Student Texting and SMS Policy

Policy Statement

This policy provides key requirements and guidance for the approved and most effective use of text (one-way) and SMS (two-way) messaging to Adelphi students via University-approved platforms in coordination with institutional communication methods and goals.

Reason for Policy

Effective communication with our students is vital to achieving and advancing the University’s mission to support their success, persistence to graduation and lifelong learning. Text and SMS messaging are proven to be highly effective methods for connecting with college students. Two-way text messaging allows student-facing departments at Adelphi University to nudge, prompt, remind and advise students of critical academic and financial matters and engagement or learning opportunities.

By using a format that students prefer and that is known to be effective for sharing important and timely information, Adelphi’s text and SMS messaging with students will increase their engagement, sense of support and feeling of belonging while reducing the likelihood of disengagement and/or opting out.

This policy will ensure that text and SMS messages sent by University offices are coordinated, cohesive and support our institutional communications goals.

Who Is Governed by this Policy

Faculty, Staff, Administrators and Student Employees.

Policy

This policy will help ensure that our text and SMS campaigns to students are coordinated and cohesive and support our institutional communications goals.
This policy does not restrict the Department of Public Safety and Transportation’s ability to send mass emergency notifications to our campus community via text.

Definitions

• Two-way texting (SMS): Two-way or SMS texting is conversational; it is intended to both inform large target lists of recipients and to prompt a response or continued engagement. Two-way messages at Adelphi are supported by Adelphi’s AI knowledge base and chatbot, Adele, who will respond to recipients’ text replies by engaging, answering questions, directing them to helpful digital resources, or connecting them with humans who can help them.
• One-way texting (text broadcast): One-way texting is used to send information that is not intended to be conversational but is meant to be sent quickly and efficiently to large distribution lists; message recipients are not prompted to reply and typically do not. Policies for one-way texts ensure best practices are applied to Adelphi’s large group contact lists and that the University remains in good standing with the CAN-SPAM Act, a federal law that sets rules and requirements for commercial email and some text messaging and gives recipients the right to opt-out, with tough penalties for violations.
• Opt-In and Opt-Out: In compliance with the federal CAN-SPAM Act, all text recipients must have the option to opt in or opt out of commercial email and some text messaging, with tough penalties for violations. Urgent or emergency updates, such as the mass emergency notifications sent by Adelphi’s Department of Public Safety, are exempt.
  • Opt-in: the option to request/agree to receive communications via text message from a specified sender or platform.
  • Opt-out: the option to deny/refuse communications via text message from a specified sender or platform. Individuals who opt out of a texting system will not receive text messages.
• Campaign: A planned message to a target audience to achieve a specified outcome (eg: pay a bill, sign up for a course, complete a survey). A campaign can include several steps as well as follow-up actions.
• Chatbot: A chatbot is an artificial intelligence program that simulates and processes interactive conversations across a digital platform. Adele is Adelphi’s chatbot, available to all parties via the University’s website and to Adelphi students via SMS text conversations.
• Emergency Notification: An emergency notification to the Adelphi University community is triggered by an imminent or current emergency situation that significantly impacts or threatens the immediate health or safety of students or employees. These notifications can be sent via text, mobile and landline telephone calls and email.
• Emergency Situation: An emergency situation is one that affects the health and safety of members of the University community (i.e., weather closures, fire, health risks and threats).
• Mission-critical messaging: Communication that advances a specific and measurable University strategic goal; communication that ensures the strength and continuity of University operations; communication that advances any of Adelphi’s specific and measurable educational goals, including academic persistence, graduation, and success, or communication that provides emergency information or guidance, such as those sent by the Department of Public Safety and Transportation.

Procedures

This policy does not restrict the Department of Public Safety and Transportation’s ability to send mass emergency notifications to our campus community via text.

All senders of text and SMS messaging will adhere to the following standards.

• Coordination with the Adele Communications Task Force, Office of Communications and Marketing (UCOMM), or Strategic Communications Team to ensure consistency in institutional goals and cohesive messaging.
• To mitigate disengagement and potential opt-outs, a single stakeholder group should not receive more than 3 text messages per week from any platform unless an emergency or mission-critical message is required.
• All messaging should follow Adelphi’s Style Guide and Brand Center.
• SMS messages should be at or under the 160-character limit.

Forms

This policy does not have related forms at this time. Upon periodic policy review this area will be evaluated to determine if additional information is needed to supplement the policy.

Related Information

• CAN-SPAM Act: A Compliance Guide for Business
• CAN-SPAM RULE—PART 316
• Commercial Messages Sent to Wireless Devices: CAN-SPAM is one of several laws in the United States governing how commercial messages (including emails and text messages) can be used. The CAN-SPAM Act authorizes the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) to regulate unwanted mobile service commercial messages. Among other things, the FCC rules
  • prohibit sending mobile service commercial messages without express prior authorization
  • set forth requirements for obtaining express prior authorization
  • set forth opt-out requirements for mobile service commercial messages
• Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA): in 2015, the FCC ruled that consumers may revoke consent to receive calls or SMS messages in any ‘reasonable’ way, at any time.
• Chat Support – Adelphi’s Chatbot
• Emergency Notification Policy
• AI Task Force

Document History

• Policy Origination Date: January 1, 2024
• Last Review Date: June 4, 2024
• Policy Reviewed by: Policy Owner and Policy Expert
• Last Approval Date: June 4, 2024

Who Approved this Policy

Executive Leadership