Resources

Comparisons

You can use a variety of tools for sending messages to a group. We have outlined solutions, rated them for effort required, and have identified key considerations.
You can use a variety of tools for sending messages to a group. We have outlined solutions, rated them for effort required, and have identified key considerations.

Experts & Communities

The University of Minnesota's informal mass email community of practice shares best practices on email tools, training, and processes in order to help mass email professionals efficiently engage with their constituent
The University of Minnesota's informal mass email community of practice shares best practices on email tools, training, and processes in order to help mass email professionals efficiently engage with their constituent
The MC Users group is a systemwide resource for anyone using Salesforce Marketing Cloud at the University of Minnesota.
T2 Voice and Data Repair is a Technology Help service desk team that supports the Voice Network Services business service.
T2 Voice and Data Repair is a Technology Help service desk team that supports the Voice Network Services business service.
Participate in discussions and events with faculty, students, and staff who wish to integrate video technology into their work.
Users of the University's customer relationship management tools meet monthly to share ideas. If interested in joining, email [email protected]

Good Practices

Instructors often use classroom discussions to promote sharing and ideas about a subject matter. Sometimes, discussions can become rote and tedious, or engage only one or a few students and the instructor.
Email scams (known as phishing) are a common method to trick you into visiting a fraudulent website, opening an infected document, or logging in to "validate your email account."
Challenge In an effort to reduce spam and phishing, Google is instituting more stringent limitations on mass email.
Challenge When using pre-assigned breakout rooms, specific guidelines must be followed to ensure students are routed to their designated Zoom breakout rooms.
This guide provides some tips to get the most out of your Zoom meeting experience.
Uploading a large video file is cumbersome, and navigating a video recording of a 50-minute (or longer) class is challenging for students. By chunking your lecture, you can create smaller files. This is easy to do in Zoom and will benefit both you and your students.

