Pepperdine currently offers several options for group email distribution to faculty, staff and students. Click on the links below for information specific to the type of list that you are looking for. Pepperdine offers several email distribution options.
- Group Email List - no opt in/out
- Group Email List - with opt in/out (Listserv)
- Auto-Generated Email Lists
- Gmail Email Group
- Outlook Email Group
Class Distribution List
Pepperdine's Class Distribution Lists allow for instructors and students of a particular course to communicate via email server. Each class is given an unique email distribution list that is automatically created and modified. [More information]
Self-Managed Email List
Self-managed email distribution lists are smaller than automatically generated lists and are created upon request for specified departments, events, and projects. This is a good option for long-standing, mid-sized groups with a core base of people who do not change often. Members cannot add or remove themselves from this list. [More information]
- Used by: Departments, student groups, faculty groups, etc.
- Examples: All IT employees, all HR employees, School of Law adjunct faculty
- Characteristics: Distribution list only. This is a group of email addresses and has no inbox,* list is updated by list owner. Individuals who wish to create a self-managed distribution list must submit a self-managed email distribution list form and assign a group manager to the list. The group manager is responsible for adding and removing members from the list. Posting access to these groups is limited to group members or specified users, depending on the distribution group's needs.
Listservs
Listserv distribution groups are opt-in email lists that any member of the Pepperdine community can access and post to. Listservs are best used for email newsletters, announcement lists, and discussion groups. Community members looking to create or join a listserv should go to the Pepperdine Listserv database. [More information]
- Used by: Students, individuals promoting a service, series of events, or sports group
- Examples: Pepperdine's Sports and Entertainment Law Society, SAAJ Students, Psi-Chi Announcements
- Characteristics: Unlike other group email distribution lists, listservs are opt-in and do not require the approval of a group manager to join or post.
Automatically Generated Email List
Automatically generated email lists are created with the purpose of reaching large segments of the Pepperdine community at once. Automatically generated lists are populated by computer based on demographic information such as school affiliation, registration status, and class standing. This is a good option for very large groups of individuals that include multiple schools or departments. [More information]
- Used by: University administrators
- Examples: All faculty/staff distribution lists, all students (by school)
- Characteristics: Distribution list only. This is a group of email addresses and has no inbox,* list is updated via PeopleSoft.
Gmail Email Contact Groups
Pepperdine Gmail users have the option of creating contact lists within their address book to reach multiple people via email at the same time. This email distribution option is best for users who need to contact small groups of people and the list has only one sender. For instructions on how to create a contact list within Gmail, please refer to Google's documentation on creating contact groups.
- Used by: Individuals
- Examples: A student creating a contact list of other students with whom they are working on a group project or a professor creating a contact list to easily contact other members on a thesis committee
- Characteristics: Only one sender, the group lives in your personal email client
Outlook Email Contact Groups
Outlook users can create contact groups within their email client to easily contact small groups of people simultaneously. Similar to Google email contact groups, Outlook contact groups are best for users who need to contact fellow group members on a class project or fellow members on a faculty committee. For more information on how to create an email contact list within Outlook, please refer to Microsoft's documentation on grouping contacts.
- Used by: Individuals
- Examples: A student creating a contact list of other students with whom they are working on a group project or a professor creating a contact list to easily contact other members on a thesis committee
- Characteristics: Only one sender, the group lives in your personal email client
* If an email account needs to be created so that an event or school group can receive email in a general account, instead of someone's personal account, please use this form to request the creation/deletion of a new email account.