Messaging & Communication

A structured, documented communication system for teacher-to-student, teacher-to-HOD, and teacher-to-teacher messaging — replacing scattered WhatsApp groups with a professional, auditable, file-capable inbox built into the academic portal.

1. Message Inbox

The teacher's inbox shows all received messages — organized as conversation threads, with clear sender identity, timestamp, and read/unread status.

1.1 Inbox Features

• Conversation Threads: Messages are grouped by sender and conversation — not as individual disjointed messages. The thread shows the latest message preview.
• Unread Indicator: Unread conversations are displayed in bold with a blue dot. The inbox link in the sidebar shows the total unread count as a badge.
• Message Types:
  • From Students: Individual students can message teachers with assignment queries, doubts, or requests.
  • From HOD: Directives, feedback, announcements, and approvals — displayed with a special "HOD" sender badge.
  • From Other Teachers: Coordination messages, substitution requests, and collaborative discussions.
  • System Notifications: Automated messages — "Marks for Subject X have been returned for correction" — sent by the system on behalf of administrative actions.
• File Attachments: Received attachments (PDF, images, Excel) can be downloaded directly from the message thread.
• Read Receipts: For messages sent to students, the teacher can see if the student has read the message — preventing "I didn't see it" situations.

2. Composing Messages

Teachers can initiate new conversations with students, the HOD, or other faculty members.

2.1 Compose Form

• Recipient Selection: Search by name or choose from a dropdown — filter by role (Students / Teachers / HOD). The recipient list only shows people in the teacher's own department.
• Subject Line: A mandatory subject for the message — keeps conversations organized and searchable.
• Message Body: Rich text editor with bold, italic, bullet lists, and numbered lists — suitable for structured academic communication.
• File Attachment: Attach up to 3 files (PDF, image, Excel) up to 5 MB each — useful for sharing study material, assignment rubrics, or reference documents.
• Send: Message is delivered instantly. The recipient sees a notification in their portal.

2.2 Messaging Restrictions

• Teachers can only message students, teachers, and HOD within their own department.
• Cross-department messaging is not allowed without HOD authorization.
• Students cannot initiate messages to teachers outside of their subject relationship — preventing spam and maintaining academic boundaries.

3. Class Broadcast Announcements

Instead of messaging students one by one, teachers can send a single announcement to all students in a class simultaneously.

• Select Target Class: Choose which class receives the broadcast (e.g., "All students in SE-A").
• Announcement Appears In: Every student's inbox and on the class notice board on their dashboard.
• Read Receipt Summary: The teacher can see how many students have read the announcement — useful for verifying important communications were seen (e.g., "Rescheduled test — Read by 38 of 45 students").
• Attach Files: Broadcasts can include file attachments — ideal for distributing study notes, assignment instructions, or timetable changes.

4. Department Notice Board

Teachers can view all notices and circulars published by the HOD — and in some cases, publish notices of their own for their class.

4.1 Viewing Notices

• Notice List: All departmental notices in reverse chronological order. Pinned notices appear at the top.
• Full Notice View: Click any notice to expand it fully — with the HOD's complete message, attached files, and the date/time published.
• Filter & Search: Search by keyword or filter by date range — useful for finding a specific HOD circular.

4.2 Teacher-published Notices (Class Level)

If the HOD has granted this permission, teachers can publish notices that appear only to their assigned class's students.

• Set a title, message body, and optional attachment.
• Choose which class sees the notice (only the teacher's own allocated classes are selectable).
• Set an expiry date after which the notice disappears from the student notice board.

5. Communication Archive

All messages and announcements are archived — accessible to the teacher for reference at any time.

• Sent Items: Every message and broadcast sent by the teacher — with delivery status and read receipts.
• Deleted Items: Deleted messages are retained in an archive for 90 days before permanent removal — providing a safety net against accidental deletion.
• Search: Full-text search across all messages (sent and received) by keyword, sender, or date range.
• HOD Access: The HOD can review teacher-to-student communications in the event of a grievance or complaint — ensuring professional conduct and accountability.