Mason E-Files

Mason E-Files is a digest of announcements sent weekly via email to all faculty and staff. The email contains a web site link to the digest along with a list of titles of each announcement sorted by category.

Guidelines for using Mason E-Files

There are two types of Mason E-Files announcements, standard and alerts. Standard announcements are sent out in a weekly digest form on Mondays. Alert announcements are not restricted to the weekly digest form and are sent out under the name Mason E-Files Alerts.

Standard Announcements

Requests for standard Mason E-Files announcements are submitted to University Information via email to efiles@gmu.edu. Requests for an announcement must be submitted by close of business Thursday for inclusion in the following Monday's Mason E-Files.

Include the following information in the email:

• Subject line: E-Files Standard Announcement
• University department sponsoring the announcement
• Title for the announcement
• Date you request publication
• Contact phone number or email for follow-up questions

Format of the announcement:

• Plain text only
• No attachments
• Announcements may contain a web link for additional information
• Charts and forms may be put on a Mason website and a link to this information within the announcement.
• Announcement length should not exceed 200 words.
• Clarity is important. Requests will be read for clarity, general format, and grammar.

Mason E-Files that will not be accepted

• announcements of items "for sale"
• announcements recruiting for vacant positions
• announcements from sources outside of Mason

Alert Announcements

Alert announcements are sent under the name Mason E-Files Alerts, so they are not confused with standard Mason E-Files announcements. Alert announcements include school closings, unscheduled or short notice outages (power, water, heating, etc), campus emergencies, significant computer network disruptions, closed roads, etc. Alert announcements are not restricted to the weekly digest and may be sent out as soon as staffing constraints permit. Normal announcements that were not submitted in time to be included in the weekly digest are NOT considered emergency announcements. Requests for Alert Mason E-Files announcements are submitted to University Information via email to efiles@gmu.edu. A follow-up call to 993-1005 would ensure receipt of the alert.

Include the following information in the email:

• Subject line: E-Files Alert Announcement
• University department sponsoring the announcement
• Subject line to be used for the announcement
• Nature of the alert
• Contact phone number or email for follow-up questions

Format of the announcement:

• Plain text only.
• No attachments.
• Announcements may contain a web link for additional information.
• Charts and forms may be put on a Mason website and a link to this information within the announcement
• Announcements length should not exceed 200 words.
• Clarity is important. Requests will be read for clarity, general format, and grammar.

Audience

The weekly Mason E-Files digest is automatically sent to all faculty (full-time, part-time, and administrative) and all staff (full-time, part-time classified; university affiliates; non-student wages; and contractors). Mason E-Files is not sent to students.

Subscribe/Unsubscribe

The list of recipients for Mason E-Files is generated from both the HR and PhotoID systems. Mason E-Files are only sent to @gmu.edu email addresses. If you are receiving Mason E-Files announcements at a non-Mason email account, then your Mason email account is most likely forwarded to the non-Mason address.

Subscribe

If you are not receiving Mason E-Files you may subscribe yourself by sending an email to efilemgr@gmu.edu with the subject of Subscribe. In the message body put the following line: Subscribe e-files, youremailaddress@gmu.edu, your first name, your last name.

Unsubscribe

If you are receiving Mason E-Files and wish to cease receiving them, send an email to efilemgr@gmu.edu with the subject Unsubscribe. In the message body put the following line: Unsubscribe e-files youremailaddress@gmu.edu. Unsubscribe requests must be sent from your userid@gmu.edu email account.

Mason E-Files is an ongoing and evolving service. Because of this we reserve the right to update policies and procedures as deemed necessary. Please check this site for updates.

Alternatives to Mason E-Files

While sending a mass email may seem like a good way to get information to the university community it is not the only way to reach the community at large nor is it always the best way. Below are listed some additional resources where your announcement could be circulated to the campus community:

• Today@Mason Announcements (993-1056)
• Broadside (993-2950)
• Daily Gazette (993-8804)
• Flyers Posted (993-9000)
• Campus mail (993-2691)