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Communication Resources

The College of Arts and Science Communications Team aims to tell the powerful stories from across the college that illustrate who A&S is, what makes us unique, and how we make a positive impact on the world. Below are information and tools to support you in all your communications efforts.

Communications Toolbox

News Submissions

Editorial

Events

Social Media

Visual Assets

Web

News Submissions

We want to hear from you! Let us know what news, awards, research, and stories are happening in your unit. You can send us an email, or complete our submission form for faculty news. While we aren't able to cover every story, we do our best to showcase the wide range of what's happening across the college.

Editorial

Writing effectively is critical to getting your message across and encouraging your audience to take action. Whether you are writing web copy, creating an event flyer, applying for a grant, or crafting an email to students, writing succinctly and clearly can help you make your case.

  • Editorial Strategy

    Following basic communication strategy can make any form of communication more effective. Think about the questions below and write with the answers in mind.

    Goal

    What is the intended goal of this communication? What change are you trying to create? What behavior do you want to see your audience take?

    Audience

    Who is your audience for this communication? Be as targeted as possible in order to reach them effectively. What does your audience know about this topic? What do they care about? What might stop them from taking the desired action?

    Message

    Before writing, think about the answers above in the Goal and Audience sections. With that information in mind, your messaging should include:

    • Language that they understand and that resonates with them.
    • A clear call-to-action (e.g., RSVP, apply, sign up, contact us, learn more, etc.).
    • Reasons that they should take the desired action. What is in it for them? What will they get out of it?

    Tactics

    Tactics should be the last part of your strategy. Many people want to start here before they have worked through their strategy, which often leads to ineffective communications. Tactics can include any communications platform: social media, newsletter, news story, website content, event, video, brochure, email, etc.

    Before you decide on which tactics you will use, think about:

    • What resources do you have to produce the content?
    • Is your audience on the platform that you have chosen? For example, who is on your social media channels? Who receives your newsletter? Who attends your events? If your intended audience isn't there, then it's probably not the right platform for that communication.

    Measurement

    Whenever possible, measure the outcomes of your communications strategy. How many people clicked on the link, visited the webpage, RSVP’d for the event, opened your e-newsletter? Tracking metrics will help you identify what is working with your communications and what can be improved for the future.

  • Editorial Style Guide

    Vanderbilt University’s Editorial Guide outlines the university's preferred style and grammar rules. It is important to follow these guidelines so our communications are consistent and well-written. You can search the guide for any topic about which you have a question.

    Below is a short list of frequently asked questions and common editorial mistakes to keep in mind:

    • A&S uses the Oxford (serial) comma (the final comma in a list of three or more items).
    • Department names are capitalized when referenced in their full, formal name. They are lowercase in other forms. (Ex: Department of Chemistry; the chemistry department.) The exception is that languages are always capitalized. (Ex: Department of English; the English department.)
    • Degree names are lowercase if spelled out. (Ex: bachelor of arts in anthropology; doctor of philosophy.) Use an apostrophe in the short form. (Ex: bachelor’s degree; master’s degree.) Use periods when using the degree abbreviation. (Ex: B.A.; M.A.; M.F.A.; Ph.D.) Use an apostrophe when making the degree abbreviations plural. (Ex: M.A.'s; Ph.D.'s)
    • Faculty titles are capitalized if before a name, and lowercase elsewhere. However, a named professorship is always capitalized. (Ex: Professor of History Sarah Igo; Sarah Igo, professor of history; Sarah Igo, Andrew Jackson Chair in American History.)

Events

So you've planned an event! There are many ways to reach your audience and increase awareness of the event.

  • Before the Event: Designing Materials

    Messaging:

    • Who is your audience? Faculty, students, staff? All of the above? This will determine the tone and content of the overall design and messaging.
    • What do they need to know? Why should they attend your event? Will your audience learn something new? Take away important skills? Get a free lunch? Events should be worth your audience’s effort to be there, so when crafting your messaging, consider what would motivate you to attend the event.
    • Limit text to important information. Lengthy bios and descriptions clutter the space and likely won’t be read. Provide the basics and link off to a webpage with more details.
    • Consult the VU Editorial Style Guide for best practices in grammar, punctuation, and style.

