InfoMail
Our team can support you in sending an InfoMail, GW’s mass email service, when you need to communicate mission-critical information to a large audience. When you need to send information to the entire university community or a more defined group, such as all students, InfoMail is the tool to help you do so.
GW’s InfoMail system uses a tool called Emma to effectively communicate messaging to university students, faculty, and/or staff with a Vice President or designated proxy approval. You can also provide us with a customized email list if you want to target a specific subset of the community.
InfoMails are appropriate only to communicate important and time-sensitive information regarding university-sponsored activities or events, policy changes, or other matters that further the university’s academic mission or assist in its administrative operations. InfoMail is not used to send interdepartmental news or information to small subsets of the university.
Please Note: We need a minimum of 7 business days notice between the request and the desired send date.
InfoMail Best Practices
- Submit your InfoMail request at least seven business days before your desired send date, with final text and images.
- InfoMail text should be no longer than 250 words. InfoMails should include only your most important information and link to webpages with extended text.
- Include the most important information at the top of the InfoMail.
- All links should be inline (embedded in text) rather than a full URL, or placed in a clickable call to action button placed in the body of the mailing, as this provides a better user experience and makes your message more readable.
- Do not link words such as “click here” or “read more,” as they can be confusing for users using screen reader devices or other assistive technologies.
- GW provides InfoMail header and footer images, but you may choose to supply your own. For personalized header and footer images, please submit a project request. You may also supply your own header and footer images, provided they conform to university visual identity standards and are 640 pixels wide by 150 pixels tall. Images embedded in the body of an InfoMail should also adhere to university standards and should be no larger than 200 pixels wide by 200 pixels tall.
- Use short and engaging subject lines; try for descriptive text in fewer than 50 characters.
- Send only to the targeted group that needs the information.
InfoMail Process
- Submit an InfoMail Request at least seven business days before your desired distribution date. Text should be in its final, completed version.
- We create an HTML version and send it back to you.
- You review the HTML version and inform us of any edits.
- We incorporate edits (if applicable) and return to you.
- You forward on to your department’s InfoMail approver.*
- You forward the approving email to us.
- We send the InfoMail on the requested distribution date.
*InfoMails in their final HTML format must receive approval from one of the Vice Presidents or designated proxies below. The InfoMail requester must receive an emailed approval of the final HTML InfoMail from the appropriate Approver. This approval email must be forwarded to the Office of Communications and Marketing staff member working on the InfoMail.
| Name | Proxy Of | Division |
|---|---|---|
| Ellen M. Granberg | Office of the President | |
| Betty Freyre | President Granberg | Office of the President |
| Scott M. Mory | President Granberg | Office of the President |
| Renee McPhatter | Office of Government and Community Relations | |
| Dorinda Tucker | Office of Ethics, Compliance and Risk and Privacy Office | |
| Michael Lipitz | Department of Athletics | |
| Jonathan E. Post | Office of the Board of Trustees | |
| John Lach | Office of the Provost | |
| Terry Murphy | Office of the Provost | |
| Colette Coleman | Division for Student Affairs | |
| Jay Jones | Colette Coleman | Division for Student Affairs |
| Giulietta Versiglia | Colette Coleman | Division for Student Affairs |
| Geneva Henry | Libraries and Academic Innovation and Information Technology | |
| Robert H. Miller | Office of the Vice Provost for Research | |
| Gina Lohr | Robert H. Miller | Office of the Vice Provost for Research |
| Jay Goff | Office of Enrollment and Student Success | |
| Bruno Fernandes | Office of the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | |
| Hemant Bakshi | Financial Planning and Operations | |
| Baxter Goodly | Division of Safety and Operations | |
| Sabrina Minor | Human Resource Management and Development | |
| David L. Unruh | University Advancement | |
| Jennifer Golden | David L. Unruh | University Advancement |
| Rachel Teplitsky | David L. Unruh | University Advancement |
| Charles Barber | Office of the Vice President and General Counsel | |
| Barbara Bass | Health Affairs | |
| Ellen Moran | Office of Communications and Marketing | |
| Michelle Stone | Ellen Moran | Office of Communications and Marketing |
Creating Your Own Newsletters and Emails
Emma is the central mass email tool used at GW. Emma offers a modern interface with a range of features including:
- Easy drag and drop layouts
- A/B testing to evaluate which emails are most effective
- A mobile app to monitor live metrics
- An image library for quick access to graphics
- Out-of-the-box GW-themed templates
Additionally, Emma provides in-depth email analytics to help us assess the effectiveness of your emails and provide feedback for future communications. You can learn the best time to send your email, which audiences are most receptive to email messaging and more.
Emma is provided and provisioned by GW IT and can be made available to schools or departments by filling out this mass email request form. If you're interested in a custom mass email template, submit a design request. In addition to the online training materials provided by the vendor, we provide periodic trainings on Emma, and you can drop by office hours anytime with questions.