RingCentral Text

Texting (SMS) is a great way to reach students and those outside the TWU community. Your TWU number is textable and you can send/view texts in the desktop, web, or mobile app. As with any communication, being mindful of what and how you are communicating is important.

Texts should be sent to individual students. Group texting with students may violate FERPA and other privacy standards and practices. Texts sent to individual students may include more than one employee (e.g. a student assistant sends and includes a full time staff member). This would be to allow for gaps in scheduling which might slow down text replies.

Personally identifiable information (PII) should never be sent via text. PII includes, but is not limited to, social security numbers, passwords, financial information, or grades.

IT Solutions offers RingCentral Fax, Text, Message, Contacts, Video Bridge Training course (click link to self enroll).

Please see below for additional best practices and recommendations. 

About Texting in RingCentral

Text messages appear within the app by navigating to the Text menu via the left-hand navigation bar.

• Sending a text message in the RingCentral app desktop and web
• Sending a text message in RingCentral mobile app 
• Sending a group text message in the RingCentral app desktop and web
• Sending a text message in bulk in the RingCentral app desktop and web
• Managing text messages in the RingCentral app desktop and web

Best Practices

• All messages should include a brief opt-out clause (e.g. Reply STOP to unsubscribe). Departments are expected to track opt-outs to prevent repeat texts to recipients who have opted out. [You might then send a confirmation such as "You have successfully been unsubscribed. You will not receive any more messages from this number. Reply START to resubscribe."
   
• Consider the action/response needed for the text. Do you need to/can you confirm this is the person you’re texting? If the action/response requires identity confirmation, direct the recipient to a University system with log on. (e.g. With TWU email, you know they were able to log on with the specific username and password.)
   
• Text messages should be responded quickly and the department should have adequate support to meet this expectation. 
   
• Text should not be used as the sole means of communicating an essential message or announcement. The text message must be supplemented by some other means of communication, e.g. an email or paper notice to ensure that all students, including those without a mobile phone, receive the message.
   
• With brevity in mind, all messages must be tagged with the appropriate identifier e.g., school, administrative office so that the recipients of the text can see immediately where it originated.
   
• Texts should include essential points plus an instruction: 'check your email for full details' or 'full details to follow by internal post'. When possible abbreviations and text lingo should be kept to a minimum.
   
• Try to limit texts to 160 characters. 

• Texts must not be used for:

  • general information to large populations i.e. “Fall classes start Monday!”
  • repeat reminders of messages already circulated
  • personal matters e.g., items for sale, farewell messages or any commercial purposes 
  • primary records (unless the department is prepared to manage records using RingCentral)
     
• Keep texts to a minimum to ensure that students do not opt-out because of overuse
   
• Emergency alerts are provided through a different system than RingCentral text. Likewise, eBill (electronic billing) notifications are unrelated to this program. Admissions and other departments may utilize mass text through separate programs.
• Departments are encouraged to develop and adopt a communication plan to maximize effectiveness of communications. The department should also consider how to handle text messages sent by an individual in the wake of their departure. (RingCentral only allows texts to be sent by individuals, i.e. not from the department “mainline.”)

These best practices were gathered from across different university policies and standards. They are unofficial. We do our best to link to only the best external sites but we cannot be held responsible for the quality or accuracy of such websites