Student Success & Engagement uses a third-party service to handle SMS message functionality. This third-party service implements opt-out (SMS STOP filtering) standards in accordance with industry standards.

Opt-Out

SS&E treats an opt-out request as an indication that the recipient does not wish to receive any SMS messages from SS&E, and prefers email communication on all of the recipient's phone numbers that are currently listed in SS&E.

• When a recipient replies to any SS&E SMS message with an opt-out keyword, the recipient will no longer receive SMS messages from that specific number or any other SS&E SMS number once an opt-out delay (explained below) is first resolved.
• Once SS&E is notified that a recipient has "opted out" of receiving text messages, this will automatically disable SMS for all of the recipient's current phone numbers within SS&E.
• This is controlled by a third-party SMS service and once "opted out", all SMS communications from any SS&E System SMS number will be delivered to the recipient via email instead.
• The following Opt-out keywords may apply: STOP, STOPALL, QUIT, END, CANCEL, UNSUBSCRIBE

Opt-Out Delay

Currently, SS&E only knows that a recipient has opted out of receiving text messages by attempting to send another SMS message from the same sender SMS number. Only then will SS&E receive an error code response noting that this sender has been "opted-out" by the third-party SMS service. This process causes a delay between the actual time the recipient opted out of receiving SMS messages to the time this is reflected in SS&E.

• Since SS&E does not immediately capture the "opt-out" response from the message the recipient opted out from, SS&E will only reflect opt-out/SMS Disabled the next time a message is sent from the same SS&E System SMS number that the recipient first opted out from. 
• This means that until an SS&E System "sender" whose prior message was opted out from attempts to send another text message, the recipient will not show SMS Disabled and will continue to receive SMS messages from all other SS&E SMS numbers. However, as soon as the same sender attempts to send another text message, an error code response is returned, and from then on the recipient will display SMS Disabled on all their phone numbers, essentially blocking all SS&E SMS messages from all SS&E SMS numbers.
• This results in other "senders" being able to send text messages from SS&E System numbers to the recipient until SS&E receives the third-party error response.
• Once the error is received, "SMS Disabled" will be applied to all of the recipient's phone numbers that are currently in SS&E, essentially blocking all SS&E Staff with SS&E System Text Messaging numbers from sending text messages to any of the recipients current phone numbers.

How to view which students have opted out of texting

On the Message report found here, there is an error listed that states "Attempt To Send To Unsubscribed Recipient 21610."

• For instructions how to fix the broken link with yourinstitution and open the URL in your system,click here.
• By design, the very first time a student opts out of texting this is not tracked. However, the next time a message is sent to that same student, SS&E will be alerted and the blocked message receives "Attempt To Send To Unsubscribed Recipient 21610" on the message report.
• Message Report Error Codes that are displayed on the Message Report will also display on the Messages report source.
  • • Filtering on Error Code "Attempt To Send To Unsubscribed Recipient 21610" will return results for students who have opted out of text messaging after the Opt-Out Delay has been resolved.
    • The opt-out will not display in SS&E until the same sender sends a second text message to the student's SMS phone number that already opted out of receiving text messages from the sender's phone number.
    • Once the Opt-Out is recorded and displayed in SS&E, the student will be opted out of recieving text messages from all SS&E message senders.

Message Report Filter:

Opt-In

If a person decides to receive text messages from an SS&E System number that they have previously opted out from, they must send an opt-in keyword to that specific number.

• This will re-enable SMS communications between the sender number to the recipient number via the third-party system.
• SS&E treats an opt-in request as an indication that the recipient wishes to accept SMS communications from SS&E.
• Opt-in keywords: START, YES, UNSTOP

Once the recipient has opted in, this will re-enable SMS for the specific recipient phone number and allow future SMS messages to be delivered from this number to the recipient.

• Re-enabling SMS for a person's phone number controls whether or not SS&E is allowed to send SMS messages only to that specific phone number.

Since SS&E does not control the third-party opt-out system, an SS&E recipient cannot opt-out of SMS communication messaging only from specific SS&E SMS numbers.

• This means that once opted out in SS&E, the recipient will be opted out from all SMS numbers. Similarly, once opted-in, the recipient will receive SMS messages from all SS&E SMS numbers.
• It is also possible, that based on the "opt-out delay", after SMS is re-enabled for a recipient phone number, it may change back to "SMS Disabled" if a "second" text message is sent from the same SS&E SMS number that the recipient had previously opted out of receiving text messages from.

For more information about SMS Configuration Administration, please click here.