Unsolicited emails definition
Any email sent to current students without express permission by the students.
Approval Requirements
All unsolicited emails to students at Boise State must be approved in advance by the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management.
Please understand the policy (8100), process, exceptions, and responsibilities involved by reading this page before submitting your Communication Request form.
The approval process may include requesting changes to the content or delivery date for quality, consistency, accuracy, and coordinated communication.
Approval can be granted to emails sent one time only OR on a specified routine basis. Exception requests can be sent on an annual basis.
Previously Approved Exceptions:
- College Deans to communicate with students enrolled in their colleges
- Department Chairs to communicate with students enrolled in their academic departments
- Instructors and academic departments to communicate with students in their majors
- Instructors to communicate with the students enrolled in their classes
- Student organizations to communicate with their members or other interested individuals on their own email list
Examples of prohibited use cases for unsolicited emails:
- Soliciting support for or against an ASBSU candidate or ballot initiative
- Event promotion
- Surveys or research requests (see Research Requests)
- Ticket sales
Sender Expectations:
Email lists are provided with the understanding that the sender accepts responsibility for proper use, care, and security of this information. DO NOT share this information with other university or non-university parties without the approval of the Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management.
- Protect recipients’ privacy. For example, blind copy (BCC) recipients rather than publicly listing email addresses.
- Only use student email addresses for the purpose of the unsolicited email
Send an Unsolicited Email to Targeted Students
Complete the Communication Request form at least two weeks prior to the intended send date. You’ll get an email notification once your request is approved.
On the form, indicate whether you already have the email addresses for your target audience, or if you need a data request for them. If you do need a data request, this process can take up to two weeks, so please plan ahead.
Rarely is an “all students” list provided or used. Consider if you need to reach out to grad students, concurrent high school students, commuter students. The better defined your audience is, the more effective your email will be.
Unsolicited Email to Recruit Students for Research or Evaluation Activities
If you want to email students a survey or solicit participants for interviews or focus groups, the Office of Institutional Effectiveness (IE) must review your request for approval. Submit your IE Data Request here. IE will contact you about the next steps and, if the request is approved, provide the appropriate contact list.
- Note that these guidelines do not apply to units emailing students they serve to participate in research or evaluation activities to inform their practices or operations
- Also note that these guidelines cannot be circumvented by asking another individual or group to send emails as a pass-through
If your work is part of an academic research project, you also will need to contact the Office of Research Compliance for review of your project by the Institutional Review Board (IRB).
Student Organizations
If you are a student requesting student information for your recognized student organization or on behalf of your affiliated national organization, submit your request to the Student Involvement and Leadership Center by filling out the Query Request for Student Organizations.
Revised May 2021