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College of Medicine Listserv

Available Listservs

The College of Medicine offers a number of different listservs through listserv.uic.edu. However, there are a certain few listservs that are moderated by the College of Medicine’s Office of Marketing and Communications. Those listservs include:

  • com-chicago@uic.edu – All Chicago faculty and staff
  • com-peoria@uic.edu – All Peoria faculty and staff
  • com-rockford@uic.edu – All Rockford faculty and staff
  • com-fac-chicago@uic.edu – All Chicago faculty
  • com-fac-peoria@uic.edu – All Peoria faculty
  • com-fac-rock@uic.edu – All Rockford faculty

Message Guidelines

  • Messages should focus on topics of general interest to the College of Medicine community.
  • Content must relate to University business, not personal, commercial, or external interests.
  • All messages must comply with UIC accessibility standards and guidelines.
  • Requests submitted from non-UIC email addresses will generally be rejected.
  • Messages must follow College of Medicine branding guidelines; noncompliant messages may be declined.
  • Do not submit the same message more than once per week—it will be considered spam.
  • Exception: You may send one early-week message and a same-week event reminder on the day of the event.

Additional Guidance

  • Announce events at least three weeks in advance; send reminders closer to the event date.
  • Research study recruitment messages are welcome.
  • Marketing of UI Health clinical services to employees is permitted.
  • Departments may announce new faculty arrivals, especially new clinical providers; a message template is available upon request.
  • Messages intended for students should generally be posted in the appropriate Slack channel.
  • The College of Medicine may send student listserv messages only from College leadership or student leadership.

Accessibility Guidelines

To ensure all listserv messages are accessible to everyone, follow these best practices before sending.

Email Content

  • Use real text, not text embedded in images.
    • Screen readers cannot read text inside images.
    • If an image includes text, repeat that text in the email body.
  • Add descriptive alt text for every image.
    • Alt text should briefly describe the image or its purpose.
    • This does not replace the need to include the same content in the message.
  • Avoid background images or decorative patterns. They reduce readability and often fail color contrast standards.
  • Maintain strong color contrast between text and background.
    • Example: black on white is readable; yellow on white is not.
    • Minimum contrast ratio: 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text (18pt bold or 24pt regular).
    • Test colors using the WebAIM Contrast Checker.
  • Use clear, readable fonts such as Arial, Calibri, or Helvetica. Avoid script or decorative fonts.
  • Organize content clearly. Use headings, short paragraphs, and bullet points for logical reading order.
  • Don’t rely on color alone to convey meaning. Pair color cues with words or icons. For example, instead of just using a red “X,” include the word “Incorrect.”

Before Sending

If You Include Attachments

  • Avoid flyers or images with embedded text.
  • If you must include one, provide the same content in the email body and add alt text to the image.
  • Limit PDF attachments.
    • Include essential details directly in the email body.
    • If a PDF is necessary, ensure it is fully accessible:
      • Check tags, reading order, alt text, and tables.
      • Use simple backgrounds and standard fonts.
      • Fix all accessibility issues before sharing.
  • Include a short summary of the attachment in the email.
    • Example: “Attached is the event invitation. Full details are included below.”

Summary

  • Keep all important information in the email body.
  • Add alt text to all images.
  • Use accessible fonts and color contrast.
  • Avoid decorative backgrounds or text inside images.
  • Attach only accessible PDFs when needed.

Following these steps helps ensure all messages meet ADA Title II and WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards.