Get started

1. Go to Advising Tools.
2. Select Messaging in the left navigation.
3. Confirm that the correct team is selected.
4. Choose Email or Text from the Message Type list.

Steps that apply to both email and text messages

The following settings work the same way for both message types.

Send an email

Email is selected by default. Complete the shared steps above, then review these email-specific options.

1. Choose the sender. In From, select either your Southern email address or the team's generic email address.
2. Add optional copies. Set Should CC Advisors? to Yes to send a copy to all advisors associated with the IDs entered in To. Use CC Others for additional email addresses, separated with semicolons.
3. Enter a subject. Use a short, specific subject that clearly identifies the purpose of the message.
4. Compose the message. Type the message or select a canned message. Use the formatting toolbar as needed.
5. Personalize the content. Use the Fields list to insert placeholders such as {First Name} or {Last Name}.
6. Add an attachment, if needed. The system accepts PDF and image files. Other file types are ignored.
7. Review and send. Verify the recipients, subject, message, advising-note setting, and privacy setting before selecting Send.

Email view: sender, copying, subject, formatting, personalized fields, attachments, advising-note, and privacy controls.

Send a text message

Select Text from the Message Type list, complete the shared steps, and then follow these text-specific requirements.

1. Compose a concise message. Type the message or select a canned message, and confirm that it is within the 160-character limit.
2. Understand consent and fallback delivery. SMS messages are sent only to recipients who have consented to receive text messages. When Southern does not have a recipient's SMS consent, the system sends the message to that person's southern.edu email address instead.
3. Review and send. Verify the recipients, message, advising-note setting, and privacy setting before selecting Send.

Text-message view: recipient IDs, canned messages, character counter, advising-note, and privacy controls.

Delivery summary

After an email or text-message request is processed, the system sends a delivery-summary email to the person who sent the message. The summary includes the message and the delivery status for each recipient.

Example delivery-summary email showing the original message and the delivery status for each recipient.

Before selecting Send

• Confirm that the correct team and message type are selected.
• Verify that every Southern ID is separated by a space and includes its leading zero.
• Proofread the subject and message, including any personalized fields.
• For text messages, confirm that the message is no longer than 160 characters.
• Confirm the advising-note and privacy settings.
• After sending, review the delivery-summary email for recipient-level status.