Class Mailing Lists

Class mailing lists may only be requested by the instructor for a course. Teaching Assistants may also send mail to a class list; however, they will need to have the instructor create the list. A brief overview of class mailing lists can be found here.
Further information and documentation about mailing lists in general (including a brief overview of class mailing lists) can be found here.

Faculty Directions for Creating Class Mailing Lists

1. Login to myCourses at https://webct.brandeis.edu to see a complete listing of all your courses.
2. Click on the "Create Mailing List" link next to the course name.
3. Complete the online mailing list request form.
4. Choose the appropriate format for your class list.
5. Upon confirmation of this request, you will receive an email with the mailing list name (example: name@lists.brandeis.edu).
6. Copy and save this email address.
7. Any emails sent to this list will go to all students in the course.
8. A link to the mailing list settings will appear in your myCourses menu.

You Do Not Need to Add Subscribers to Class Mailing Lists!

One week before the semester begins, class mailing lists are populated with the names and email addresses of students registered for your class. The mailing list server receives an hourly update from the Registrar's server, automatically updating the names of the students in the mailing list. Thus, as soon as the Registrar records that a student has added or dropped a course, it will be reflected in the mailing list. It is not necessary for you to input and maintain the list of student names and email addresses.

Please note: Anyone added as a "guest" to your course (using the "Add Guest" link inside myCourses) will also receive emails sent to the class list.

Default Settings for a Class Mailing List

By default, class mailing lists are set up as discussion lists. Both the instructor and his or her students can send emails to all students registered for their course.

If you would like to change a class mailing list to the announcement type, please contact the mailing list help desk at x6-7782 or itservice@brandeis.edu.

See also the default reply-to setting inside class mailing lists.

Email Reply Settings

The default setting for new class mailing lists is that the messages sent in reply to emails from the list are directed back to the entire list of subscribers.

As the list administrator, you may choose to change this setting so that all of the reply messages are sent out to the entire list of subscribers.



1. Login to the list at http://lists.brandeis.edu


2. Click the "Your Subscriptions" button in the upper-right-hand corner, and choose the list.


3. Click the "Admin" button on the left side of the screen.


4. From the List Admin menu, select "Edit List Config".


5. Select "Sending/reception setup".


6. In the "reply_to_header" section, choose "list" from the drop down menu next to value.


7. Choose "mail" from the drop-down menu next to reception mode.


8. When you are done, you must click the "Update" button at the bottom of the screen in order for the change to take place.

Support for Sympa Mailing Lists

Contact or drop by the Tech Desk | x67882 | techdesk@brandeis.edu

This page was last modified on: May 27, 2008