UVM has adopted Emma as the centrally supported email marketing platform for sending branded, high‑volume communications to broad audiences both within and outside UVM. It is intended for newsletters, announcements, campaigns, and other large-scale email communications.
Bulk email is a valuable communication tool, but it is also a common vector for phishing, spoofing, and other abuse. To reduce risk, UVM is moving toward restricting the use of @uvm.edu email addresses with non‑approved external mailing platforms. Individuals who are currently using other platforms should begin planning to move toward Emma as their email marketing platform.
To address the risks of phishing and spoofed email, UVM will be moving to stricter email security policies. This will mean that mail sent from non-UVM services using the uvm.edu email domain may be rejected.
Emma is designed for ongoing, structured communication with large, managed audiences. Not all email communication requires a platform like Emma, and many use cases are better served by other supported tools, including LISTSERV or Outlook mail-merge.
Requesting Access to Emma
Requests are reviewed by UVM Strategic Communications and/or ETS to ensure the platform is being used appropriately and where it adds clear value. As part of this process, ETS and Communications will work with you to identify a workable solution for your communication needs.
After a request is approved, you will receive:
- Instructions for accessing Emma
- Initial setup guidance
- Access to a Microsoft Teams space for Emma communicators
Frequently Asked Questions
- Emma Help Center: https://help.myemma.com
- Campaign creation guides: https://help.myemma.com/s/article/Choose-an-email-template
- Audience management: https://help.myemma.com/s/article/audience-tab-overview
What are some other supported options for sending email to large numbers of recipients?
Emma won’t be the right fit for every use case. If Emma isn’t appropriate for what you’re trying to do, ETS can help you use other supported tools, including:
- Outlook Mail Merge — for sending ad-hoc mailings to moderately size lists.
- Power Automate Mail Merge — for personalized mailings using recipients in an Excel worksheet.
- Outlook Newsletters — for nicely formatted, collaboratively created mailings for internal audiences.
- SharePoint News posts — presented through SharePoint and can be emailed to distribution groups.
- LISTSERV — venerable subscription-based lists, including self-service subscription management and web-based management interface. Great for audiences that include both internal and external recipients.
These options are often a better fit for smaller-scale, occasional, or more targeted communication needs. ETS is happy to consult with you to determine the best solution for you.
What happens if I already have an email marketing tool?
Several different email marketing platforms have been in use at UVM in the past, including Mailchimp, Constant Contact, HubSpot, and others. New requests for these tools will not be approved and existing use will be phased out.
In addition, changes to UVM email security policy increasingly will prevent messages sent through unapproved services from being delivered reliably.
If you are currently using an external platform, you should plan to transition away from it. If your use case aligns with Emma, you can request access here: https://go.uvm.edu/emma-request.