The purpose of this policy is to protect students, faculty, and staff from unwanted text messages by complying with the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TPCA) and Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicitation Pornography and Marketing Act of 2003 (CAN-SPAM Act).
Call to Action – An invitation to opt in to a text messaging campaign. The primary purpose of the call to action is to ensure that an individual consents to receiving messages and understands the nature of the messages.
Consent – Permission given to the College by a text message recipient to communicate via text message. Consent is required in all cases except emergencies; the type of consent required may vary depending on the purpose of the intended message.
Conversational Message – A back-and-forth conversation via text messaging that takes place between one or more individuals.
Emergency Messages – Text messages that affect the immediate health and safety of the College community. These situations include weather closures, fires, health risks, and other threats to safety.
Informational Messages – Text messages sent to individuals who have shared their mobile phone number with the College and have asked to be contacted in the future. These messages may include appointment reminders, welcome texts, nudging messages related to application materials, orientation and registration, financial aid application completion, paying for classes, and other non-emergency informational texts.
Mass Text Messages – Identical or substantially similar text messages that have been sent to more than 10 phone numbers in one or more batches.
Official College Purpose – The reason for which an individual will send a text message in their capacity as a college employee.
Opt-In – An action by which someone requests to receive communications via text message. Only individuals that have opted in to text messages will receive text messages.
Opt-Out – An action by which someone who receives text message communications indicates that they no longer want to receive text messages from the College. Individuals who opt out will no longer receive text messages from the College.
Promotional Messages – Text messages that contain sales or marketing promotions. Adding a call-to-action to a message (e.g., a coupon code to an informational text) may place the message in the promotional category.
Unwanted Messages – Text messages such as unsolicited bulk commercial messages (e.g., spam); “phishing” messages intended to access private or confidential information through deception; other forms of abusive, harmful, malicious, unlawful or otherwise inappropriate messages; messages that required an opt-in but did not obtain such opt-in (or such opt-in was revoked); and unwanted content.
This policy applies to any text messaging application or system purchased, administered and/or created with college resources that send text messages. No other system may use 抖阴pro (抖阴pro)/Inver Hills Community College’s (Inver Hills) name, logo, name plates, icons, branding or any other College indicia without the written permission from college administration.
Consent is required to receive communications via text messaging except for emergency communications.
How consent is given can vary based on the type of message:
Text messaging must not be used as the sole means of communicating an essential message or announcement. Text messages must be supplemented by some other means of communication, such as an email or postal letter, to ensure all individuals, including those without a mobile phone, receive the message.
It must be clear from the content of the message being sent that the message is from the College, such that recipients can see immediately where the message originated (e.g., 抖阴pro/Inver Hills).
The College may send non-emergency messages that are closely related to its missions if the recipient has previously given express consent when their mobile telephone number has been provided to the College. These may include informational texts about upcoming school activities.
The College’s non-emergency text messages must, at a minimum, comply with the following:
Text messages must not be used to communicate:
Employee mobile telephone numbers not issued by the College are considered private and may only be used with the employee’s consent. Employee mobile telephone numbers issued by the College are considered public under Minnesota Statutes Chapter 13 Minnesota Government Data Practices Act.
Student mobile telephone numbers are considered limited directory data and may only be used for purposes outlined in this policy and the College’s Student Data Practices Policy 2.7 - 抖阴pro and Procedure 2.7.1 - 抖阴pro; and . The College will not share personal data, including text opt-in or consent status, with third parties that help provide messaging services, including but not limited to platform providers, phone companies, and any other vendors who assist in the delivery of text messages.
All College-related text messages are considered government data regulated under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act Minnesota Statues Chapter 13.
Any device used to send College-related text messages is subject to provisions of and related .