How-Tos

There are multiple ways to access your University Google Calendar.
The Zoom for Canvas Integration allows you to start and join Zoom meetings from within Canvas. This article is for UMN faculty and staff who would like to use Zoom together with Canvas.
This article details how those with Supervisor accounts in Clearspan Communicator and Clearspan Webex Teams (formerly Webex Engage) can set Forced Forwarding for a Call Center queue.
This article details how those with Supervisor accounts in Clearspan Communicator and Clearspan Webex Teams (formerly Webex Engage) can set Forced Forwarding for a Call Center queue.
This article is an overview of how to sign in to the Web Application for Clearspan Communicator and Clearspan Webex Teams (formerly Webex Engage) as a Supervisor of a call center for monitoring agents and calls in que
This article is an overview of how to sign in to the Web Application for Clearspan Communicator and Clearspan Webex Teams (formerly Webex Engage) as a Supervisor of a call center for monitoring agents and calls in que
This article details how to sign in to the Call Center web application for Clearspan Communicator and Clearspan Webex Teams (formerly Webex Engage) with a Supervisor account.  It also details general use of the Call C
This article details how to sign in to the Call Center web application for Clearspan Communicator and Clearspan Webex Teams (formerly Webex Engage) with a Supervisor account.  It also details general use of the Call C
Compare the features of Zoom (umn.zoom.us) and Google Hangouts Meet (
Who can I contact with help on DMS Data Extensions? Contact the person who submitted the request for a DMS Data Extension.
Because University of Minnesota email accounts require a specific type of authentication called Shibboleth, UMN Gmail accounts cannot be added as the primary email using the normal method for adding multiple Gmail acc
Gmail's Canned Responses (Templates) feature is a great resource for those who continually receive the same questions or comments via email and wish to use prepared responses to answer these emails. T
Email forwarding is available to: Current Students and Staff who are NOT in the Academic Health Center or other Department or School that handles sensitive d
Description Sometimes names appear in Gmail as "[Internet ID] University of Minnesota" or "Unknown" rather than the usual "[First Name] [Last Name]" if you choose to suppress your account. 
Set up automatic email filtering to manage your University email. You can:
This article will help you to sign in to multiple Gmail accounts at one time.
Email headers contain tracking information for an individual email, detailing the path a message took as it went through various mail servers.
Resource calendars are special calendars used for rooms or equipment. This allows individuals to publicly notify others that they will be using that resource at the scheduled time.
Many users inquire about the differences between Google Groups and Listservs. Although Listserv was scheduled to be retired, this has been delayed indefinitely due to some of the unique benefits it provides.
Guidelines for Google Group Managers The University of Minnesota and Google have negotiated contract terms and conditions that protect the privacy and confidentiality of University student, faculty, staff, a
Google Groups, a tool for a team of users to quickly collaborate with one another either via email, or any of Google's various applications, is available with Google Apps for the University of Minnesota.
Find and Join a Group Please note that this method should not be used to create a Google Group for the University.
Google recently announced updates to Google Groups management settings that take effect in early June 2019.
Description Here's how to ensure video and audio connectivity in Google Hangouts using the Mac Mini and Logitech BCC950 "eye stalk" webcam in the 202 Johnston Hall conference room.
Description Here's how to ensure video and audio connectivity in Google Hangouts using the Mac Mini and Logitech BCC950 "eye stalk" webcam in the 202 Johnston Hall conference room.
Before you leave If you invited someone to participate in the Google video call by calling their telephone, their participation in the video call is tied to yours.
Before you leave If you invited someone to participate in the Google video call by calling their telephone, their participation in the video call is tied to yours.
The University of Minnesota's instance of Google Hangouts does not have a record feature.
The University of Minnesota's instance of Google Hangouts does not have a record feature.
Any Google video call (Hangout) will be restricted to the UMN domain by default, limiting the call initially to the participants from your domain. Here are three workarounds:
Any Google video call (Hangout) will be restricted to the UMN domain by default, limiting the call initially to the participants from your domain. Here are three workarounds:
Google Hangouts is a web meeting service available to most people at the University of Minnesota. Google Hangouts Chat is a chat application similar to Slack or HipChat.
