ITS Documentation: Creating Email Distribution Lists for a Class Section

Creating an Email Distribution List for Advisees

Introduction

Email distribution lists can be easily created for advisees. Such lists make it possible to send messages to all of your advisees at once. You will need access to the Reports Menu on TTUMIS that gathers reports from the Student Information System (SIS) database. If you do not already have access to this system, please complete a TTUMIS Request Form, print it and return it to Records, Box 5026.

Remember that this information is confidential and no one other than the advisor should be allowed access to the created lists.

1. Creating the Email Distribution List

On or after the first day of classes:

Log into your TTUMIS account.
From the TTUMIS Main Menu, at the ?> prompt type:

?>SIS [Enter]
?>reports [Enter]
?>rptadvdis [Enter]

You will then be prompted for your advisor SSN. Enter this with no dashes. Hit Return.
You will then be prompted for the term in the format yyt. Enter 04F if you want Fall 2004 term. Hit Return.
You will then be prompted for the name of your list. Enter an 8 character name such as advisees. Hit Return.
Each question will ask you to reenter for validation.
You will then be prompted to submit the job to batch. Enter SUBMIT and hit return.

Your request for an email distribution list is submitted to the VMS batch queue for processing. This may take some time depending on the number of jobs submitted.

A list of email addresses for this advisee section in the form flname21@tntech.edu will be located in your TTUMIS account. The file will be named the filename you entered above with a ".dis" extension. This file will also include the student’s first and last name. Each field will be separated by commas.

You will then be returned to the list of courses.
You may select another report or press [Enter] while Exit is highlighted to return to the Reports Menu.
To logoff, at the ?> prompt,

?>leave [Enter]

Please note: Distribution lists can be created for the current term on or after the first day of classes for that term. Once you have created a list for your advisees, your file will not be automatically updated when advisee assignments are made in SIS. You can recreate an updated list any time by repeating the steps above. You may especially wish to do this after the drop/add deadline.

2. Next you will use FTP to move this file in ASCII format from your TTUMIS account to your PC. Documentation about ftp can be found at: http://www.tntech.edu/its/pubs/html/wsftphtml/ws_ftp.htm

3. Next you will need to import the addresses into the mail program of your choice.

Getting Help

With SIS and Reports Menu

If you have a question about SIS and the Reports Menu, please contact Cari Williams in Records or Kay Hume in Information Technology Services.

With Outlook Express:

Handouts on using Outlook Express and other programs are available on the web from the TTU home page under Computing —› Documentation (at www.tntech.edu/its/pubs/).

With Outlook:

For questions on Outlook, you may wish to consult the online help.
From the menu, select Help —› Microsoft Outlook Help.

If you have a question about Outlook, Outlook Express or the Address Book Accessory that the online help does not address, please contact your college contact or the Microcomputer Support Office at 372-6315.

With Netscape Communicator Messenger:

To get help with Netscape Communicator consult the online help included with it:
Help —› Help Contents.

This program is not currently supported by Information Technology Services.