Use the following options to share your communications electronically:

• Communicating with employees? Send through JMU News
• Communicating with students? Send through Dukes News
• Communicating to employees in your division, department, unit or students within a college? Use Outlook
• Communicating to Alumni? Use the Email Request Form
• Communicating to a mixed audience that includes alumni, students, employees, or more? Use the Email Request Form

No. The bulk email form was retired. If you submit an old copy of the form, your request will not be processed.

Microsoft Outlook continues to be the recommended tool for departmental and divisional email, as well as other communications that are intended for audiences within your area.

Contact University Communications directly or a CGC representative to convey the reason the urgent email is needed and provide content.

Urgent emails are limited. Examples might include an active phishing attack or a significant academic deadline change due to a weather-related campus closure.

Through JMU News.

JMU News serves as the official source of university information for employees. The bi-weekly e-newsletter is emailed to all faculty and staff on Monday and Wednesday, and employees do not have the choice to “opt out” of receiving this email.

JMU News features multiple sections:

• Photos: highlighted photo from campus community happenings
• Campus Notices: Information pertinent to employees at JMU. Content may include events, engagement offerings, updates and more.
• Latest Headlines: Internal to JMU news articles from around campus, including highlighted students, staff and faculty.
• In the News: External to JMU news articles or content that highlights JMU.

Content submissions are due two business days prior to the distribution of the email. For example, for content to be considered for the Wednesday e-newsletter, it must be submitted by the close of business on Monday. Monday's content is due close of business on Thursday.

Use the content submission form: JMU News Submission Form

Only JMU employees, students, and previously approved affiliates may submit content for potential inclusion in JMU News.

Electronic communications intended to reach all employees are included in JMU News.

In limited instances, approved offices may email all employees directly. These offices and types of content have been pre-approved because the messaging is critical to university operations or required by law. These exceptions include:

• Presidential announcements
• Board of Visitor updates
• Notices required by legal, state, or federal regulations
• Emergency notifications, including, but not limited to, those related to information technology and campus safety concerns

As part of your IRB application, you will provide the language and messaging that will be included in JMU News.

You should use Outlook to email employees within your division, department, office, or unit. Electronic communications intended for employees outside of your division should be submitted to JMU News.

Through Dukes News.

Dukes News (previously Dukes Weekly) was introduced by Student Affairs in 2019 to reduce student email. It was initially sent weekly and will be expanded to distribution Mondays and Thursdays in Fall 2026.

Depending on the requests for Dukes News, sections are subject to change. Consistent sections of Dukes News include: 

• Highlight: In some Dukes News, highlighted messaging, information or updates for all students is at the top of the email.
• Gain Experience: Job, internship and work-based learning opportunities
• Did You Know: Opportunities to engage with campus programming, resources and support.
• Events: Events happening the week of Dukes News.

You can see the archive here.

Content submissions are due by midnight one week prior to the day you would like your submission included. Example: If you want to be included in the Monday, Oct. 12 edition, your content submission is due by midnight on Oct. 5. For the Thursday, Oct. 15 edition, content is due by midnight on Oct. 8.

Use this form for all Dukes News submissions.

JMU employees, student groups, students, and previously approved affiliates may submit content for inclusion in Dukes News.

Yes, every Dukes News submission must include a link.

The Dukes News team follows JMU IT Policy 1205. Any website or form that collects student information must follow the guidelines of JMU IT Policy 1205. Other acceptable websites include JMU affiliated pages such as jmu.edu, beinvolved.jmu.edu, lib.jmu.edu, etc.

Specific content submissions will be included a maximum of one time per semester. Departments and organizations can submit to Dukes News more than once, but the submissions must include different content.

No. If there is a change to your event after Dukes News has been sent, please update the link you provided and other marketing channels to reflect the change.

Communication to all students is funneled through Dukes News.

Dukes News serves as the official source of information for students, and students do not have the choice to “opt out” of receiving this email.

Some messages that are critical to university operations or required by law may be sent to all students directly. Those exceptions fall into these categories:

• Academic Mission Critical (partner with Office of Registrar, including add/drop dates, major change, requirements for academic standing)
• Financial Aid (partner with Financial Aid for timely announcements for financial aid packages and status)
• Safety (partner with JMU PD for JMU alert or other annual required safety reminders)
• Graduation/Commencement updates and requirements (partner with Registrar and University Events for graduation and commencement requirements)
• Student Code of Conduct (Partnering with OSARP to send out Handbook updates)
• Board of Visitor updates
• Notices required by legal, state or federal regulations

If your student email has been identified as a pre-approved exception message, complete the Email Request Form and the Student Affairs Communication and Marketing Team can assist you in creating and sending your email through Marketing Cloud.

There are no other options for emailing all students as inclusion in Dukes News has replaced the previous bulk mail option.

As part of your IRB application, you will be prompted to provide the language and messaging that will be included in Dukes News.

No, they should be submitted to JMU News using the JMU News Submission Form.

The Reengineering Madison initiative provided an opportunity to review and modernize our approach to communications, from our current distribution models to the use of new tools. Senior leadership prioritized changes that will make electronic communications more engaging; reduce the volume of email faculty, staff, and students receive; and reduce possible institutional risk.

The Communications Governance Committee (CGC) is a group representing university-wide constituencies tasked to evaluate our communication processes and procedures in the context of other system changes resulting from Reengineering Madison.

University Communications shared an update regarding Communications Governance on Nov. 11 to faculty and staff.

Responsiblities for the CGC include:

• Evaluating processes and guidelines for internal and external email communications
• Developing procedures and processes for intentional communication 

Members of the CGC were charged to meet these goals: 

1. Increase active engagement with content
2. Reduce the volume of email
3. Limit institutional risk