These guidelines serve as a checklist for composing email messages and text messages in Navigate.

Campaign Name

The nomenclature (campaign name) for appointment campaigns and message campaigns is: Term Topic Initials 

For example: F24 Registration MS 

Tracking URL

Enter the URL of the webpage that you would like the student to visit. This must be a UWP webpage -- there are a few expectations to this, exceptions must be pre-approved by the UWP Navigate Office. If no URL is being used in the message, then leave this field blank. 

Tracking URL Display Value

These are the words that will be hyperlinked to the tracking URL. When the student clicks on these words, they will reach the URL. For ADA considerations, the words must be descriptive, for example: graduation application; course catalog. The words "click here" and other vague words and phrases are not permitted. If no URL is being used in the message, then leave this field blank. 

Composing Messages

Here are some reminders about composing email messages and text messages in Navigate.

Nudge Types: There two nudge types in Navigate: Email and SMS (Text).

Dates: When listing dates in email messages and text messages, always include: day of the week, month, date, year. For example: Tuesday, November 26, 2024 (instead of Nov 26).

Times: When listing times for virtual events, please include the time zone, because our online students live in various locations and might have a different time zone.

Number of Recipients: Remember, a text can only be sent to 100 students or less, at a time. The reason for this, is because we want students to have an option to reply to a text. If a text is sent to more than 100 students, then the option for students to reply becomes disabled.  

Navigate is set up for 100 students per page, so you can send text messages to one page of students at a time (if you are sending a text and want them to have the option to reply).

As an example, if you have 3 pages of students for a particular text campaign, you could label the text campaigns as follows (as an example):

Term _ Topic _ page of total pages _ your initials

S25 TopicOfMessage 1of3 MS

S25 TopicOfMessage 2of3 MS

S25 TopicOfMessage 3of3 MS

Text Introduction: Text messages must begin with: “This is (name) from UWP” -- there are a few expectations to this, exceptions must be pre-approved by the UWP Navigate Office. 

URLs (instead of PDFs): Email messages and text messages in Navigate are text-based along with an option to include a UWP URL (a link to a UWP webpage). Avoid using PDFs in Navigate messages.

Audience, Purpose, Call To Action: All email messages and text messages sent through Navigate consist of a (1) target audience, (2) purpose, (3) call to action.  

Message Customization: When composing messages in Navigate (for message campaigns and appointment campaigns) remember to delete or edit the AI generated content. For example: Delete or edit the words Header Text.

Email Signature: At the bottom of your email message, remember to include your name, title or department, and University of Wisconsin-Parkside (type this information or use a merge tag).

Merge Tags: Merge tags are available for email messages in Navigate. Merge tags are not available for text messages in Navigate. You can use Navigate merge tags for student name, email signature, and additional fields.

Intentional Communication: We want to be intentional about our communication. We do not want to over-communicate or under-communicate. Before sending a message, confirm which person/department should be sending the message (based on the audience, purpose and call to action). We do not want students to receive the same message from various people/departments. We create Navigate Communication Plans each semester to determine who is sending messages about specific topics to specified groups of students. 

Scope: Advisors and success coaches can send messages to their assigned students (or to a subset of their assigned students), and all messages must directly relate to their specific role at UWP.  Tutoring, career services, community engagement, housing, and additional staff can send messages to specialized highly targeted groups of students, and all messages must directly relate to their specific role at UWP. Only the Dean of Students can send campus-wide messages to large groups of students (sometimes using Navigate and sometimes using different platforms). If you are unsure if a message is within the scope of your role at UWP, then please communicate with your direct supervisor or with the UWP Navigate Office to discuss it.