BROADCAST COMMUNICATION: BROADCAST VOICE MAIL

Currently, the university has two methods for quickly communicating with large segments of the community: broadcast e-mail and broadcast voice mail.

You can request to have a voice mail message sent to every member of the entire Georgetown University community. Messages are sent through the University's AUDIX voice mail system using an automatically-maintained list of voice mailboxes.  Since this is a single, unified list, there is no way to distinguish between different groups of people at Georgetown. Any broadcast voice mail message will be received by all faculty, staff, and students, including Medstar employees. Therefore, great discretion should be used in determining appropriate use of broadcast voice mail.

1. Draft your message. Make sure that your voice mail message clearly states: 

• the individual and/or department from whom the message is being sent, and

• where questions about the message can be referred

You should read the draft of your message out loud to someone before submitting it to the HelpDesk.  Text that works very well in a written format often needs minor adjustments to work well in a verbal format.

2. Obtain approval.

While UIS has the technical ability to send voice mail broadcasts, it cannot authorize the message. Authorization must be explicitly granted by either the Vice President of the organization sending the message or by the Provost. Find your appropriate approval office.

3. Send your message to the UIS HelpDesk.

Once you have gained approval, please send that approval (email is fine) along with the text of the voice mail message to help@georgetown.edu.  UIS requires one business day to process your request.  The UIS HelpDesk will send out the broadcast as soon as possible.  Clearly state any time constraints. If this is a time critical message, please also call the HelpDesk.

Yes.  Currently, the University's AUDIX system has two "outgoing mailboxes" for broadcast voice mail.  This means we can send out two broadcast messages at any given time.  If three broadcast message requests are received during the same period (e.g., during one business day), they will be sent on a first-come, first-served basis.  That means that the third message will have to wait one business day or more until it can be sent. 

No. 

Because of software limitations, the red message light on each phone will turn on only when a regular voice mail message is left in that person's voice mail box.  The broadcast message will be waiting for you, however, if you happen to check your voice mail (regardless of the red message light).

For example, a broadcast voice mail message is sent out at 10am.  Your red message light does not turn on.  At 10:45am, your colleague leaves a message for you.  At that point, your red message light turns on.  At any point after 10am, however, you could check your messages and hear the broadcast voice mail message.