SMS @ QUT

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In August 2005 QUT introduced SMS for students. The service will be used to alert students to important information relating to their enrolment at QUT and it will be an optional no-cost service.

The ability to send SMS offers an additional means of communication with students and it is important to note that email will remain the principal means of correspondence between QUT and students. Students will continue to receive emails concerning their enrolment and other important administrative matters from the university.

What text messages will be sent?

SMS will be used to inform students about outstanding debts, that an encumbrance is about to be applied to their record, or that they have an impending cancellation of enrolment. An email will also be sent to the student in all cases, as SMS is an additional service and not a replacement service.

Students will not be able to respond to text messages. If you need further information regarding a text message, you will need to contact Student Business Services .

How to take advantage of the new service

To receive SMS text messages from the university, you need to enter your mobile/SMS phone number in QUT Virtual by going to the personal information tab and clicking on the update mailing address, personal and statistical details.

After you have entered your mobile/SMS phone number, you will be required to acknowledge that by providing your number you expect to receive SMS from the university.

You can opt out of the service at any time by removing your number from the mobile/SMS field.

Student privacy

Personal information will not be included in SMS messages sent by QUT. Students who take advantage of the opt-in package available in the future may receive text messages that include information of a personal nature such as examination results. Subscribing to the opt-in package would include granting consent to send this type of personal information via SMS.

For further information regarding your privacy as a QUT student, please refer to QUT's privacy policy .

Avoiding Spam

QUT will ensure that SMS is used responsibly. A comprehensive approval process is in place to ensure that students do not receive a proliferation of messages and it is anticipated that a limit of 10 messages per year will be applied.

The Spam Act 2003 provides three key criteria that should be applied in sending electronic messages, and the university is complying with the requirements of the Act:

1. Consent : Consent is given by the student for QUT to send text messages when they enter their SMS mobile phone number into QUT Virtual.
2. Identification : All SMS messages will identify QUT as the sender.
3. Unsubscribe facility : Students will be able to unsubscribe from the SMS facility at any time by removing their phone number from the mobile/SMS field in QUT Virtual.