Google Hangouts is a web meeting service available to most people at the University of Minnesota. Google Hangouts Chat is a chat application similar to Slack or HipChat.
After consulting with the Salesforce Marketing Cloud Users Group, email [email protected] for technical issues.
When importing contacts into a data extension or list, you will be required to specify a unique subscriber key to identify the recipient within Salesforce Marketing Cloud.
Each University of Minnesota business unit that uses Salesforce Marketing Cloud has designated a key person.   If you already use Salesforce Marketing Cloud and you want access to another busin
Tracked links in your Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SMC) emails go to SMC, and are redirected to your intended URL. These SMC links will eventually expire, after which they will redirect to a specified Redirect URL.
Go to http://z.umn.edu/SMClogin. Log in with your Internet ID
If you see the following error when trying to login into Salesforce Marketing Cloud,
To help you conform with legal and policy requirements and save you time, University Relations has created footers and shared them with you in Salesforce Marketing Cloud.
In This Page Text Wrapping around an image in a Free Form
This article walks you through the process of installing the Google Gmail and Device Policy apps that are
The University of Minnesota does not automatically transfer email and Google Drive documents after a campus domain change.
This article will give you instructions on how to interrupt the greeting and start recording a message.
This article provides a comprehensive list of the menu options listed in the Voicemail Portal. The numbers are listed in the order you will hear them.
This article discusses how to change your recorded name on your University voicemail.
This article discusses how to enable and disable voicemail messages on your University voicemail.
These instructions outline how to setup your new voicemail or to make changes to an existing voicemail. Table of Contents:
This article walks you through how to leave messages for other users from within your Voice Mailbox.
This article will provide step by step instructions for accessing your voicemail messages and deleting them one by one or deleting all messages at once.
This article discusses how to set your greeting on your voicemail. This article discusses the Busy Greeting for if you are on another call and the No Answer greeting for when you do not answer your phone.
Once setup and entered into the web portal you are able to change the password for your telephone interface.
This article discusses the process for setting an extended away greeting on your voicemial. Sometimes you are going to be out of the office for an extended period of time, such a vacation or leave of absence.
This article shows you how to setup the number you'd like people calling you to get forwarded to if they Press 0 during your greeting.
This article discusses setting up an Alias for easy access to voicemail.
This article describes how to setup your voicemail so that you can get a .wav file of your voicemail sent to your email inbox, or if you know your pager's email code a notification to your pager, either instead of or
The University of Minnesota has enabled access to GMa
Google Meet may be a good option for alternative instruction. However, there are a few technical considerations to be aware of when evaluating Google Hangouts Meet.
Google Meet may be a good option for alternative instruction. However, there are a few technical considerations to be aware of when evaluating Google Hangouts Meet.
When entering into a contract with Zoom, the University's Office of Information Technology ensured full review of the contract terms and conditions and Zoom's privacy policy.
You can share scheduling and in-event hosting privileges with other people in your Zoom events.
You can enroll in free Live Remote Training Sessions facilitated by Zoom Train
If you see a black screen when you attempt to share your screen, check Zoom's troubleshoo
Use Zoom's video layout instructions if you want to change your meeting view during a
You can join a Zoom meeting's audio with your computer, or
Use Zoom's article comparing Zoom Meetings and Webinars to decide which tool is best for your needs. 
As a meeting host, you can split meeting participants into breakout rooms when scheduling the meeting.
Use this feature if you want to let someone else host a meeting or webinar that you have scheduled. This may be helpful if you are out of the office or late to your meeting or webinar.
You do not need a webcam in order to join a Zoom meeting or webinar.  However, without a webcam, you will not be able to enable video. Things you will still be able to do include:
The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records and personally identifying information.
As a meeting host, you can view or download a roster of meeting participants.
There are two Zoom account types at the University of Minnesota:  
