Communications
Communications sends mail and notifications outward, and gives you the tools to check whether they arrived.
Two groups: Email and Notification Management.
This area sends information outside the university. A wrong send cannot be recalled — always test on yourself first.
Email Configuration
Section titled “Email Configuration”What it is for. Declaring the mail server for each campus. The screen is titled SMTP Configuration.
Who can open it. Anyone with permission to manage the email system.
On screen. Cards for Total Configurations, Active Configurations, Tested Configurations, Success Rate, and the Configuration by Campus table.
Notes
- Test a configuration before putting it into use. A wrong one silently drops every message until somebody complains.
- A sudden drop in Success Rate needs investigating immediately.
Email Templates
Section titled “Email Templates”What it is for. Pre-written mail to reuse: admission letters, fee reminders, exam schedules.
Steps. Go to Communications → Email → Email Templates to create or edit a template.
Note. Templates contain fields filled in automatically (student name, amount, due date). Send one to yourself before using it on a group.
Bulk Email
Section titled “Bulk Email”What it is for. Sending one message to many people. The screen is titled Bulk Email Composer.
Steps
- Go to Communications → Email → Bulk Email.
- Choose the recipient group.
- Choose a template or write the message.
- Review, then send.
Notes
- Send a test to yourself first. This step is not optional.
- Read the recipient count before sending. An unexpected number means the wrong group.
- Sent mail cannot be recalled.
Email History
Section titled “Email History”What it is for. Looking up sent mail and its status. The screen is titled Email Logs.
Steps
- Go to Communications → Email → Email History.
- Filter to find the message.
- Click Clear to reset the filters.
Note. When a student says they got nothing, check here first. Mail that sent successfully but was not seen is usually in their spam folder.
Notification Management
Section titled “Notification Management”Send Notification
Section titled “Send Notification”What it is for. Sending a notification to students or staff inside the system.
Steps
- Go to Communications → Notification Management → Send Notification.
- Choose who receives it in the Recipients panel.
- Write the content in the Notification Details panel.
- Send.
Email Templates (notifications)
Section titled “Email Templates (notifications)”What it is for. The mail that accompanies a notification. The screen is titled Notification Email Templates, with the list under Templates.
Note. Different from Email Templates in the Email group. These belong to system notifications only.
Three screens for checking that notifications actually go out.
| Page | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Outbox | Notifications waiting to be sent |
| Messages | The notification content that was created |
| Deliveries | The result of delivery to each recipient |
Who can open them. Anyone with permission to view notification operations.
Notes
- A growing Outbox means sending is stuck. Tell the technical team.
- When someone reports a missing notification, check in order: Messages (was it created), Outbox (did it leave), Deliveries (did it arrive).
Common situations
Section titled “Common situations”| Situation | Order of work |
|---|---|
| Exam schedule announcement to a whole intake | Email Templates → Bulk Email (test first) |
| A student did not receive an email | Email History → check their spam folder |
| A notification did not arrive | Messages → Outbox → Deliveries |
| University-wide mail suddenly fails | Email Configuration (check Success Rate) |
| Fee due reminders | Bulk Email, or DNG Due Reminders in the Finance area |