    Design:

    • For print, refer to the Flyer Design Best Practices and use the provided templates.
    • For digital signage, refer to the TV Display Guidelines and use the provided templates. Slides must be in horizontal/landscape orientation (9:16 aspect ratio).
    • Include your department lockup (preferably in the upper left-hand corner).
    • Use the VU brand colors/fonts to align with university branding.
    • If your event is part of a series, use the same design for each flyer to create brand consistency and increase awareness.
    • Use approved VU color combinations for accessibility compliance.
    • Ensure you have permissionsto use imagery, and credit as needed.
    • Include a QR code to link away/help minimize text (printed flyers only).
    • Use high-resolution imagery/photos(300 DPI for best results) for print flyers.
    • One flyer will not cover all platforms—consider where and how it’s being distributed and create options for each platform’s needs. For example: 11x17” flyer for print; 4:5 ratio for Instagram; 3:4 landscape ratio for Facebook; 9:16 landscape ratio for digital signage.
    • Vanderbilt Printing Services

    Accessibility:

    Accessibility compliance isn’t just legally required, it’s also important to make sure that everyone can access your materials. View the university’s accessibility guidelines.

    Web/email:

    • You can include a flyer, but the same information also needs to be included in the written description (web and social).
    • Include alt text for any photos/images (web).
    • Avoid PDFs (web).
    • Include a web hyperlink for additional information.

    Socials:

    • Include information in the caption and/or link away.
    • Ensure imagery text is readable on smaller screens.
    • Use high-quality images (in content and resolution).
    • Include a web hyperlink for additional information.
  • Before the Event: Promoting Your Event

    VU Events Calendar

    TV Displays

    Several A&S buildings have digital displays available for promoting your departmental events. Please follow these guidelines when submitting:

    • All slides must be submitted by a representative of an A&S department/program or an officer of a Vanderbilt student organization.
    • Slide must clearly indicate the sponsor of the program. Departments must include their official lockup, centers/labs/student orgs must include their name and/or logo.
    • Content must not violate the Student Handbook.
    • Slide must be for an event with a set end date.
    • Submit your slide at least one week prior to your requested start date.
    • Slides will run for a maximum of 21 days.
    • Maximium one slide submission allowed at a time.
    • Individual course promotions are not permissible, unless submitted by the A&S Office of Academic Services.
    • Images must be in horizontal/landscape orientation (9:16 aspect ratio).
    • Slides must be submitted as .jpg, .png, or .pdf files.
    • Submit your slide here:

    In addition, you can display your slides in other buildings on campus. See the Student Centers policies for more information.

    Website

    • Be sure to list all events on your unit’s website—either automatically through the VU calendar feed or manually.
    • Use the VU calendar link for promotion on social, QR codes for flyers, etc.
    • Do not post pdfs or images of flyers on your events page. Use text instead.

    Social Media

    • Share on your social media platforms to spread the news!
    • No social media presence? No problem! A&S can share your event on our Instagram story. Email the event details and an appropriately sized image to A&S Comms at least one week in advance. Images must be vertically oriented and you must provide a link to your event (either on your site or the VU Calendar site).

    Campus-Wide Channels

    Share your promotional materials with event partners/co-hosts, other Vanderbilt schools, and units across campus who share your mission.

    InnerVU – a new, events-based weekly newsletter that goes to all undergrads and others who’ve subscribed. Sent by Student Affairs.

    MyVU – campus-wide newsletter for faculty, staff, and students. Sent by VU Marketing & Communications.

    Learn about additional ways you can promote your events and programming across campus.

