1. Empowering Campus Communication: The University of Texas at Austin Group E-Mail System Tim Chamberlain Deanna Bearden

2. Introduction Ability to manage and distribute official university bulk e-mail Can contact any group on campus Decentralized system designed for flexibility and growth Only faculty and staff may send messages

3. Background Web Interface System Details Strengths & Limitations Q & A Agenda

4. Background Late 1990’s UT Austin had need for: –Ability to reach large number of students & employees –Ability to target specific groups –Up-to-date e-mail lists using data from Mainframe –Centralized system with monitoring capabilities Group E-Mail went live in 1999 Flexible system design Keeping up with campus needs

5. Web Interface Main processes: User requests authorization Administrator grants or denies request User generates unique e-mail list User sends e-mail through personal e-mail client within UT network

6. UT Direct Portal

7. Group E-Mail Home Page

8. Step 1: Select List

9. Step 2: Request Authorization

10. Step 2: Request Authorization, Cont.

11. Step 3: Await Authorization

12. E-mail to Administrator

13. Pending Requests Screen

14. Grant Authorization Request

15. Home Page - Authorized

16. Step 1: Generate E-Mail

17. Step 2: Generate E-Mail

18. Send E-Mail

19. Recipient’s E-Mail

20. System Details Main processes: User requests authorization Administrator grants or denies request User generates unique e-mail list User sends e-mail through personal e-mail client within UT network

21. Authorization Process Main Natural Module TXNPBMOO TXTABLES Secure E-mail Module Gatekeeper Requestor Web Interface Authorize? The End Secure E-mail Module APOLLO Natural Module YesNo

22. TX-TABLES screenshot

23. E-Mail List Generation Group E-mail module finds and calls specific list creation module TXTABLES Original E-mail Dataset List creation module creates dataset of e-mail addresses Batch job runs to remove users that have unsubscribed from Informational messages FTP step transfers list and policy file to Bulk Mail Server. List name mapped to the unique e-mail address generated for user. Policy File Revised E-mail Dataset To Bulk Mail Server

24. E-Mail Delivery Must send from UT Network Plain Text Only No Attachments Message Type must be specified in subject Only one use per address generated Reply all won’t spam list Unique e-mail address User’s E-Mail Client BMDS: unique address matched to recipient list, audited, delivered

25. Strengths –Only University-sanctioned messages –Real-time list generation –Easily targets specific groups –Centralized interface/decentralized system –Can accept custom lists –Ability to unsubscribe

26. Limitations –Lack of formatting –Possibility of delays –Passive moderation –Must send from University e-mail account –Lack of control over the decentralized generation modules

27. Q & A Questions? Contact us: –Tim Chamberlain tim.chamberlain@austin.utexas.edu tim.chamberlain@austin.utexas.edu –Deanna Bearden dbearden@austin.utexas.edu dbearden@austin.utexas.edu