Alpha Index :  Table of Contents :  Official University Policies & Procedures :  Questions :  UC Irvine

UC IRVINE ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES & PROCEDURES

COMMUNICATIONS
Electronic Communications
Sec. 800-20: ZotMail Guidelines

Responsible Office: Administrative Policies & Records Revised: May 2012

University of California
Electronic Communications Policy
Policies Applying to Campus Activities, Organizations, and Students, August 1994
UCI Campus Implementation, August 1996


Business and Finance Bulletin
BUS-65, Guidelines for University Mail Services

UCI Administrative Policies & Procedures

Section 714-18, Computer and Network Use Policy
Section 801, Policy on Mail Services, Shipping and Receiving

ZotMail is a Web-based messaging system used to transmit authorized official business messages to selected groups of employees on the UCI campus, to School of Medicine employees located at UCI Medical Center, to UCI Medical Center employees, and, in emergency or important business situations, to students. ZotMail enables specified staff in the offices of the Chancellor, Vice Chancellors, and Deans to send messages to desired groups of employees using a password-protected interface. Official University and campus business memos, publications, announcements, and newsletters are sent to employees via the ZotMail system.

New academic and staff (career, limited, contract) employees are added to ZotMail employee lists when their records are activated in the payroll system as long as they have a valid email address. They are automatically included on all employee lists used by the Chancellor, Executive Vice Chancellor, Chief Executive Officer-UCI Medical Center, and all Deans. By using their UCInet ID and password, employees may delete themselves from lists other than those used by the Chancellor, Executive Vice Chancellor, and their own coordinating point.

Students, student assistants, teaching assistants, and UNEX instructors are only included on specific lists in the system. These lists are only available for use by the Chancellor, Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost, Vice Chancellor-Administrative and Business Services, and Vice Chancellor-Student Affairs.

Guidelines for appropriate use of the system are established by the ZotMail Advisory Committee which includes a representative from the offices of the Chancellor, Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost, Vice Chancellor - Administrative and Business Services, Vice Chancellor - Student Affairs, Strategic Communications, Administrative Policies and Records, and the Office of Information Technology.

Administrative Policies & Records is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the ZotMail system. Assistance is provided by the ZotMail Communications Coordinator at (949) 824-4900 or zotmail@uci.edu.

As part of the emergency communication plan, the Chancellor, Executive Vice Chancellor, and Vice Chancellor-Administrative & Business Services have the ability to use the ZotMail system to reach the entire UCI community including all campus employees, all Medical Center employees, all UC Irvine Extension instructors, and all registered students.

ZotMail lists are used by administrators to send messages and may include all employees or only groups of selected employees based on their payroll title code or job responsibilities. In addition, topical lists are used by various campus business offices and interest groups. Employees included in the ZotMail system are able to use a Web interface to subscribe and update their list choices. UCI also has another, separate maillist system managed by the Office of Information Technology.

1. General

Senders should respect recipients by using the most directly related mailing list to avoid unnecessary network traffic and unwanted messages.

2. When Messages May Be Sent

Messages sent by authorized senders before 5:30 p.m. are forwarded to the campus community after 6:00 p.m. the same day. Only messages sent from the Chancellor, Executive Vice Chancellor, and emergency or non-optional messages sent by Administrative and Business Services or Student Affairs may be sent during the day.

3. Announcing Campus Events and Activities

a. The Communications Office coordinates a weekly announcement of campus news, activities, and events called "uci.brief." This is the preferred vehicle for communicating announcements of activities and events. To contribute news items for publication in the uci.brief message, send the information to ucibrief@uci.edu.

b. Sending duplicate or reminder announcements about activities or events is not allowed unless the second mailing is to correct information contained in the first mailing.

c. Messages sent on behalf of registered student organizations must have approval of the Office of the Vice Chancellor, Student Affairs.

4. Content Restrictions

Electronic messages must adhere to all University policies. No materials delivered through the University mail service shall:

a. advocate an individual's or organization's political or religious position;

b. imply University or campus endorsement, support, or opposition to a political, religious, or civic issue, or any non-University products, service, organization, or activity that has not been appropriately authorized by the Chancellor or designee (a copy of the authorization shall be sent to the ZotMail Communications Coordinator in Administrative Policies & Records);

c. be of a commercial nature that solicits, or would provide, personal and/or financial profit to a University employee or to a profit-making organization.

The ZotMail Communications Coordinator in Administrative Policies & Records provides training and support to individuals authorized to send ZotMail from coordinating point offices.

For assistance with updating individual list choices or for general ZotMail support, call (949) 824-4900 or email zotmail@uci.edu.