Resources for Promoting Departmental Events
Type of event
Major lecture/performance/event
for a large audience
Smaller lecture/performance/event
for smaller or more specific
audience
Resources
Lead time
Institutional Marketing will design and acquire quotes
for printing (charge).
Production timelines vary but
allow about 8 weeks.
Also e-mail details to CLAS Dir. of Communications
johnstmo@gvsu.edu for CLAS website, notification to
Cindy Driesenga for CLAS Happenings, and to the
Dean. We can also log your event on the university
planning calendar.
As soon as the major details
such as date, speaker and venue
are known. Photos are useful.
Also e-mail Matt Makowski makowsma@gvsu.edu so
that University Communications can consider a
media release.
Full details will be needed for a
press release. Photos are
useful.
University Promotions (Off. of Student Life) can assist
with inexpensive graphics by students.
Allow a minimum of one week.
Desktop published flyers in department or with
assistance from CLAS Dir. of Communications.
University Promotions has a low cost service that will
post flyers.
Major achievements by students,
faculty or staff (such as grants,
publications, election to
professional society office, awards,
retirements…)
E-mail details to johnstmo@gvsu.edu for CLAS
website, notification to Cindy Driesenga for CLAS
Happenings, and to the Dean.
As soon as the major details
such as date, speaker and venue
are known. Photos are useful.
E-mail details to johnstmo@gvsu.edu for CLAS
website, and notify the Dean. The Director of CLAS
Communications will e-mail Matt Makowski (so that
University Communications can consider a media
release) and will enter an item in The Forum via
www.gvsu.edu/forum .
As soon as details are known.
Institutional Marketing
(Emphasis—a unified message about GVSU)
Institutional Marketing is a unit under the Division of Planning and Equity. Its goal is to serve Grand Valley State University and
its constituencies by conveying a clear, research-based message about what Grand Valley offers, based on the university’s
mission, vision, values, and strategic goals. If you would like assistance with any of the following services, you may contact
Institutional Marketing at 331-2525.
Institutional Marketing offers consulting services to departments for designing and implementing marketing plans for their
departments that derive from the institutional integrated marketing plan. Institutional Marketing oversees and funds marketing
research that benefits the entire university. Institutional Marketing also offers research design and implementation assistance
to individual departments who request research, but does not fund such projects.
Anyone creating promotional materials should familiarize him or herself with the standards and guidelines clearly provided on
the Institutional Marketing website.
I.M. can also assist you with social media.
University Communications
(Emphasis—provision of newsworthy material about GVSU)
University Communications is a unit of the University Relations Division. Matt Makowski has most of CLAS as his beat.
UComm provides a variety of services and products to tell the Grand Valley story to audiences within the university and those
reached through the mass media. Our services include:
Media Relations/News Releases
Photography Services
Crisis Communications
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Media Training
Event Support
Live Webcasting
Videography
UComm products include:

Forum: A newsletter for faculty and staff members and retirees

GVNow: Video features like "Around Grand Valley" and daily campus news reports are a part www.gvsu.edu/gvnow

Grand Valley Magazine: Quarterly magazine for the Grand Valley community that includes profiles, features, research
news and news about alumni and campus events. www.gvsu.edu/gvmagazine

Videos: NIS produces convocation and commencement videos, along with special projects like the national championship
football videos and DVDs. www.gvsu.edu/videos

Success Stories: These items, located on the Grand Valley homepage, tell the unique accomplishments of students,
faculty and staff members, and alumni. View stories and submit suggestions at www.gvsu.edu/successstory

Sources Guide: This guide is an online topical arrangement of faculty and staff members who can serve as sources for
reporters looking for commentary on breaking news stories or subjects for features. http://www.gvsu.edu/sources/
Office of the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
(Emphasis—promotion and advancement of CLAS)
Monica Johnstone, PhD, Director of CLAS Communications & Advancement in B-4-232 MAK (ph 1-8125 or johnstmo@gvsu.edu
) will assist in the promotion of achievements, events, performances and lectures relating to the College of Liberal Arts &
Sciences. This assistance cannot replace that provided by the department and is meant to streamline communication with other
campus resources. Monica will help you post to appropriate event calendars, send news items to News & Information, consult
on your promotional strategy, notify appropriate personnel in the dean’s office, and, in a pinch, help with desktop publishing.
The CLAS dean’s office produces a monthly CLAS Happenings calendar (contact Cindy Driesenga on 1-2495 ), makes daily
updates to the CLAS website (www.gvsu.edu/clas, contact Monica Johnstone), sponsors events such as the CLAS Research
Colloquium, and provides financial or other support of events and their promotion on a case-by-case basis. Information relevant
to all CLAS Unit heads is sent by Tracy McLenithan (1-2495 or mclenitt@gvsu.edu) on a regular basis. The Dean’s office does
not distribute promotional materials to the faculty directly by e-mail. Blast emails must be vetted by the Dean’s office before
being sent to the provost’s office. These requests must reach a high standard of relevance to the university community in order
to be recommended for university-wide distribution and most cases can be appropriately referred to FORUM and Lanthorn to
reach the campus audience.
Events should be sent in plain text, rather than in a PDF, and include in this order: Title (best if shorter than 62 total characters),
location, date, time start, time end, description, sponsorship (if any). Descriptions can detail the content of the event, speakers, if
it is LIB 100 certified, etc.
School of Communications
(Emphasis—education of students)
A pedagogically relevant PR project with enough lead time has been known to make an appropriate assignment in a course
offered in our own School of Communications. This would have to be of mutual benefit and negotiated directly with the
instructor well in advance.
University Promotions
(Emphasis—students and student organizations)
The University Promotions Office is a student-staffed graphic design, advertising and public relations department of the Office
of Student Life. They can design, produce, and print any kind of publicity piece, including t-shirts, logos, stickers, buttons, web
ads, posters, banners, table tents, etc. They are available to all students, staff, departments and student organizations.
University Promotions is made up of Graphic Design, Illustration, and Advertising students, which creates the unique
opportunity for fresh, quality work and affordable prices. They insure all publications are consistent with the high standards set
by the university. Because of the quantity of work they do with area vendors, they are able to pass on the price break they
receive with their customers.
They design the ads on the web calendar along with the table tents posted in the dining areas, downtown at DeVos Center
and at the Holland campus. They are also responsible for posting on the campus posting boards, which is done twice weekly
and maintain them in accordance with university regulations.
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Rates are extremely reasonable and the quality is cutting edge. Student organizations wishing to publicize an event or an
upcoming campus activity should meet with University Promotions to discuss ideas, techniques to advertise and costs.
Several packages are available to help reduce cost and help the client design an effective marketing plan. If you have a
project you would like University Promotions to assist with, please stop by the office and complete a service request. Due to
the high volume of work produced by the office, the requested due date should be at least one week from the submission date.
Video Team (Promotions Office)
0008 Russel H Kirkhof Center
Dept. Phone: 616-331-8692
Dept. Fax: 616-331-2355
Other resources to consider: Alumni Relations, Admissions, Athletics, Student Clubs, Grand Rapids Convention & Visitors
Bureau (http://www.grcvb.org/), community organizations, paid ad in The Lanthorn…
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