Zoom can change the way you teach and interact with learners, by giving you the ability to hold online office hours with learners anywhere in the world on a one-time or recurring basis.
The host key is a 6-digit PIN tied to your Zoom account. It is not meeting-specific. You can use your host key to claim host privileges in the following circumstances:
If you cannot use your computer or smartphone to join a Zoom meeting, or if you do not have the bandwidth required for a video meeting, you can 
Zoom has international dial-in numbers available for an extensive and growing list of countries throughout the world. Participants from abroad can join UMN-hosted Zoom meetings or webinars via telephone if they cannot
Use Zoom's instructions to join the meeting audio on an iPhone or iPad.
Use Zoom's iOS instructions to share your screen on an iPhone or iPad.
Intended Audience: Students or any user from the University of Minnesota joining Zoom meetings as a Participant or Attendee.
Use Zoom's instructions to join a meeting with the Zoom web client, but make sure you are
The HCC, or Health Care Component, is a group of faculty, students, or staff who work closely with private health information and are subject to a Business Associates Agreement (BAA) with Zoom to ensure HIPAA complian
University of Minnesota students, staff, faculty, departmental, and sponsored accounts can livestream from Zoom meetings or webinars to Youtube Live and other streaming services.
You can log in to Zoom from multiple places depending on your needs. For the most seamless meeting experience, always make sure you log into Zoom.
The University of Minnesota's Zoom web conferencing includes a feature that uses automatic transcription to turn the spoken word into text, in real-time.
You can use the breakout rooms feature in a Zoom meeting to allow multiple simultaneous group di
The Meeting Settings page in your
As the host or co-host in a meeting, you can manage your participants, including muting and unmuting participants to manage background noise and distractions.
Your Profile page in your
Use Zoom's instructions to optimize your shared video in a meeting.
The polling feature for meetings and webinars allows you to ask polling questions.
If you are hosting a webinar and want attendees to take a survey or be taken to a specific webpage afterward, you can create a survey from within the Zoom Portal, or you can share a survey you create on another platfo
If you're hosting a Zoom Video Webinar, these steps will help you create the best experience for your panelists, co-ho
As a Zoom host, you can record your meeting or webinar.
Use Zoom's instructions to rotate or change the orientation of your camera feed.
Becoming comfortable with Zoom's scheduling and invitation features will help you host successful meetings. In this article:
You can allow someone else to schedule meetings and webinars on your behalf in Zoom.
Zoom offers step-by-step instructions for using Microsoft Powerpoint presentations with screen sharing in their Help Center article
Follow the recommendations below to keep your Zoom Meetings secure and free from disruption.
This article details the options for creating short, convenient links to your Personal Meeting Room. In this article:
You can set a playback range for a Zoom cloud recording that you share with other
You can use Zoom to share your desktop, window, or application with meeting attendees.
If you want other meeting attendees to see what you are working on, you can share your screen by selecting the Share Screen button in the Zoom menu bar.
Synchronous class sessions, in which everyone logs in to a web conferencing system at a pre-scheduled time, are one way to create engagement and foster community in your fully online courses.
Before joining a meeting, test your audio with the device you intend to use.
For the best meeting experience, test your video before your Zoom meeting.
If you have a slower connection to the internet, it can take additional time to upload local recordings to Kaltura.
Troubleshoot audio issues with Zoom's instructions linked in this resource.
Remote Online Notary (RON) requires additional steps to be valid for MN statutes.
You can use the Call-Out feature in a Zoom meeting or Webinar to invite yourself or someone else to join the audio by telephone.
The dual-monitor display feature allows you to see the video on one monitor and the screen share on another monitor simultaneously.  
If your webcam is not working with Zoom on your Lenovo laptop, there are some simple troubleshooting steps that you can take using
The Waiting Room feature in Zoom allows the meeting host to control when a participant joins the meeting. Waiting rooms have additional customization features available in the Zoom Portal.
You can register for and watch recordings of Live Training Sessions facilitated by Zoom Trainers in the Zoom Learning Center.
Zoom offers an extensive collection of brief video tutorials on the
The Zoom for Google Calendar add-on allows you to schedule and join meetings directly from a Google Calendar event.

