ consumers are responsible for:

1. using their UQ email in compliance with this Procedure; and
2. complying with other University policies and procedures while using their UQ email.

UQ Staff

(19) Staff who organise and send bulk messages are responsible for:

1. undertaking the Broadcast Mailings training if using the Service CRM;
2. proofing messages and seeking approval from authorised staff before sending messages (see clauses 27-28);
3. ensuring contact lists contain current UQ email addresses and the first or preferred names of recipients;
4. ensuring any bulk messages they send are in accordance with this Procedure and other UQ policies, including the Staff Code of Conduct Policy, Student Code of Conduct Policy and Privacy Management Policy;
5. notifying Marketing and Communication of messages to all staff prior to sending (via communications@uq.edu.au); and
6. ensuring that contact lists for current staff and students do not contain external email addresses.

(20) Staff authorised to approve bulk messages (listed in tables at clauses 27-28) are responsible for:

1. considering and reviewing the content of proposed bulk messages; and 
2. ensuring that messages are appropriate for dissemination to a large audience and comply with the requirements of this Procedure.

ITS Manager, Application Administration

(21) The ITS Manager, Application Administration is responsible for managing UQ’s email system. They are also responsible for maintaining this Procedure, including providing assurance regarding email requirements (clauses 9-12).

ITS Manager, CRM

(22) The ITS Manager, CRM is responsible for managing UQ’s Service CRM. They are also responsible for maintaining this Procedure, including providing assurance regarding bulk messaging requirements (clauses 13-17).

Section 5 - Monitoring, Review and Assurance

(23) The ITS Application Administration Manager and ITS CRM Manager will review this Procedure yearly and update the content as required to ensure its currency and relevance. They are also responsible for undertaking assurance assessments as required.

(24) ITS can measure and provide assurance via the Broadcast Mailings training and Service CRM data regarding bulk messages and email incidents.

Section 6 - Recording and Reporting

(25) Bulk messages sent via the Service CRM are stored for 400 days before expiring.

(26) If staff wish to record bulk messages and their contact lists in UQ’s record management system, IT Support can (on request, prior to sending) export the message and contact list.

Section 7 - Appendix

Authorisation to Send Bulk Messages

(27) TABLE 1 – Authorisation of broadcasts to all staff and students

(28) TABLE 2 – Authorisation of broadcasts to sub-groups of staff and students
*Note: depending on the message purpose and audience, each organisational unit, course or program may have their own approval hierarchies, processes and delegations. This table is for guidance only.

Bulk Message Delivery Times

(29) Bulk messages sent via the Service CRM have the following approximate delivery times, based on the audience size.

Definitions