Student Involvement

Publicity

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), all UHV student organizations must offer the university’s assistance in making accommodations for persons with disabilities who are invited to attend any event sponsored by the organization. Any necessary accommodations will be evaluated and arranged by the university’s Manager of Disability Services, and at least one week’s notice is required to make such accommodations. Organizations are required to include the following statement on all invitations, flyers, and materials for events to which members of the public might be invited. Keep in mind that if you hang a flyer around campus, any person who reads might reasonably presume that he or she is being invited to the event. Failure to comply with this federal law may result in revocation of a student organization’s recognition status.

For access or accommodations, please contact _____________ at example@uhv.edu or xxx-xxx-xxxx.

Displaying Flyers/Posters

• Prior to posting, all flyers/posters must be uploaded when completing the Event Request Form or email/shared with the Director of Student Involvement for approval from the Marketing and Communications Department at least two weeks in advance.
• Once approved, an organization may display up to twenty (24) flyers/posters on campus (which includes all seven buildings) for any given event that has been approved.
• All flyers/posters must be 11”x17” and must have the “approved” stamp from Student Involvement.
• Promotional materials are not allowed on glass, wood, doors, or bathroom areas.
• Promotional materials may not be taped to any surface.
• Flyers/posters can be displayed on designated silver poster bars at University Center, University Commons, University West, University North, Jaguar Hall and Jaguar Suites.
• When displaying flyers/posters or other marketing materials around campus, you are responsible for removing the material after the event has occurred. Repeated failure to do so may result in the loss of posting privileges for your organization.
• Remember the ADA statement must appear on the flyer/posters before they can be approved for posting.
• All text included on flyers/poster and promotions must be translated in English.
• Permission to post a flyer/poster may be denied if it is illegible, unclear, or unethical. Information must be neatly presented. The organization’s name and contact information must be included on the flyer.

Creating Flyers/Posters

Flyers/posters must be placed on the designated silver poster bars previously mentioned.

The following information should be included when creating a flyer/poster:

• Event (title and guest speaker, if any)
• Date and time in the following manner (Thurs., May 1, 2-3 p.m.)
• Location – must write out full location name (University North Multi-Purpose Room)
• Admission charge (if any)
• Student organization name and logo (if created)
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) statement (refer to page 25)
• All posters must be translated in English
• Other pertinent information (Shuttles will be provide from Jaguar Hall Lobby, etc.)

Once posters have been approved, Student Involvement will print and stamp them approved. Each organization is allowed to print twenty-four (24) 11”x17” flyers/posters per event for up to five (5) events per semester. Student organizations also have access to the art and materials to design banners in The Den Craft Closet. Please check with Student Involvement for other available items.

Banners

• On-campus, university-sponsored events will be given priority for banner space.
• Requests for banner display must be made to Student Involvement at least two weeks prior to the date of displaying.
• Space will be located according to the order in which requests are received and the length of time for which displaying is requested. Space is reserved by contacting Student Involvement.
• It is the responsibility of those displaying the banner to hang the banner once it has been approved and to remove the banner after the event.
• A banner can be displayed no longer than two weeks and must be removed immediately after an event has taken place or future posting privileges may be jeopardized.
• Permission to display a banner may be denied if it is illegible, unclear, or unethical. Information must be neatly presented.
• The organization’s name must be included on the banner.
• After permission is granted, banners may be hung in the Jaguar Hall Commons and in the hallway of Jaguar Hall. Banners may also be hung in other campus areas with prior written approval from the Director of Student Involvement.

TV Monitors

Student organizations can submit a design to be displayed on the TV monitors in University Center, University Commons, University West, University North, and Jaguar Village. Please email the Director of Student Involvement if you would like your slide to run on the TV monitors. The same information is needed as if hanging a poster on campus. Designs must be sized exactly to 1920x1080 pixels.

News Release

The Marketing and Communications Department will help student organizations plan and implement publicity outside of the university for large-scale events. Publicity for events which involve press releases, articles, and advertising in newspapers, radio, and TV are required to be publicized in coordination with the Marketing and Communications Department. These types of events could include major speakers (local or national), major workshops, and large fundraising events.

The Marketing and Communications Department can offer suggestions and ideas of ways to reach neighboring communities. To have a news release, you must submit an online request through the Marketing and Communications link on the UHV Intranet. Only UHV employees have access to the Intranet, so please contact your Advisor or Student Involvement to make this request. Requests must be sent four weeks in advance of the completion date.

Logo Policies

All student organizations have the opportunity to create a logo that they feel will represent their organization. Logos may be created by the organization itself. Before a logo can be posted or used for an organization, approval must go through Student Involvement and the Marketing and Communications Department. Email the logo to the Director of Student Involvement when it is ready for approval.

Helpful Hints for Publicity and Promotion

Program Communication – Publicity is a developed program of communication intended to promote the interest and participation of individuals. As a process, it informs, sells, educates, clarifies, exposes, excites, and involves. It serves as the vital link between the planned program and program response. Depending on the quality of the program, publicity can be one of the prime determinants of the success or failure of the program.

Publicity as a Program Planning Process – “Getting the word out” is a major part of the program planning process. Hastily prepared, ill-timed publicity can be as ineffective as a program planned in the same manner. On occasion, an event may have so much potential appeal that adequate publicity may consist merely of word of mouth. Other times, the program may be so new and unheard of that it is necessary to organize a full scale publicity campaign to generate interest and enthusiasm for the event, giving the potential audience at least some idea of the nature of the program. However, most of the time there is abundant interest on the campus for just about any type of program and the task lies in tapping that interest through interesting and high-quality publicity methods.

Response to Promotional Methods – Promotional techniques, whether in the form of posters, banners, flyers, ads, social media, etc., will evoke a psychological response before the reader even thinks about the message being communicated. The best publicity is that which is clean, readable, attractive, and informative. Super-arty graphics are nice and colorful, but the purpose may be lost if one cannot tell fairly quickly what the program is. A flyer or poster that is unattractive to the eye, poorly designed, or badly printed may be a detriment to the program rather than an aid. The character of the publicity, whatever it may be, reflects the quality of the upcoming program in the eyes of the person reading or hearing the publicity.

Considerations for Publicity Efforts

1. AUDIENCE: Who is the program and publicity for?
2. TIMING: When should publicity be released? Should it all go at once, or be specially timed? Consider time for poster design, ad deadlines, etc.
3. LOCATION: Where are the traffic patterns?
4. TYPE: Flyers/posters? Banners? Invitations? Something new? Social media?
5. ADS: Are there creative alternatives?
6. INFORMATION: Is printed material perfectly clear?
7. COORDINATION: Who will be responsible for what and when?
8. RESPONSE: Is printed material done well enough to attract attention? Will it stick in people’s minds?
9. BUDGET: Is the projected response worthy of the expense? Is the publicity budget realistic?
10. SUPPORT: Does the organization support the entire event?

COMMUNICATION: Talk up your event…in meetings, in classes, and in the cafeteria.

Highest Degree of Effectiveness – The most effective approach to publicizing a program is through a variety of methods that will work well together and complement each other. These methods would include very straight, readable forms, a possible audio-visual experience, and a fresh new creative approach. These may exist in the way of graphics, displays, live exhibitions, and objects not usually used for publicity, but related in some way to the program.

Creative Publicity – Enthusiasm and interest are much more easily generated if a creative approach to publicity is used. Unique, fresh, and clever methods of promotion are usually more fun, will rally more support in terms of manpower, and if done in a sophisticated manner, will sell almost any program. It is important, however, to be able to differentiate between a clever idea and a trite one. Be creative, but also be realistic.