Planned Changes

Over the past decade, communication technologies have evolved and so have people's communication preferences.

Resources

Article from Geekazine on some simple tips that help with making video conferencing of all types a more pleasant experience for everyone.
A/B testing is a method of market testing in which you send two versions (Condition A and Condition B) of your communication to two test audiences from your subscriber list.
Good audio is an essential component for a good meeting.
A guide from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) concerning the CAN-SPAM Act, which sets the rules for commercial email, establishes requirements for commercial messages, gives recipients the right to have you stop ema
This page describes how the Salesforce Marketing Cloud application processes unsubscribe requests to help you remain compliant with the CAN-SPAM Act.
Call Center Services (Automatic Call Distribution) offer the ability to spread calls evenly among customer service representatives.
Call Center Services (Automatic Call Distribution) offer the ability to spread calls evenly among customer service representatives.
This resource is a video tutorial (36:06) from Clearspan for using the Call Center as a Supervisor user.
This resource is a video tutorial (36:06) from Clearspan for using the Call Center as a Supervisor user.
User guide for Clearspan Call Center Agent and Supervisor roles. 
User guide for Clearspan Call Center Agent and Supervisor roles. 
Quick reference guide for Clearspan Call Center Agent and Supervisor tasks, instant messaging, reporting, and keyboard shortcuts. 
Quick reference guide for Clearspan Call Center Agent and Supervisor tasks, instant messaging, reporting, and keyboard shortcuts. 
Content Detective is a tool that helps you identify spam triggers in your email content.
Overview from Google on how to create Google+ Events, including how to add a Google Video Call (Hangout) to a Google+ Event.
This vendor-supplied help article details the steps required to create a new data extension for storing subscriber data within Salesforce Marketing Cloud.
This vendor-supplied help article explains how to create templates using the either the Template Editor or the Content Builder in Salesforce Marketing Cloud.
This vendor-supplied help article is an overview and landing page for all topics related to data extensions within Salesforce Marketing Cloud.
This document is required for users of the Donor Management System (DMS) database courtesy of the University of Minnesota Foundation (UMF).
This PDF contains the policies surrounding use of the University of Minnesota Foundation's (UMF) Donor Management System.
This page contains pertinent info surrounding privacy and security policy when utilizing data queries within Donor Management System (DMS) from th
Login to the Donor Management System (DMS), available to people who have been granted access.
Simple steps for embedding YouTube videos and playlists.
A standard data extension is a table within the application database that contains your data.
Learn how to use the basic features of Gmail including managing your Gmail account, reading & organizing emails and sending emails.
You can read, respond to, and search your Gmail messages even when you aren't connected to the Internet.
Find support information for Google Currents on Google's help site.
Google Currents brand pages offer ways for organizations to reach out to followers, fans, and customers on Google.
Learn how to create or join a Google Group, read and create posts, create a forum, and organize events.
Learn how to create or join a Google Group, read and create posts, create a forum, and organize events.
Short article from 9to5 Google on how the use of Google Drive app within a hangout has been removed. Now users are to use the chat box for sharing any Google Driv items.
Short article from 9to5 Google on how the use of Google Drive app within a hangout has been removed. Now users are to use the chat box for sharing any Google Driv items.
Learn about Google Hangouts on Google's help site.
Learn about Google Hangouts on Google's help site.
The Google Hangouts Meet Help Center can help learn how to start and join meetings and use different settings in the meeting.
The Google Hangouts Meet Help Center can help learn how to start and join meetings and use different settings in the meeting.
Webpage with link to download Google Video Calls (Hangouts) plugin required for most browsers to enter a video call.
Webpage with link to download Google Video Calls (Hangouts) plugin required for most browsers to enter a video call.
Short video from Ronnie Bincer about how Google (Hangouts sometimes auto-mutes participants.
Short video from Ronnie Bincer about how Google (Hangouts sometimes auto-mutes participants.
Web page from Google with information on how to start a Google Video Call (Hangout), including how to set up your computer and computer browser in advance.
Web page from Google with information on how to start a Google Video Call (Hangout), including how to set up your computer and computer browser in advance.
You can easily communicate with your family and friends through Hangouts in Gmail. You can make phone calls, have face-to-face video calls, and share photos.
Overview of how to use Google Video Calls with Google Calendar, including how to add a video call to a calendar event.
Overview of how to use Google Video Calls with Google Calendar, including how to add a video call to a calendar event.
Out of office or vacation replyIf you'll be away from your Gmail account, like on a vacation or without access to the Internet, you can set up a vacation responder to automatically notify people that you won'
This vendor-supplied help article details the steps required to import new subscriber data into an existing data extension within Salesforce Marketing Cloud.
To optimize your zoom experience, follow these tips for your device and internet connection.
You may have heard about instances of unwanted, upsetting online classroom disruptions (Zoombombings).
ipHouse offers discounted dialup and DSL Internet service, each in two varieties. The first provides connectivity to the Internet. The second also includes e-mail, personal Web page, and other features.
A full account of all the legal requirements and policy guidelines for mass email sent from users of Salesforce Marketing Cloud at the University of Minnesota. The document is owned by University Relations.
A full account of all the legal requirements and policy guidelines for mass email sent from users of Salesforce Marketing Cloud at the University of Minnesota. The document is owned by University Relations.
The data extension details section is where you can view statistics about the data extension and change properties of the data extension.To access data extension properties, follow these steps:
