Section Email Lists FAQ

Where does the email distribution list come from?

When you email your entire course roster, you are actually using a distribution list created by a third-party software, Sympa.

When is the list created?

The distribution lists are created nightly when a section has at least one enrollment and when at least one faculty member associated with the section has an active email address in SIS.

How long will the list last?

The distribution list is closed and removed 180 days after the end of the term according to the term dates in SIS.

Who is on the list?

All students with a confirmed enrollment status for the section with a valid Hopkins email address are included on the distribution list. Students who have withdrawn from the course are not on the distribution list. All faculty members associated with the section are also on the distribution list and will receive any messages that you send to your course roster. (The emails will be sent to the faculty member’s Hopkins email address.)

Who can send to the list?

Anyone who is on the list can send a message to the list.

Faculty can send email to the list using any email address established in SIS. This includes all email address types, including valid and expired. Please note that although you can send email from these alternate addresses, you cannot receive mail at these addresses. Email can only be sent to your Hopkins email address.

Why don’t I see the Email Entire Class link for my roster?

If you do not see the Email Entire Class link, your distribution list has either not yet been created or has already been closed. The distribution list is not created if your section has no confirmed enrollments or if SIS does not have an email address for you. Please contact your Registrar’s Office if your section has enrollments but you do not see the Email Entire Class link for your roster.

Why has my distribution list been closed?

All distribution lists are closed 180 days after the last day for the term. If you believe that your list was closed in error, please contact your Registrar’s Office.

Why can’t I send messages to my course rosters?

In order to send email messages to your entire class, your email address must be established in SIS. You can refer to the online help for Establishing an Email Address for more information.

After establishing your email address, you should wait 2 to 4 hours before attempting to resend your email to the list.

If you still cannot email your class the day after your email address was established, please contact your Registrar’s Office for further assistance.

Why don’t students get emails that I send to the list?

The distribution list includes Hopkins email addresses for students who have confirmed enrollments for the section. You can see the email addresses for students in your section on the Course Roster. Students can view their Hopkins email address in the Personal Information area of SIS for Students. Students are responsible for checking and using their Hopkins email address for all official email communications.

What is the max file size for email attachments?

You can send up to 10 MB.