The Office of Technical Services (OTS) has developed a program enabling faculty to easily create distribution lists of students enrolled in each course taught during the semester.
I realize that a number of you already have created your own distribution lists, but the OTS programs uses only the students? Towson University e-mail address, providing another level of security. I encourage all faculty to use this new service as an effective and efficient means of communicating with your students throughout the semester. Students have been particularly interested in faculty notifying them about last minute emergencies or class cancellations.
The class roster distribution lists are updated daily and allow you to send e-mails to all of students registered in a particular class using one e-mail address that is specific to the course. To be on the distribution list a course must have enrollments and be in active status. All active courses will be included on the email distribution file for the duration of the semester it?s offered, beginning at registration and ending at the completion of the standard grading cycle.
Here?s how to do it:
1. Open your e-mail provider, such as Outlook.
2. In the To: field, type in the e-mail address for the course to which you would like to send the e-mail.
Each class has a specific e-mail address that is based on the current PeopleSoft term code and the class identifier, followed by @towson.edu.
The PeopleSoft term code, which comes first in the address, is composed of four numbers. The first number is always ?1.? The second two numbers are derived from the year of the current term, which would currently be ?04.? The last number indicates the term type (minimester=1, spring=2, summer=3 and fall=4). Therefore, the term code for a class offered during fall semester 2004 would be 1044. Other sample terms are as follows:
1051= Mini 2005
1052= Spring 2005
1053= Summer 2005
The class identifier, which comes after the term code, consists of the course?s subject code, number and section. If the class you were e-mailing were ENGL 102, section 003, the class identifier would be ENGL102003 (no spaces).
So, to get the e-mail address for fall semester 2004?s ENGL 102, section 3 class, type the term code and the class identifier (with no spaces in between) followed by @towson.edu: 1044ENGL102003@towson.edu.
If you need additional help, please call 410-704-5151. A member of the Help Center will assist you.
3. Type your message and send the e-mail.
If the term code or class identifier is entered in error, or there are no students enrolled in that particular class, the e-mail will be returned to you as undeliverable.
I wish to thank OTS for handling this project in time for the new academic year. Please let me know if there are any modifications required. You can reach me at 42131 or {dleather@towson.edu}.
