Services

Media Relations
The department manages the university's relationship with local, regional and national news media and produces news and information about events, people and activities at the university. A key focus is promoting the expertise of faculty and key staff, and student achievements through an extensive hometown news program. The department develops and markets news articles and story ideas to local, regional and major media, assists with media interviews, helps prepare guest opinion columns and connects news media with campus experts. News media interested in on-campus interviews must contact the Office of Communications in advance to make arrangements. Additional contacts are Gerry Cohen and Victoria Kidd.

Faculty/Staff Experts
The Office of Communications often receives queries from members of the media seeking expert comment on anything from tax legislation to political issues to trends in student recruitment. Part of our job is to find a suitable match for these queries among Susquehanna faculty and staff. To assist in the process we produce an online Source Guide, or Experts Guide, which lists names of campus sources and their areas of expertise. We not only react to media requests but often proactively inform them of an SU expert who is willing to comment on an emerging news topic. Members of the campus community interested in participating in the Source Guide are encouraged to contact Victoria Kidd.

News Releases
We write and distribute news releases on various topics likely to be of interest to the public, and therefore the news media, from upcoming events to new academic programs. Departments that are sponsoring campus lecturers, events or are involved in newsworthy activities are encouraged to contact Gerry Cohen with information several weeks in advance. Susquehanna student writers in our office write and send hundreds of news releases throughout the year about individual student achievements or activities to hometown newspapers.

Sports publicity is handled by Robert Healy. The athletics communication information office is responsible for publicity of the university's 23 varsity sports programs through publications, press releases, interview requests and the athletics Web site. Student assistants gain significant experience in writing and public relations through staffing and reporting on athletic events and by involvement in an active sports hometown release program. In addition, audio updates on current events are available by calling the Susquehanna University Sports Hotline at 570-372-GO SU (570-372-4678) during evening and weekend hours.

Photography
The Office of Communications maintains comprehensive files of photo prints, color transparencies and electronic images depicting the life of the university. These are used to fill publicity, publications and online needs, and campus and off-campus photo requests. Contact Nick Stephenson regarding photography needs.

Calendar of Events
A brochure listing public events is printed four times during the academic year (Sept.-Oct., Nov.-Dec., Jan.-Feb. and March-April-May) and is mailed upon request to individuals within a 50-mile radius of campus. The Calendar of Events is also posted on the university Web site. Individuals who wish to be added to the mailing list should contact Sandy Troxell.

Guidelines for Producing Publications
The Office of Communications — with input from faculty, senior staff and executive staff — has prepared new guidelines for the design and production of publications intended for external audiences, including the general public, alumni, parents, supporters of the college and others. The guidelines describe how the Office of Communications will work with the Susquehanna community to produce high-quality publications. The goal is to ensure that Susquehanna, through its publications, becomes better known as an institution for its academic strengths and special qualities.

Included are:

• the guidelines
• a flow chart outlining the process
• an Excel sheet to be filled out at the beginning of each semester to assist scheduling for those with publication needs
• a Communications Planning Form that will accompany each project request
• a Style Guide specific to SU, to be used in conjunction with the AP Style Guide
• a list of approved design vendors

Visual Identity
In early 2008, the university adopted a new graphic identity system to be used for all new communication initiatives. Information about the university color palette and wordmark are available for download. Questions about university graphic standards and requests for new graphic identity files should be directed to Nick Stephenson.

Wordmark Usage Guidelines
The Office of Communications has created the following resources for the university community to reference when producing posters, invitations and event programs.

• University Wordmark Placement Guidelines
• Event Program Back Panel Template. This .pdf document contains the university wordmark and should be added as the back panel to standard 5.5 inch wide by 8.5 inch high event program designs.
• Invitation Templates. When ordering invitations from printing services, please indicate the size of the invitation and logo placement (logo on back, logo on front centered, or logo on front right). The interior of the invitation can be set up in any standard typesetting application. Printing services can adjust files as needed unless the file is sent as a .pdf. When sending a file one-up, please center the document so it can be printed double sided.  It is recommended that you consult with printing services on any job prior to typesetting.
• Poster Guidelines. These guidelines are for use with poster template files available below. Users can import any imagery and/or text into the grey field on the templates. If templates are needed in a different format or size, please contact the Office of Communications. Please do not resize the templates or place any images/text into the white space.
• Poster Template – Horizontal Orientation (Microsoft PowerPoint file)
• Poster Template – Vertical Orientation (Microsoft PowerPoint file)

Use of Letterhead and Typography
The following resources are available for download:

• Letterhead Guidelines. This document depicts the appropriate margins for university letterhead.
• Letterhead Template – Electronic Version. This word document can be used for electronic correspondence.
• Letterhead – for Faxing.

Two typeface families have been selected for Susquehanna's general correspondence: Constantia and Segoe UI. Both are available to all Windows Vista users, and both offer the same kind of linguistic support and stylistic elements as the types intended for print communications.

Constantia is recommended for running text — i.e., for the body of letters — whereas Segoe UI is geared more for brief contexts such as headlines, tables, flyers and the like. Please note that another Vista font offering — Segoe Print — is not among the types intended for use in Susquehanna materials.