  • During the Event

    Filming and/or photographing your event is a great way to keep an archive, expand your audience, and continue promoting the event after it's over. There are several ways to do this:

    • Professional photography/videography: Have a photographer and/or videographer cover the event. This could be for either live streaming the event, producing a polished video to share after the event, or sharing photos after the event. Having a filmed recording is especially useful if your event is an interview or conference. If you need a photographer/videographer, please refer to our list of freelancers.
    • DIY! Read more tips on photographing or filming your event.
    • Facebook/Instagram Live: Live-streaming on social media is a quick and accessible way to share with your audience in real-time. However, when considering this option it's important to note that: a) you won't have the ability to monitor the content or edit it after the fact, and b) social media live-streams perform best when the audience knows what content to expect and when to expect it. Promoting the event ahead of time, creating a library of valuable content, and building an engaged and dedicated audience takes time and consistency.
    • Record webinar: Most webinar platforms (including Zoom) offer the ability to record the webinar as a separate file, which can then be uploaded directly to YouTube or another media library. This is useful for audiences who cannot make the webinar but want to access it later on their own time. This is also helpful when there is instructional information being provided, such as how-to tutorials.
  • After the Event

    As always, remind your audience to follow your social channels, sign up for your newsletter, etc. so you can stay in touch with them about future events. Remember to post any photos or videos to your social media platforms and website. Post the content as soon as possible after the event has taken place to maintain relevancy.

  • Additional Event Resources

Social Media

The College of Arts and Science has a presence on Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn, which are managed by the Marketing and Communications Manager.

If you’d like to submit news or a story for A&S to share on social media, please submit it to us.

  • Department Social Media

    Some A&S departments chose to manage their own social media accounts. Before deciding whether to create (or continue) an account, we urge you to first consider a few strategic questions:

    • Why do you want to start a social media account? Will social media help you achieve your program's goals?
    • What type of content are you planning to share? Do you have enough content to post regularly and make your account relevant?
    • What audiences are you trying to reach? Are they on the platforms that you plan to use?
    • Does your department have the capacity to consistently run a social media account, including creating content, posting, engaging audiences, responding, maintaining, finding images, etc.? A dormant/ignored social media platform is worse than not having one at all.

    Launching and maintaining a social media presence is a time-intensive effort, and these are important questions when considering whether your department should start a social media account. The A&S Communications Team is happy to meet with you to help you determine the best approach. For helpful tips and additional resources, please view our Social Media 101 workshop and the corresponding slide deck.

  • VU Social Media Handbook

    If you manage a social media account, it is important to review Vanderbilt's guidelines. Pay particular attention to the Account Security and Policies section. Protecting your social media accounts is important. Be sure to take appropriate action if the person managing the account leaves your department. It can be very difficult to regain access to a social account that has been abandoned.

  • Social Media Tips
    • Remain professional. Your social media account represents your department, A&S, and the university. Make sure to always be professional when crafting content and engaging with users.
    • Identify a manager. Identify a full-time faculty or staff member to run your account. It can be tempting to hire a student worker to do it, and students can certainly be important members of your communications team, but ultimately the content, strategy, execution, and passwords for your social media channels are the responsibility of full-time Vanderbilt employees. We recommend that more than one full-time faculty or staff member have access to your accounts in the event that one person is unavailable.
    • Make content accessible. Use alt tags, or image descriptions, on your images to make your content accessible to screen readers. Not all platforms offer the option to include an alt tag, but when they do, use them.
    • Remember, everything you do online can and will live forever. Think before you post, remembering that anything you share on social media, even within a closed network, is not private. It can and will be shared, stored, and spread globally—even something you've since deleted. Don’t post anything online you wouldn’t feel comfortable seeing on the front page of a news outlet.
    • Create rich content. When thinking about content, highlight stories and features that make your department/program stand out and come alive. Ask yourself why your department is unique. People love profiles on social media, so include students, faculty, and staff from your department whenever possible.
    • Use rich photos. Social media relies heavily on visual elements, so make sure to always use photos and graphics with your posts to catch your audience’s eye. Be sure you have permission and/or rights to use the photos you’re sharing, and credit as necessary.
    • Be social! Social media is an excellent place to engage audiences, so use these platforms to share information about opportunities, events, etc. related to your program/department. Make sure to like comments, tag appropriate parties, and respond as needed when posting on your channels.
    • Don’t forget about the A&S channels. Tag @VUartsci in your posts so we can reshare your content when appropriate.
    • Talk to us. Please reach out if you'd like guidance thinking through your social media strategy.

