• Section 1 - Purpose
• Section 2 - Scope / Application
• Section 3 - Policy Statement and Principles
• Section 4 - Roles and Responsibilities
• Approval Authority
• Governing Authority
• Responsible Officer
• Other Relevant Stakeholders
• Section 5 - Definitions
• Section 6 - Authorised Owners and Senders
• Dynamic Distribution Lists
• Static Distribution Lists
• Section 7 - Retention of Information
• Section 8 - Review
• Section 9 - Revisions made to this Policy

Section 1 - Purpose

(1) The purpose of this Policy is to:

1. define the approved and supported University email Distribution Lists (DLs) that facilitate communication with ACU students and staff;
2. define the approved owners and authorised senders for each Distribution List; and
3. ensure that the Distribution Lists meets the needs of ACU’s staff and students and are adequately supported.

(2) The Email Distribution List Procedure that accompanies this Policy describe the process for the creation and management of approved and supported University email Distribution Lists.

Section 2 - Scope / Application

(3) This Policy applies to all ACU staff and students and all Dynamic and Static Distribution Lists.

(4) ACU staff include:

1. Continuing
2. Fixed term
3. Casual
4. Sessional
5. Honorary and Emeritus Professors (applicable only to DL-STAFF-ALL and DL-STAFF-Campus)
6. Contractors (applicable only to static Distribution Lists).

(5) ACU students include all current enrolled students.

(6) This Policy does not apply to:

1. the creation of Contact Lists or Groups made by staff or students using their personal Microsoft Outlook account. Contact Lists or Groups can be created and managed by staff and students to facilitate communication with a local committee, group or project team without relying on Information Technology resources;
2. contractors, volunteers and visitors to the University or other external stakeholders.

Section 3 - Policy Statement and Principles

(7) This Policy was established to regulate and streamline the use of staff and student Email Distribution Lists.

(8) Internal communications support the University’s organisational strategy and day-to-day operations as well as providing essential information to students and staff.

(9) This Policy helps to guide the process of sending authorised internal communication emails by ensuring the process aligns with ACU’s commitment to the privacy and security of staff and student information. It also seeks to guide the process of authorising and sending emails to large cohorts of staff and students to ensure that information is accurate, relevant and timely.

Section 4 - Roles and Responsibilities

Approval Authority

(10) The Vice-Chancellor and President is the Approval Authority for this Policy.

Governing Authority

(11) The Chief Operating Officer is the Governing Authority for this Policy.

Responsible Officer

(12) The Chief Information and Digital Officer is the Responsible Officer and service lead for this Policy.

Other Relevant Stakeholders

(13) The contact for this Policy and the Email Distribution List Procedure is the National Manager, Technology Services (and / or their nominated staff). They are responsible for maintaining accuracy of this Policy and the Email Distribution List Procedure, including the Distribution Lists and Authorised Senders in that Procedure.

(14) Distribution List Owners and Managers are responsible for ensuring accuracy of information and the timeliness of the message of any email sent to their relevant Distribution List.

Section 5 - Definitions

(15) Dynamic Distribution Lists:

1. are used to send high-level executive communications to large cohorts of staff and students;
2. are created by Information Technology and managed by People and Capability (staff) and Student Administration (students) as requested and approved by the List Owner;
3. are visible on the ACU Global Directory (List name is visible, not individual members);
4. cannot be manually updated or changed by an individual staff member; and
5. can only be used by authorised or approved senders (see Section 6).

(16) Static Distributions Lists:

1. are designed to facilitate communication for significant functional groups or committees that have an ongoing role and status in the University. For example, ‘DL-VCAC’ is the Static Distribution List for the Vice-Chancellor's Advisory Committee (VCAC). It is owned and managed by the Office of the Vice-Chancellor and President;
2. are created by Information Technology when requested via Service Central and approved by the relevant member of the Executive;
3. are managed and owned by the Distribution List Owner;
4. are visible on the ACU Global Directory (List name and members are visible);
5. cannot be manually updated or changed by an individual staff member (unless they are the List Owner); and
6. can be used by any staff member to send an email via the Global Directory (however prior permission must be sought from the List Owner).

Section 6 - Authorised Owners and Senders

Dynamic Distribution Lists

(17) The table below identifies the high-level Dynamic Distribution List Types, Owners and Authorised Senders.

(18) The Email Distribution List Procedure that supplements this Policy contains the Distribution Lists and Authorised Senders as well as information on how to request permission to send to, create, change or update a List.

(19) The owner of a generic mailbox is able to grant additional staff access to that specific mailbox at any time. It is important to note that if a generic mailbox has been approved to send to a specific Dynamic Distribution List, the addition of staff to that mailbox means that those staff have also been granted approval to send to that specific Dynamic Distribution List without the approval by the Distribution List Owner or Manager.

Static Distribution Lists

(20) The Email Distribution List Procedure that supplements this Policy provides information on how to request permission to send to, create, change or update a Static Distribution List.

Section 7 - Retention of Information

(21) Personal information (including email address) for former staff and students should be managed in accordance with the Privacy Policy and Records Retention and Disposal Schedule. ACU must take reasonable steps not to retain personal information that is no longer needed for the purpose collected.

Section 8 - Review

(22) In line with the Policy Development and Review Policy, this Policy is scheduled for review every five years or more frequently as required.

Section 9 - Revisions made to this Policy

(23) Unless otherwise indicated, this Policy will still apply beyond the review date.