Sympa is a web application used for creating email distribution lists and groups that can be used in any email program and on any email system. This service is provided by ITS.
Sympa is accessed through a web interface and any USC student, faculty or staff member can create new lists in it. These lists can contain people with or without USC addresses, and the lists can be modified at any time.
Different security and sending restrictions may be placed on each list you create, and you may create an unlimited number of lists. For example, lists may be entirely unrestricted and set to allow anyone to send to them. Alternatively, they can be fully locked down to only allow certain people to send to them.
Sympa’s web interface also features an optional archive feature, allowing members of your list to login and see previous messages sent to and from your list. This makes it easy to keep track of messages relating to your list in a single place and separately from your email inbox.
Help and tutorials with setting up lists for Sympa are available at the links below. Additional video tutorials provided by Provost IT will be available soon.
Customized Newsletter Solutions
Sympa might not always be the best choice for departments looking to send newsletters and other content out to a specific list on a regular basis. In these cases, a third-party solution designed to send bulk mail, such as MailChimp or Constant Contact, might provide better value and a larger feature set. For more information on these services, please contact us.
Additional Resources
Eligibility
- USC staff, faculty, students and iVIPs can create lists
- Any email address can be added to a list
Data Security
- Approved to store medium-risk data
Pricing
- Free for eligible users