    View the best practices for each specific social media platform. 

  • Faculty Resources

    For faculty who would like more information about their personal digital presence, how to best use social media to your advantage, and how to more effectively communicate about your research, please review the videos below hosted by Vanderbilt's social media team.

Visual Assets

A picture (or video!) can tell a thousand words—and is often the first thing people see and remember about your content. Consistency between all platforms is a key element in choosing visual elements for your unit. To maintain consistency among the university, College of Arts and Science, and your department platforms, we encourage you to reference the Vanderbilt Brand Guide, which includes guidance on graphics, logos, fonts, and colors. The Resources section in the Brand Guide allows you to download PowerPoint templates, letterhead, email signatures, and other branded items.

Feel free to contact us for consultation, questions, or additional information.

  • Branded Materials/Lockups

    Vanderbilt Brand Overview

    Vanderbilt Department Lockups

    We encourage you to use your university-designated department/program lockup on your communications pieces. Official lockups are provided in a variety of formats and colors to meet a range of needs.

    Note that the Vanderbilt V and the university lockups cannot be altered in any way. Please refer to the university’s guidelines for correct usage of the Vanderbilt logo and lockups.

    With the Department/program lockups, you will find three options:

    • Digital: Dimensional V logo, .png files, used for standard digital communications (website, letterhead, email, social media, etc.).
    • Print: Dimensional V logo, .eps files for CMYK professional printing (flyers, posters, etc.). Read by programs like Adobe Illustrator.
    • Branded merchandise: Pinstripe V logo, for branded merchandise (T-shirts, mugs, tote bags, etc.).

    Please reach out to us if you have any questions about which lockup to use or how to use it.

    Are you representing an A&S center or lab and have a logo design request? Please contact elizabeth.chagnon@vanderbilt.edu.

    Merchandise

    If you are interested in ordering branded/trademarked materials (t-shirts, tote bags, mugs, etc.), please follow the university's process. The A&S Communications Team is happy to provide guidance and advice on your materials.

    Templates

  • Graphic Design

    Design Options

    If you have a design request (flyer, brochure, etc.) you may either:

    While we are not able to create materials for departments, the A&S Communications Team is happy to provide overall design and brand guidance on your projects. Please email elizabeth.chagnon@vanderbilt.edu for assistance.

    If you are interested in using Emma, the email marketing platform, please refer to these guidelines and contact us to get the process started.

    Accessibility

    Accessibility technically is about designing for users with disabilities. Philosophically, it isn’t so much about designing for disability as it is about designing for everyone. (Accessibility compliance is also legally required.)

    Note that all compressed images/flyers (non-web text or PDFs, PPTs, etc.) require alt-text descriptions of the text and/or what is being shown. In most instances, one flyer will not work for all platforms.

    Web:

    • Include alt-text for any photos/images
    • Avoid PDFs (forms are an exception)

    Social:

    • Ensure text is readable on smaller screens
    • Include information in the description and/or link away

    Email:

    • Include a web hyperlink for additional information

    FOR ALL DIGITAL PLATFORMS: Do not use QR-codes! Have a place to link away to the webpage/event information.

    Learn more about Accessibility Guidelines.

  • Photography

    If you are hiring a photographer, please refer to Vanderbilt’s list of recommended freelance photographers.

