Text Messaging Policy

    Title: Text Messaging Policy
    Effective Date: May 1, 2022
    Issuing Authority:  Dean of Students and Information Technology
    Contact:  Rosalyn Eaton
    Last Updated:  May 1, 2022

    Policy Statement

    Text messaging is one means of communication that St. Olaf College uses to reach out to the College community. Texting (mass and one-to-one) is used by authorized college officials to relay important and time-sensitive information such as emergency notifications, campus closures, academic deadlines, and notices critical to student academic success. Text messaging must not be used as the sole means of communicating an essential message or announcement. All text messages must be supplemented by some other means of communication (e.g. electronic, paper notice) to ensure all students receive the information. 

    Definitions

    Mass text messages are defined as texts sent to a predetermined group of persons with whom the sender is not in direct, personal contact on a regular basis. 

    One-to-One text messaging is a targeted message to an individual student that is time-sensitive in nature.

    Who is Affected by This Policy

    This policy applies to all College employees acting in their professional capacity as St. Olaf employees.  The policy affects all students who may receive a text message from a college employee.

    Scope

    This policy covers all mass texts originating from any College office, or from any authorized College employee acting in their professional capacity.

    Messages

    Texting is reserved for information that is considered critical and/or time-sensitive. Text messages cannot be used for:

    • General information and announcements
    • Repeat reminders of text messages already circulated
    • Personal matters (e.g. items for sale)
    • Solicitation

    Crisis and/or emergency Text Messages

    These messages are sent out using OLE Alert when events that pose a significant disruption to College operations or threaten the safety and well-being of students, faculty, or staff. These messages are sent through the Ole Alert system upon approval of the Director of Public Safety and/or members of the Presidents Leadership Team (PLT).

    One-to-One

    Text messages are one-to-one communications to students from an authorized College employee.  These messages convey information applicable only to that student such as advising information, student accounts, and student life deans.

    Text Approvers

    • Mass text messages are not allowed
    • Targeted text messages to small groups of students concerning their retention or enrollment at the college are allowed and need to be scheduled and approved by their director or dean
      • These messages are limited to notifying students about core business and academic operations such as deadline reminders, advising, student account issues, financial aid information, recruitment, or to help promote student success.
      • One-to-One Messages
      • One-to-one messages must follow the expectations made explicit by the director or dean to whom the employee reports. 
      • Inappropriate text messages sent to students or employees may result in disciplinary review and sanction under the appropriate code of conduct and/or policy.

    Guiding Principles

    • Students and employees who provide a phone number within their respective information systems may receive text notifications. By providing this number, the student and employee are opting-in to receive notifications from academic and administrative College offices.
    • Preserve texting as an additional channel for critical communications as outlined in the Categories of Messages section of the policy
    • Keep texts to no more than 160 characters to ensure that students remain in the texting program and do not opt out because of overuse
    • Messages must be directly related to student safety, well being, or student academic success
    • College employees sending texts should be ready to respond within 5-10 minutes when someone replies to a text message
    • Messages with students or their families should typically be sent between 8 AM and 9 PM (using the recipient’s time zone). Late night and early morning texts are appropriate in some situations as determined by the Dean of Students Office. This rule doesn’t apply to College employees responding to texts sent by students, so if a student texts at 3 am — and you have the capacity to respond at this time you can go ahead and text them right back
    • When sending a message the employee name and St. Olaf College should be included in the message.
    • All mass text should be scheduled in advance and put on the Student Communication calendar
    • Text Messages should not include grades or personally identifiable information, like student ids
    • Text Messages should:
      • meets the guidelines for and is in compliance with the Text Messaging Policy
      • the wording is appropriate
      • the circulation list is correct
      • is within the 160 character limit
      • has appropriately limited the use of abbreviations