1. How do I opt-in to receive text messages from my institution?
  2. What happens after I sign up (opt-in) for text messaging via myStThom?
  3. What will the confirmation message say?
  4. What if I type back “HELP”?
  5. From what number will these text messages display?
  6. If I sign up at night, when will I receive the confirmation message?
  7. I did not receive a confirmation message. What happened?
  8. I did not receive a confirmation message because my phone wasn’t text enabled. I have since contacted my mobile phone provider to enable it. Do I need another confirmation message sent?
  9. How do I opt-out?
  10. What if I opted-out but later decide I would like to opt-in again with the same phone number?
  11. What if I opted-out but later decide I would like to opt-in again with the different phone number?
  12. If I change mobile phone providers but keep the same number, do I need to opt-in again?
  13. What if my information is not registered with the school, but I want to receive alerts anyway? Can I text 23177 to “SUBSCRIBE UST” and still receive messages?
  1. How do I opt-in to receive text messages from my institution?
    As a student, you can opt-in by providing a text-enabled phone number via "Student Self Service" at myStThom. If you are an employee, you can provide your text-enabled phone number via "UST Employee Self-Service" at myStThom.  Both employees and students should add the text-enable phone number to a phone type of “SMS Text Message” under the “Update Phone Number” section of your Self Service section of myStThom.

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  2. What happens after I sign up (opt-in) for text messaging via myStThom?
    After you sign up online, the Blackboard Connect® service will automatically send a text message to your mobile phone to confirm your request. This occurs during business hours between 10am – 6pm PST.

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  3. What will the confirmation message say?
    The confirmation message will read the following:

    UST ALERT: You are now confirmed to receive alerts from us. More info text reply "HELP" or "STOP UST" to opt-out.



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  4. What if I type back “HELP”?
    If you type back HELP, you will receive the message:

    NTI alert notifications.  Users will receive relevant alerts as needed.  For more info www.blackboardconnect.com/sms or sms@blackboardconnect.com. To opt-out text STOP



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  5. From what number will these text messages display?
    You will see 23177 as the text messaging number sending you the confirmation message and all subsequent messages. Please save this number and program it as “UST Alert” so that you can quickly recognize this number as the official source of the University of St. Thomas’ messages.

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  6. If I sign up at night, when will I receive the confirmation message?
    The confirmation messages are sent during business hours (10am to 6pm PST).  Since we upload data into the Blackboard Connect service every day at 2:00am you should expect the confirmation request to arrive the following day during business hours after the upload has taken place.

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  7. I did not receive a confirmation message. What happened?
    Please check with your mobile phone provider to find out if your device accepts text messages. You may also want to check with your provider to see if text messaging has been enabled. You may need to subscribe to a text messaging plan in order to receive or reply to text messages.

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  8. I did not receive a confirmation message because my phone wasn’t text enabled. I have since contacted my mobile phone provider to enable it. Do I need another confirmation message sent?
    No. If your SMS phone was already submitted to our database, you should be confirmed to receive SMS alerts from us. However, you may also test to find out by texting the word “SUBSCRIBE” to 23177 and you will receive a reply with the following:

    UST ALERT: This phone number has already been opted in. More info text reply "HELP" or "STOP UST" to opt-out



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  9. How do I opt-out?
    You may opt-out at any time by texting “STOP UST" or “QUIT UST" to 23177.

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  10. What if I opted-out but later decide I would like to opt-in again with the same phone number?
    You may request to begin receiving text messages by texting “SUBSCRIBE UST" to 23177.

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  11. What if I opted-out but later decide I would like to opt-in again with the different phone number?
    You will need to follow these two steps.
    1. Add or change your text-enable phone number in the Phone Type, “SMS Text Message” under the “Update Phone Number” section of your Self Service section of myStThom.
    2. Since we upload data into the Blackboard Connect service every day at 2:00am, the following day, request to begin receiving text messages by texting “SUBSCRIBE UST" to 23177.


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  12. If I change mobile phone providers but keep the same number, do I need to opt-in again?
    No.  Once your phone number has been opted-in, it stays registered within the system.

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  13. What if my information is not registered with the school, but I want to receive alerts anyway? Can I text 23177 to “SUBSCRIBE UST” and still receive messages?
    No, you will not receive messages.  If you are not part of the school’s contact database, and you try to subscribe, you will receive the message:

    You have not followed the Opt-In/Out process correctly.  More info text HELP or go to www.blackboardconnect.com/sms



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