General Information
What is TAMUDirect, and how does it tie into Google Groups?
TAMUDirect can best be described as "middleware." It works to control the membership of certain Texas A&M Google Groups, specifically course mailing lists.
When a TAMUDirect course list is created, a set of instructions are defined to populate the list with the instructor(s) of record for a specific course section and the students enrolled in that course. TAMUDirect first pulls this information from our email database based on roster data provided by Compass. It uses this data to generate an internal list of members of the final course list. It combines these automatically added addresses with any addresses that have been manually added to the list via the TAMUDirect interface to generate a final list of who should be included in the mailing list. TAMUDirect then creates a Google Group and populates it with the membership it has established. Instructors of record and anyone marked as a "Sender" or "Manager" are added to the list as a manager, and all other addresses are added as list members.
Each night, TAMUDirect refreshes its membership based on changes to enrollment data as students join or leave classes and then updates the TAMU Google Group accordingly. During this process, it also removes any email address that appears in the TAMU Google Group that does not also appear in the TAMUDirect list. This is because the TAMUDirect membership list is considered the authoritative membership list for the Google Group.
What email addresses are used for the lists?
By default, TAMUDirect lists use @tamu.edu addresses for list members. Email to the list must be sent from the instructor's NetID@tamu.edu address.
If an instructor wants to send list emails from their @department.tamu.edu address, you must add that address to your TAMUDirect list as a member who "Can Send."
If the student forwards their @tamu.edu email away from their university Google mailbox (NetID@email.tamu.edu), they will receive the message at this other account.
What does “Can Send” mean?
When a list member is marked as “Can Send,” they can send to the list from that specific email address. They can also view the list in TAMUDirect.
What happens when I turn off “Receives” for a list member?
When “Receives” is turned off for a list member, they are removed altogether from the Google Group and will be unable to receive list emails (or access the list’s shared Google Drive folder if enabled).
When does a course list become active/inactive?
Courses are available for creation once the course is listed in Compass. Once the course is listed in Compass, it will be selectable from the Create List button on https://TAMUDirect.tamu.edu/. Course lists are not created automatically, and must be created by an instructor of record for that course. In most cases, courses are entered into Compass after pre-registratin for a given semester is complete.
How are people automatically added or removed from a course list?
The database supporting TAMUDirect lists is updated every night from authoritative sources for employee and student information. Therefore, any official change in a source will be reflected in a list by the following day. For example, a student who Q-drops a course will stop receiving emails to the course list the day after the Q-drop is processed by the Registrar.
Typically, a student who is added to or removed from a course before the close of business will be added to or removed from a TAMUDirect list by 1pm the following day. Changes may update later than 1pm the following day during periods of frequent roster changes, such as the beginning of each semester. During these periods, it may take up to 48 hours for changes to be reflected.
Can I manually add or remove people from a list?
Yes. You may add members by clicking the “Edit” button for a particular list, expanding the “Add Member” section, and providing the name and email address for the member you would like to add. Any manually added members may also be removed from the list by clicking the Trash icon. Automatically added members may not be removed from the TAMUDirect list, but you can prevent them from receiving mail by toggling “Receives” off.
Important Note: Do not use the Google Groups website to add or delete people from a list. This is because TAMUDirect overwrites any changes made via the Google Groups site. If you need to manage list membership, click the "Edit" button next to a particular list on the TAMUDirect "My Lists" page instead.
How are automatically added members marked as "Can Send"?
For course lists, members who can send to the list are added and deleted based on Compass Instructor of Record data. Also, a list owner can designate other people as list owners by enabling "Can Send."
Why is a particular student not listed in my TAMUDirect course list?
If the student added the course recently, it can take up to 24 hours for membership data from campus systems to fully synchronize with TAMUDirect. If they are still not listed as a member of your TAMUDirect list after 24 hours, contact Help Desk Central.
Why do I not see lists for all the courses I teach?
Upon log in, your class rosters will be available, but you must enable those lists you wish to use. Lists are not automatically created in the system.
You are not registered as a course instructor in the Compass Instructor of Record database or there are no students registered for the course. To verify that you are listed as a course instructor, contact your departmental Compass representative. They can update the record for the course if needed. Because updates are sent from Compass once a day, you will not see the course mailing list displayed until the next day
I teach multiple sections for one course. How do I send email to all the sections?
Create a multi-section list through the TAMUDirect application.
I administer all course lists for my department. Can I create course lists in bulk?
TAMUDirect admins can create lists for a department. Please keep in mind that bulk creation of lists may result in wasting resources on unused lists. Only make this request for lists that will be used.
How do I delete a moderator from a TAMUdirect list?
If a trashcan icon is to the right of the individual needing to be removed, clicking the icon will remove that individual.If there is no trashcan icon, a TAMUDirect administrator will need to remove that individual. Please provide the name and email address of the individual to be removed.If the removed individual is the owner of the list, please provide the name and email address of the new owner of the list.
Can I create or request a TAMUDirect list for only my Teaching Assistants?
Yes. Email helpdesk@tamu.edu with the following information, and a TAMUDirect administrator will create a list for the course instructor and TAs.
- Name, NetID, and email address of the course instructor and their TAs
- Course abbreviation and number (ex. SCSC201)