    Taking your own photos

    If you are planning to take your own photos, below are some quick tips to help you:

    • Good lighting can make or break your photo session. Stay away from fluorescent overhead lights and use natural (preferably cloudy day) lighting or studio lighting, if possible.
    • Face the subject towards the light to avoid competing back-lighting that can over-expose the shot.
    • If shooting with a DSLR camera, always double check your exposure/ISO and color temperature settings first (Daylight = 5600k, Fluorescent/tungsten lighting = 2600-3600k). These levels will change depending on the amount and type of light in the space.
    • Make sure your subject is in focus!
    • For more tips of what type of imagery best represents the Vanderbilt style, please refer to Vanderbilt Brand Guide's imagery overview.

    Digital asset manager

    • The university houses a library of images in a digital asset manager called VandyVision. VandyVision provides access to a range of photos for your use, including images of campus, buildings, students, faculty, and events. Please practice professional use when using these materials and request the appropriate permissions if using imagery for print/video published materials. To request access to VandyVision or access to photos outside of general campus imagery, please contact the A&S Communications Team.

    Professional headshots

    Vanderbilt Marketing and Communications provides headshots for full-time faculty and staff. Faculty and staff needing a headshot can schedule with the Visual Media team. The Vanderbilt Student Center also offers a self-service photo booth for professional headshots for the whole Vanderbilt community.

  • Video

    Creating video content for your platforms is a great way to engage with your audience. Before introducing video content, please determine the following for your project:

    • Who is your target audience? Is video the best way to reach them?
    • Where will your content live—your website, social media platform, etc.?
    • Is the content evergreen or will it be quickly outdated?
    • Do you have the resources and bandwidth to consistently build upon your video library?
    • What are your desired outcomes that you'd like the audience to do?
    • Does the content lend itself to video? That is, does it tell a story and is it visually compelling?

    Launching and maintaining video content is an involved effort, and these are all important questions when considering whether your department should start incorporating video into your platforms. The A&S Comms Team is happy to meet with you to help you determine the best approach.

    Please refer to Vanderbilt’s list of recommended freelance videographers.

    Video Platform Tips 

    • Quality over quantity. Your video content represents your unit, A&S, and the university as a whole. Make sure to always be professional when crafting content and engaging with users. Audiences want to know what to expect when they visit your library. Keeping quality and consistency will help build trust and grow your audience.
    • When thinking about content, highlight stories and features that make your unit stand out. Ask yourself why you are unique compared to similar departments/programs at other universities.
    • If adding to social media channels, each platform has a different audience and video-style preference. For example, YouTube is better geared toward longer-format pieces, while Instagram prefers shorter-format content (30-90 second reels). Instagram and TikTok are geared towards younger audiences (e.g., prospective and current students), while Facebook and Twitter are geared towards slightly older audiences (e.g., peer schools, parents, and alumni).
    • Don't forget the importance of audio quality. Any distracting background noise or music, inaudible conversations, or clipping audio (when the audio is too loud and “clips” out peak noises) can negatively impact your production. Audiences are more likely to overlook low-production visuals than overlook low-quality audio.
    • Not all stories need a video or have enough visual content to compose a compelling video. It might be that your story is better suited for a written piece.
    • Engage with your audience! Make sure to like comments, tag appropriate parties, and respond as necessary when posting on your channels.
    • Don’t forget about the A&S channels! Tag @VUartsci in your posts so we can reshare your content when appropriate.

A&S Website Resources

Reference this comprehensive guide to maintaining your WordPress website.

Communications Team

Hollis Calhoun, Chief Communications Officer
404F Buttrick Hall
(615) 343-1860
hollis.calhoun@vanderbilt.edu

Liz Chagnon, Senior Content Creator
404 Buttrick Hall
(615) 322-7906
elizabeth.chagnon@vanderbilt.edu

April Evans, Marketing and Communications Manager
404 Buttrick Hall
(615) 343-2955
april.evans@vanderbilt.edu

Caleb Gardner, Website Coordinator
404 Buttrick Hall
(615) 343-4747
william.c.gardner@vanderbilt.edu

Mary-Lou Watkinson, Communications Content Specialist
404 Buttrick Hall
(615) 343-0061
mary-lou.watkinson@vanderbilt.edu

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