Click the Google Apps icon
This site, maintained by University Relations (URelations), provides requirements and guidelines surrounding the use of color and type/typography at the University of Minnesota.
This site, maintained by University Relations (URelations), provides downloadable files containing offical University of Minnesota logos, wordmarks ("Driven to Discover"), seals, and other official branding elements s
Maintained by University Relations (URelations), this site contains guidelines for using the official UMN Branded Template in Salesforce Marketing Cloud, as well as the raw HTML code for use in any HTML email authorin
Maintained by University Relations (URelations), this site contains guidelines for using the official UMN Branded Template in Salesforce Marketing Cloud, as well as the raw HTML code for use in any HTML email authorin
University Relation's web page on University of Minnesota web standards, and usability and accessibility related to the Univesity of Minnesota web templates.
This site, maintained by University Relations (URelations), provides downloadable images for social networking services such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+; as well as common icons for RSS feeds and
This page presents conceptual information and references about creating personalized content in an email. Personalization is content that is specific to an individual customer or client.
This document provides conceptual and procedural information about the reporting functionality available in the Salesforce Marketing Cloud. Reports provide you aggregated information about your subscribers, sends, and
Salesforce Marketing Cloud Classic Content starts its end of support plan in the first half of 2019.
The University of Minnesota Marketing Cloud Users Google Group is a systemwide resource for anyone using Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SMC) at the University of Minnesota.
This screen-capture video walkthrough by Honey VanDerVenter will illustrate how to send a mass email message from Salesforce Marketing Cloud when you need to import subscriber data from a spreadsheet document (E
Login to Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SMC), formerly known as ExactTarget.This is not Salesforce CRM.
This section contains procedural information relating to 
This document contains conceptual and procedural information about the portfolio file management feature inside of Salesforce Marketing Cloud.
Publication lists can provide more control over opt-out (unsubscribe) requests in Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SMC).
This screen-capture video walkthrough by Honey VanDerVenter will illustrate how to send a mass email message from Salesforce Marketing Cloud when utilizing Donor Management System (DMS) data extensions from the Univer
This screen-capture video walkthrough by Honey VanDerVenter will illustrate how to send a mass email message from Salesforce Marketing Cloud to a UMN internal LISTSERV mailing list.
Send Preview is a rendering of an email as it will be sent to a recipient. After the initial preview, you can proceed through the rest of the recipients on the list to see the preview for each.
This vendor-supplied help article details using the Guided Send feature to send emails using contact information stored in a Data Extension. 
This page presents conceptual and procedural information about sending within the Email application of Salesforce Marketing Cloud.
Quick article from Teacher Tech (Alice Keeler) on how to choose which video has the main focus in a Google Video Call (Hangout).
An outgoing relay is a mail server that delivers users' outgoing email messages.
This page presents conceptual information about the tracking feature within the Salesforce Marketing Cloud application.
This vendor-supplied help article details the various tabs and functionality of the Tracking Workspace.The tracking workspace contains the follow tabs:
The University of Minnesota's official privacy statement. This page is a required link in the footer of any mass email that is sent from the University to an external audience.
This vendor-supplied help article provides information and examples on how tracking happens within Salesforce Marketing Cloud.
Google Support document on the use of Google Groups to make sharing from Google Drive more easily monitored and controlled.
Google Support document on the use of Google Groups to make sharing from Google Drive more easily monitored and controlled.
University of Minnesota instructors can create Google course groups for their classes based on data in the U of M PeopleSoft directory. The membership in these groups is synchronized twice daily.
The validate functionality checks your email message for common issues that could prevent your email from being sent. Run validate on your email and make corrections before starting any sending process.
Professional video technicians are available to support your conferences, webinars, meetings, and other live events.
Professional video technicians are available to support your conferences, webinars, meetings, and other live events.
OIT provides temporary voice, network, and WiFi services for events on campus. On-site technician support is also available during events upon request. 
Recurring voice and data network services are financed centrally for University-funded customers under a common-good funding model.
Compare web conferencing tools available at the University; always start with your objectives before deciding on the tool.
Directions on how to add subtitles, closed captioning, and transcriptions to a YouTube video.
YouTube directions for adding subtitles, captioning, and transcriptions to YouTube videos.
Find how-to articles on using YouTube.
Learn answers to commonly asked questions on this YouTube site.
YouTube: Uploading, Sharing, Embedding video
Before Your Meeting or Webinar Set up Registration. For public events, set up a Zoom registration page. People with a valid email will receive an email with the link to the event.

Self-Help Guides

Clearspan Communicator is an application used for accessing the VOIP (Voice Over IP) softphone system. The other softphone system used at the University is
Clearspan Communicator is an application used for accessing the VOIP (Voice Over IP) softphone system. The other softphone system used at the University is
Hold an online meeting using the Google Hangouts App.
Hold an online meeting using the Google Hangouts App.
This self-help guide will help anyone who presents at, schedules, or supports online meetings and webinars through Zoom.  To learn more about using Zoom for online office hours or smaller meetings, check out 
Zoom, an online video conferencing system, is now available to the UMN community!  Compare Zoom to Google Hangouts