Listserv Technology | Listserv Policy

Frequently Asked Questions | List of Listservs

The School of Government manages a number of listservs primarily for local government officials and employees. These listservs allow local government to share information with peers and faculty experts at the School of Government.

Listserv Technology

A listserv is an application that collects individual e-mail addresses under a single e-mail address, allowing members of the listserv to send a message to all members using the designated e-mail address of the listserv (listname@listserv.unc.edu). This technology works with the most basic Internet application: e-mail. Any municipal or county official or employee that has a computer, an internet connection, and an e-mail account can join any of the listservs appropriate to their area of work and participate in the statewide conversation.

Listserv Policy

Since the listserv technology is managed and supported by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a public institution, all listservs are open to be viewed by any visitor. Membership is restricted to people who work for local government in the area of administration and service that the listserv represents. The School of Government hosts this listserv. Listservs are valuable tools for enabling you to pose questions to, and share information, with others who share your interests. Here are some user points that can enhance the value of a listserv. (1) Please remember that messages posted to the listserv are public record and are subject to public inspection. (2) Please send personal messages for individuals directly to those individuals, rather than to the entire list. (3) Please refrain from sending content unrelated to the listserv's purpose. Such messages can discourage others from reading the listserv regularly and diminish its usefulness. (4) Please compose your message in a way that's helpful to readers. Examples are using a descriptive subject line that immediately identifies your topic and writing text with a succinct, complete description of the question you are posing or the information you are sharing. Thanks for contributing productively to the listserv.

Frequently Asked Questions

Problems With or Viruses On the Listservs

If you encounter a technical problem with a School of Government managed listserv, contact the School of Government Listserv Manager. Members, if you discover a virus being transmitted from a member account, please contact the Listserv Manager immediately. Since the listserv is a public venue, no filtering is applied to e-mail sent from a member to the listserv. If a member account sends an infected e-mail through the listserv, that account will be removed until it has been determined that the infected machine and account have been cleaned. Once the member machine has been cleaned, the account can be requested to be reinstated.

For More Information about the Listservs

If you have questions about the content or membership requirements for specific listserv please contact the sponsor for that listserv. Sponsors are subject area experts and are listed on each listserv's individual web page. List of Listservs.

Faculty Coordinator

School of Government Listserv Manager
listmgr@sog.unc.edu