Strategic Issue
Issue: Whether use of an “@virginia.edu” email address as the University’s official and primary
mode of communication with enrolled students and with prospective students is within the scope
of the Student System Project.
PRISM #: 013
Student System Project Contact (PRISM Issue Owner): Charles Grisham
Scope Type:
Issue Priority:
General |
Critical |
School/Unit Issue |
High |
Medium |
Coordinating Project
Low
Impact Statement:
 Best practice is the establishment of email as the official and primary mode of communication with students.
 University policies, processes, and procedures related to communications with enrolled students are highly variable, and they
must be analyzed in the context of an electronic communication strategy. At present, the use of email for official
communication with students is inconsistent, with some schools using it for all student notifications, and others doing so in
only limited ways. In this environment, students have no consistent expectation of how notifications will be received. Some
schools at the University assign email IDs that are not stored in the central mail system, and there are variable policies
regarding how these addresses are used, how long they stay on a server, etc.
 Formalizing the University’s use of email with prospective students could provide additional and significant benefit in the
recruiting process for undergraduate and graduate students. Assignment of an “@Virginia.edu” email address immediately
upon application, or upon admission, could make a positive impression on recruited students, though it would also put a
significant added demand on the system servers. Alternatively, even the use of a student’s own email early in the process could
have a positive effect on recruitment, application numbers, and yield of acceptances.
 Automated workflow and communication processes in enterprise systems operate optimally with all users in one database. This
has implications for email usage.
 The use of email for recruitment purposes will be different for undergraduate students and for graduate students. For
undergraduate prospects, recruitment is aimed primarily at applications, whereas many graduate departments at the University
devote most of their recruitment effort to students after they have been approved and accepted for admission.
 Early and uniform assignment of email addresses early in the recruitment or admission process will require provisions for
security training, technical assistance to deal with password maintenance, email bounce-backs, etc.
 Establishment of an “@virginia.edu” email address as the official and primary mode of communication with enrolled students
would simplify multiple processes related to registration and records, billing and student finance, financial aid, parking fines,
library fines, etc. For example, messages like “Your bill is ready for viewing and action. Click here.” and “Your grades can be
viewed now,” would become natural and facile notices for students.
 In some instances, there are processes that will continue to require that communications occur through other media, particularly
for new students.
 Policies and procedures for security and best practice training for students would have to be established, and students would
require this training prior to account activation.
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Options and Implications:
1. Establishment of an “@virginia.edu” email address as the University’s official and primary mode of communication with
students is outside the scope of the Student System Project. In this option, students will continue to have multiple sources of
official communications. Paper transactions will continue to proliferate, and units and schools will have passed up an
opportunity for a transformative, unifying action.
2. Establishment of an “@virginia.edu” email address as the University’s official and primary mode of communication with
students is within the scope of the Student System Project. In this option, students will receive critical notifications
electronically, after an appropriate transitional period. Paper transactions will be reduced significantly, and routine
correspondence to students will be generated electronically and automatically.
Recommendation:
 Option 2: Establishment of an “@virginia.edu” email address as the University’s official and primary mode of communication
with enrolled students is within the scope of the Student System Project.
Dependencies:
 ITC email management and provisioning staff must be consulted.
 Deans’ offices, departmental offices, and administrative offices that communicate with students must be engaged.
Next Steps (if in scope):
 Involvement of the Integrated System Executive Committee will be sought to decide how this policy will be established and by
whom.
Deadline for Executive Committee:
Decision by Executive Committee: Option 2: Establishment of an “@virginia.edu” email address as the University’s official and
primary mode of communication with enrolled students is within the scope of the Student System Project.
Executive Committee Reviewer/Approver: : Full IS Executive Committee
Signature of Reviewer: Gene Block
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Date: 1/24/06
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