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What Is a Class Listserv?

• Only group members can send mail to the group, thus eliminating SPAM from non-class members.

• The group's member list is not published; no one can get information about who is in the group. In U-M Online Directory groups, anyone can view group members.

Using enrollment data provided by the Registrar's Office, ITCS can quickly create class list e-mail listservs for instructors on the Ann Arbor campus. ITCS also provides lists for other purposes. Individuals affiliated with the University may request new lists or the conversion of existing U-M Online Directory e-mail groups into listservs by sending e-mail to itcs-listmaster@umich.edu.

Requesting a Listserv for Your Class

1. Connect to the the Course Listserv Request Form at http://www.umich.edu/~listsrvr/.
2. Click Class Listserv Request Form.
3. Select the kind of list you want by clicking the Continue button next to it.
   HINT: If, at a later date, you want to change your choice of listserv, you can do it yourself. Find out how in the Frequently Asked Questions section.
4. Complete the online form. You will need the following information:

	instructor's name	department name
	instructor's uniqname	term class is being held
	instructor's telephone number	class number (not course number)

5. Click Submit Form.

When your listserv is created — usually within 24 hours of your request — you will receive an e-mail message with your listserv name, a password to use for list administration, and more information.

Your Listserv and the U-M Online Directory

Although your class listserv has an entry in the U-M Online Directory, the members' e-mail addresses are stored on the listserver. The listserv's directory entry has a name in the form of

<semester>-<dept-name>-<course-number>-<section-number>

Using f8-psych-999-001 as an example, f8 represents fall semester 2008 (w9 would represent winter semester 2009), psych is the department name, 999 is the course number, and 001 is the section number. If your course has multiple sections, you will have a separate directory entry for each section.

The directory entry for the listserv is owned by ITCS Listserver Administration and cannot be changed by the course instructor. The name of the class list is unique and contains the information needed for our automated processes to maintain and refresh the list.

Your Listserv's E-Mail Address

<listname>@umich.edu

Multiple section classes will each have their own unique e-mail addresses. For listserv f8-psych-999-001, the e-mail address is

f8-psych-999-001@umich.edu

WANT AN EASIER-TO-REMEMBER E-MAIL ADDRESS? In the U-M Online Directory, create a new group entry with a memorable name with your listserv as the only member. Then use that group name as your listerv's e-mail address. For details, please see Managing Groups that You Own in the U-M Online Directory (S4277).

Updating, Maintaining, and Deleting Class Listservs

Because the listserv is created using only enrolled students from the class list, the instructor may want to add additional members, such as a visiting scholars or faculty at another university.

ITCS deletes class listservs and their U-M Online Directory entries sometime between the end of the current term and the beginning of the next term. In unusual cases, and only with advance notice, a class listserv may be extended beyond the beginning of the subsequent term. Please send a request to itcs-listmaster@umich.edu.

Accessing Your Listserv for the First Time

http://classlists.itd.umich.edu/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?enter=<listname>

but <listname> will be the name for your list. For example, if your list name is f2-psych-999-001, you would enter

http://classlists.itd.umich.edu/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?enter=f2-psych-999-001

HINT: Create a bookmark or favorite in your web browser to avoid having to enter this cumbersome URL.

Getting Your Listserv Password

1. Go to your class listserv website.



2. Scroll down the page until you see Did you forget your password?
3. Enter your e-mail address.
4. Click Get password.
5. You'll receive a confirmation page stating that your password has been sent to you at your e-mail address.
6. Please change the listserv-generated password to something only you know and that is easy for you remember. It must contain a minimum of 4 characters and is case-sensitive.
   WARNING!> Do not use your UMICH (Kerberos) password — the one you use to log into Wolverine Access. Your listserv password is sent "in the clear," so it is not protected and would put the security of your UMICH Kerberos password at risk.
7. Log in to your list using your e-mail address and listserv password.
8. Click the Your Settings button.
9. In the Edit your member settings window:

   

   1. In the Password field, enter the password you would like to use.
   2. In the Re-type password field, re-enter your new password.
   3. Click Save.

   

   4. You'll receive a password updated confirmation notice.

Logging In to Your Listserv

1. Use your web browser to go to your list. (See Accessing Your Listserv for the First Time earlier in this document for the URL you should use.)
2. Sign in to your list:



1. In the Your email address field, type your full e-mail address (for example, bjensen@umich.edu).
2. In the Your password field, type your listserv password. (Do not type your UMICH Kerberos password.)
3. Click the Click here to enter <listname> button.
3. You will see the Menu page, your starting point for maintaining your list.

Adding and Removing Listserv Members

1. Use your web browser to go to your list. (See Accessing Your Listserv for the First Time earlier in this document for the URL you should use.)
2. Sign in to your list with your e-mail address and listserv password. (See Signing In to Your Listserv earlier in this document for instructions.)
3. Click the List Admin button.



4. Click the Members button.



You are now at the Members menu, ready to add or remove members.

Adding Members

1. On the Members menu page, click the Create One Member button to add a member to your list. You may need to scroll down the page a bit to get to this button.

HINT: Clicking Create Many Members gives you the option of adding several members at the same time.



2. Enter information about the member you want to add:



1. In the Email field, type the new member's full e-mail address.

NOTE: When adding members to your list, always use the complete form of their e-mail address. For example, it won't work to add bjensen to your list, you would need to add that member using the form bjensen@umich.edu. If you want to add someone outside of the University, make sure you use their full e-mail address also (for example, jsmith@aol.co or sthompson@cornell.edu).

2. In the Full Name field, type the new member's first and last name (for example, Barbara Jensen).
3. In the Password field, type random. The ITCS Listserver will then create a random password for the new listserv member.
3. Scroll down until you see the Save button, and click it.

