PS-09.B.07 - Mobile Applications and Push Notifications
EFFECTIVE DATE: January 12, 2021
ISSUE #: 1
PRESIDENT: Antonio D. Tillis (Interim)
PURPOSE
This PS states the university policy and procedures about the implementation of mobile applications as well as push notifications and text messages sent via mobile applications to communicate information within and beyond the University community.
DEFINITIONS
2.1 Purpose: This PS states the university policy and procedures about the use of mobile applications and push notifications to communicate information within and beyond the University community.
2.2 Push Notification is an action that pushes an alert out through a UHD mobile application to all users or a segment of users.
2.3 Text Messages, for the purpose of this policy, are defined as SMS messages sent to a user’s mobile device via a mobile application.
2.4 Emergency Message refers to a message sent to the University Community related to any situation affecting the health, safety or wellbeing of members of the University community. These include, but are not limited to, weather closures, fire, health risks, and campus threats.
2.5 Official University Purpose means the individual sending the message is doing so for a purpose within the scope of their university employment and official area of responsibility.
2.6 Administrator level access is the highest level of access available for the purpose of managing one or more functions within an application.
2.7 Opt-In is an action by which someone requests to receive UHD communications via push notification. Only individuals who have opted-in to push notifications will receive them.
2.8 Opt-Out is an action by which someone who receives UHD communications via push
or text notification indicates that they no longer want to receive these messages
from UHD. Individuals who opt-out of a system will not receive push or text messages.
2.9 Mobile application, also called mobile apps, is a computer application specifically designed to run on a mobile device such as a phone, tablet or watch.
POLICY
3.1 Departments implementing mobile applications will do so following the procedures outlined in this policy and in collaboration with the offices of both Information Technology and University Relations.
PROCEDURES
4.1 UHD Director of Web and Digital Marketing, or designee, will be granted Administrator Level Access to the messaging function all mobile applications implemented at UHD to ensure that there is University access in the event of an emergency.
4.2 The Office of University Relations may, in limited circumstances, push an emergency message to the users of any UHD mobile application.
4.3 Mobile application administrators and other users who have been granted permissions to send push notifications may do so provided that the content of the message falls within their official area of responsibility. For example: A mobile app for Advising should only be used to send messaging related to Advising, and not be used to send broad campus messaging on other topics.
4.4 Departments implementing mobile applications must activate options to allow users to opt out of messaging if that functionality exists within the mobile application.
4.5 Owners of UHD mobile applications must adhere to Best Practices for Administering Mobile Applications guidelines.
4.6 Departments implementing mobile applications must have written guidelines and procedures as follows:
4.6.1 Designated Administrator of the Application
4.6.2 Process for Managing User permissions
4.6.3 Processes for managing Push Notification and Text Messaging Requests
4.6.4 UHD Brand alignment as required in PS 09.B.06 UHD Graphic Standards
REVIEW PROCESS
Responsible Party (Reviewer): Executive Director of University Relations
Review: Every three years on or before May 1 st
Signed original on file in Human Resources.
POLICY HISTORY
No prior issues of this policy.
REFERENCES