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Email Lists

Find out how to subscribe to, create, and email mailing lists at UC San Diego.

UC San Diego provides multiple methods to reach specific campus groups and community members through the convenience of electronic mailing lists. Options are available on both the Google and Microsoft platforms, and via the Emma service for newsletters and marketing campaigns. See below for product descriptions and a table to compare the tools so you can find the right one for your needs.

There is also information about the Campus Official mailing lists and the Student Events Insider if you occassionally need to share information through the means they offer.

Compare the 4 Tool Options

Decision Tree

Do you want to collaborate with users inside and outside of UC San Diego?

        No -> Choose Microsoft 365 Group

        Yes -> Choose Google Group

    No -> Do you want to send email notifications to a group of people?

        Yes -> Choose Distribution Group

        No -> Do you want to grant access to resources such as SharePoint sites?

            Yes -> Choose Security Group or Mail-enabled Security Group

            No -> Do you want multiple people to access the same mailbox?

                Yes -> Choose Shared Mailbox

                No -> Choose Dynamic Distribution Group

 

Primary differences between Google Groups and Microsoft Distribution Groups:

  • Google Groups are used for collaboration between users, both inside and outside your company, while Microsoft Distribution Groups are used for sending email notifications to a group of people.
  • Google Groups include collaboration services such as SharePoint and Planner, while Microsoft Distribution Groups do not.
  • Google Groups have a shared inbox, a document library, and a shared calendar, while Microsoft Distribution Groups do not.
  • Google Groups have more flexible settings and permissions than Microsoft Distribution Groups.

 A table showcasing primary differences for Google groups and Microsoft Groups

Google Groups

UC San Diego uses Google Groups for creating mailing lists. Departments, classes, teams, and other organizations can use Google Groups to do things such as:

  • Join groups to find people with similar hobbies or interests and take part in online conversations.
  • Create a group to easily email each other using a single email address.
  • Work on projects together.
  • Organize meetings and events.

Using the Google Groups interface, you can manage your subscriptions and global settings. Email list managers can configure dozens of options for the Google Groups they own.

Key Capabilities:

  • Mailing list use-case
  • Forums
  • Member Moderation
  • Contact management
  • Members can post
  • Membership posting permissions
  • External Contacts Allowed

Find more information on managing or requesting a new Google group here.

Microsoft Distribution Groups

Distribution groups are used when you want to send email to an internal group of people without having to type each individual recipient's name. Distribution groups are usually organized by a subject or by users who share common work and communicate frequently. Distribution groups can also be used for group email forwarding

Key Capabilities:

  • Internal group communication
  • Mailing group email address appears in Outlook address book
  • All member in the group can send to the group
  • Member list is not visible
  • Members are managed, and changes must be submitted to ITS
  • Size limitations 25MB
  • New members only see discussions starting from when they joined
  • Automatically forward emails to multiple email addresses.

Best Use Cases:

  • When you want to send email notifications to a group of people without having to type each individual recipient's name.
  • When you want to broadcast information to a set group of people, such as "People in Building A" or “Everyone at Department B."
  • When you want to group your team members together for specific projects.
  • When you want to give employees access to resources like templates, documents, and project plans.
  • When you want to migrate to Microsoft 365 Groups, which offer more collaboration features than Google Groups.

Exchange limits

Microsoft Office 365 Groups

A Microsoft 365 Group is a shared workspace for email, conversations, files, and calendar events where group members can conveniently collaborate and quickly get stuff done. To learn how to use and manage groups to be even more productive, check out Learn more about groups.

Emma for Newsletters and Email Marketing

UCSD uses Emma for newsletters and email marketing campaigns. You can create, share, and easily manage your mass email communications with Emma. It also allows you to reach specific groups of people and track your campaign's engagement with analytics. This service is provided at no cost as it was initially set up for the official campus notices, and we now offer the service to the rest of the university. We also provide pre-built templates with approved UCSD branding, which requires zero coding.

Key Capabilities:

  • Mass Marketing & Newsletter Campaigns
  • Engagement Tracking*
  • Form Builders (for subscribers)
  • Contact Management
    • Multiple contact lists
    • Official UCSD contact lists that sync every day
    • External contacts allowed
  • Pre-built email templates with drag and drop capabilities
  • Rich HTML editor

To request your own Emma subaccount, please email servicedesk@ucsd.edu.

Visit the Emma support hub to read their support articles or review their email marketing guides.

*Note: This is done using individualized links that include the Emma domain t.e2ma.net; that is also the domain used to send email via this platform. Messages originating from there, and links directed there, are legitimate.

Campus Official Mailing Lists

Policy & Records Administration (PRA) is responsible for electronic distribution of official Campus Notices and Campus Flyers.

  • Campus Notices are memoranda distributed to a large segment of the campus community and must be routed through the appropriate vice chancellor. Once your email has VC approval, it will be posted to the requested official campus list by Policy & Records Administration.
  • Campus Flyers are announcements regarding campus events, activities, and general information and do not require a signatory. Email a flyer request to adminrec@ucsd.edu for processing.

Visit the PRA website to see a list of all official campus mailing lists, learn how to submit a posting request, or to subscribe.

*Note: This service uses the Emma platform, so messages sent from it use Emma's domain t.e2ma.net to send outgoing mail and in their imbedded links. Messages originating from there, and links directed there, are legitimate.

 

The Student Events Insider is an online calendar of events and opportunities especially for students, published weekly during the academic year and e-mailed to all registered students and other subscribers.

 

Visit the Marketing Council website to find more information about how to Publicize on Campus.