Text Messaging in Navigate360
Feature Overview
Two-way texting/text messaging lets you send messages to students and receive replies in the Navigate360 staff platform. This a powerful tool for staff to manage and view student SMS communication in one place.
This functionality is not available to all users. To send texts to students, employees must have the permissions active.
Texts can be sent from a Student Profile and managed on the Conversations page.
Text messages are sent directly to students from Navigate360 staff using the Send A Message dialogue.
There are several different ways to access this feature. One way is to go to a student’s profile page and select Message Student.
SMS messages allow 300 characters in the standard GSM-7 character set. This means they may not contain special characters. For the student to receive the text messages, they must have a valid mobile/cellphone number associated with their profile. Students must also have the user setting checked to allow them to receive text messages.
Sent and received SMS/text messages from phone numbers OR the short code are shown on the My Conversations page.
To send text messages to multiple students, utilize Students in My Courses. Faculty can sort by class or name by using the arrows. Utilize the radio buttons to select one or multiple students. Then, select Actions and Send Message.
Types of Text Messages Sent by Navigate360
Automated Text Message Reminder
These are the reminders that can go out the day of a scheduled appointment and for some appointment notifications and queue notifications, among other potential reminders. This number is either the Navigate360 short code, 915-52, or the institution's bulk messaging number once selected.
Text Message Using Short Code (without Dedicated Number)
If a text is sent to more than 100 students simultaneously, it will come from the short code or the institution’s bulk messaging number. Messages sent from the bulk messaging number or short code cannot receive text message replies.
When students reply to a message sent from a short code or the institution's bulk messaging number, they also receive a message explaining that text message replies sent to this number are undeliverable. You can explain this in the original SMS to prevent students replying to the short code or bulk messaging number.
Texting Using 10-Digit Number
If a staff member sends a text message, Navigate360 will automatically send it from a pool of 10-digit numbers. The number may vary by message. Messages must be sent to less than 100 students to come from a 10-digit phone number. If students respond to the text, their reply will be routed back to the staff member who sent the text and will appear in My Conversations.
Ten-digit phone numbers may not be immediately recognizable to students. Thus, it's important for staff to identify themselves in the SMS.
Text Message SMS Responses (Short Code and Bulk Messaging Numbers)
Listed below are SMS commands students can use with Navigate360 staff text messages from the short code and bulk messaging number only, which let students receive or not receive texts from Navigate360 as they wish.
| SMS Command | Expected Response |
|---|---|
| HELP, INFO | "This service sends messages on behalf of your school such as personal messages from staff and appointment related information. Reply 'STOP' to cancel. Reply 'START' to opt in. Msg & Data rates may apply." |
| STOP, QUIT, CANCEL, UNSUBSCRIBE, END | "You have opted out from receiving texts to this number. Please reply 'START' to opt back in. Msg & Data rates may apply." |
| Other text: e.g. 'hi there' | "We're sorry. This number does not support incoming messages. Reply 'HELP' for info. Reply 'STOP' to cancel. Msg & Data rates may apply." |
| START | "You have opted in to receive texts to this number. Reply 'STOP' to opt back out. Msg & Data rates may apply." |
When students reply STOP, QUIT, UNSUBSCRIBE, or END to a text message sent from Navigate360, they will be added to an opt-out list. This prevents them from receiving future text messages from Navigate360.
Once a student is on the opt-out list, text messages will not come from Navigate360. If you attempt to text a student on the opt-out list, Navigate360 automatically converts the message to an email and sends it to the student email on file.
If students want to receive SMS/text messages from Navigate360 after opting out, they must text START to the same number they sent the unsubscribe command to.
Quick Summary of Text Message Functionality
Text messaging should be used to support academic purposes, advising, and student success initiatives. Messaging students is used for nudging a student to action or congratulating for an achievement.
There is a 300-character limit. Use an identifier so recipient knows who the message is from. Text messaging should not be the sole method of communicating essential or urgent information/announcements.
- A text message can come from a randomly generated 10-digit number (e.g. 205-619-9669)
- Occurs when a staff person messages 100 or fewer students
- Students can reply for up to 90 days (if there’s any response activity in the text chain, the 90 day clock resets)
- Student replies go to staff persons’ conversations tab in Navigate, and a notification email is sent to the institution email account
- Staff can only reply to a student response through Navigate
- Students cannot opt-out
- A text message can also come from a short code number (e.g. 915-52) or Bulk Messaging Number
- Occurs when a staff person texts more than 100 students at time
- Also occurs when a student receives an automated text message reminder for an appointment
- Students cannot respond, and if they do, they’ll get a message saying it was not received
- Students can opt-out
- If a student opts-out, they no longer receive text messages from Navigate for only those sent through short codes or the bulk messaging number (this includes automated appointment reminders – they will be sent as an email)
- Staff can view students who have opted out of bulk messaging number or short code text messages by accessing the relevant report