Removing Members

1. On the Members menu page,

   

   1. Click the name and address of the person you want to remove so that it is highlighted.
   2. Check the Are you sure? checkbox.
   3. Click Delete Member.

2. You will see a page confirming that the member has been deleted.

CAUTION! Once you delete members from your listserv, they are not recoverable. You must go through the Adding Members process again if you want to restore the deleted members to the list.

CAUTION! There is also a Delete All Members option, but only use this in extreme cases and with utmost caution.

Adding a Co-Administrator to Your Listserv

In some cases, you may want to add a co-administrator to your listserv. (Co-administrators are also called co-owners.) The co-administrator may add or remove members from the listserv. Co-administrators are particularly useful when you have a course with many sections and you want to designate a graduate student instructor (GSI) to co-administer his or her section.

HINT: You may designate co-administrators for your listserv when you complete the initial request form for the list.

1. Add the co-administrator to your list as a member by following the instructions under Adding and Removing Listserv Members earlier in this document. Do not save the member information yet. There are some additional fields to fill in.

   HINT: If the co-administrator is already a member, on the Members page, click his/her name and e-mail address in the list of members, then click the Edit Member button just below the list. You will then be able to make the changes indicated below to designate that person as co-administrator.

2. After filling in the fields under Basic Information (e-mail address, full name, and password), scroll down to the List Administrator Settings.
1. In the List Admin field, change the pull-down selection to Yes.



2. Scroll down to the Save button and click it.

Proper Use Policy and Your Listserv

The use of class listservs falls under the University's Proper Use Policy and Guidelines for Responsible Use, which describe the responsible, ethical, and legal use of computing resources for the protection of all users. Violations of these guidelines are certainly unethical and may be violations of University policy or criminal offenses. We encourage you to read these documents, ask questions, and help us maintain an open community of responsible users. You can read more about the Proper Use Policy on the Web at http://www.umich.edu/~policies/responsible-use.html. You can direct questions about the Guidelines for Responsible Use and reports of possible violations of them to the User Advocate (abuse@umich.edu or 734-647-6396).

Frequently Asked Questions About Class Listservs

My class has multiple sections; can I set up one "umbrella" group for it?

If your class has multiple sections, you may wish to set up an umbrella group (or parent group) in the U-M Online Directory. This umbrella group would contain pointers to each section listserv for your course. The advantage of an umbrella group is that it allows you to use one address to send e-mail to everyone in the entire course, rather than typing the separate mail address for each course section. Because there isn't a mechanism for automating requests for umbrella groups, the setup of these groups will need to be done by the instructor in the U-M Online directory. Please refer to Managing Groups that You Own in the U-M Online Directory (S4277).

I can't remember that long e-mail address for my listserv. Is there any way to make it easier to remember?

To make an easier-to-remember e-mail address, create a new group entry in the U-M Online Directory with your listserv as the only member. Then use that group name as your listerv's e-mail address. Please see Managing Groups that You Own in the U-M Online Directory (S4277) for instructions.

Can I set up a listserv for a cross-listed course?

Course sections that are listed in two or more departments are eligible for a class list that contains all the students who are variously registered for the cross-listed sections. [In this instance "meets-with" is synonymous with "cross-listed."] As of July 2002, the listserv system automatically detects whether a class is cross-listed when you request a listserv for it. Class lists for cross-listed sections are named for what the Registrar's Office considers to be the principal section; the instructor will receive notification regarding the name of the list, as well as verification regarding the other sections combined with the principal section. Cross-listed class lists are otherwise used as any other class list and are updated at the same intervals as non-cross-listed class lists.

Are class lists automatically updated as the semester progresses?

Class lists are updated several times a day during the first three weeks of the new term -- the "drop and add" interval. Because enrollment is stable after the end of the third week, there are few scheduled updates after this time. Instructors may request an update from the class listserv web page (http://www.umich.edu/~listsrvr/form.html). On that page, see the section "Do you want to have an existing class list updated?"

The constituency of the class lists is compared with the current registration data during the update process. Any students who have dropped the class are removed from the listserv, and any students who have registered for the class since the creation of the class list are added. Any changes that the instructor has made to the list's membership are ignored during the update.

How do I obtain a file containing information about the students in my class?

This is a "class roster," a file that is provided by Michigan Administrative Information Services (MAIS), the unit responsible for all M-Pathways systems. These files, suitable for using with a spreadsheet program, have traditionally been called "class lists," but to limit confusion with class listservs, the files are now being called "class rosters." To request a class roster, you may use this web page:
http://www.mpathways.umich.edu/student/update.020503.html#2

How do I change between a discussion list and an announcement-only list?

Only a list administrator can make this change.

1. Sign in to your listserv.
2. Click the List Admin button.
3. Click the List Info button.
4. Scroll down to the Posting Privileges and Moderation section.
5. Make the appropriate change to the Admin Send option:
• To make your list a discussion list, select No, normal members are also allowed to contribute. (All members will then be able to send e-mail to the list to participate in discussions.)



• To make your list an announcement-only list, select Yes, only admins can contribute, all others are rejected. (Only list administrators will then be able to send e-mail to the list.)



6. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click the Save button.

Getting Help

If you have questions about using or maintaining a class listserv, contact the ITCS Listserver Administration Team by sending e-mail to class-listserv-consulting@umich.edu.

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Additional Resources

Visit ITCS's Information System to obtain ITCS computer documentation and other resources. A list of relevant documents follows:

Working With E-Mail Groups Using the U-M Online Directory On the Web ( S4277)

ITCS's Online Help Desk provides a variety of computing help resources.

For further help with class listservs, send e-mail or phone (734) 764-HELP.

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