Content guidelines announced for Inside WFU

August 25, 2016

The following is a newly-prepared explanation of the content guidelines for Inside WFU used by Communications and External Relations:

Inside WFU puts faculty and staff first.  That is the goal every day.  Content consistently is about faculty and staff for faculty and staff.  Others may find the content interesting and relevant, but CER’s efforts in recent years have succeeded in establishing Inside WFU as a valuable information resource for those employed at Wake Forest.

Faculty and staff want to be recognized on Inside WFU.  They want their new book, new award, new promotion, new academic achievement mentioned on Inside WFU.  The same goes for those new initiatives or activities that faculty and staff are leading.

Students, alumni, parents and others may be part of the items that appear on Inside WFU, but each item should center around faculty and staff.  For instance, an item on Inside WFU might report that students participated in an event with a U.S. Supreme Court justice, but the piece should be written around how a Wake Forest professor arranged for his students to participate in the event.

Content will include “both words and pictures” whenever possible.  If Inside WFU features a faculty member, then that faculty member’s photo should appear, whenever possible.  If more than one faculty member is mentioned, then it would be appropriate to include photos of all, if possible and deemed appropriate by the editor.  As always, Inside WFU’s editor will be responsible for making such decisions, as subjective as they may often be.

There are numerous appropriate sources for content:  Inside WFU editor, CER staff, guest posts by communications staff associated with Wake Forest schools/offices, and guest posts by other Wake Forest staff as well as faculty.  Additional sources may provide content from time to time.  It will be up to the editor’s judgment to determine acceptability of content.  All contributed content is subject to revision by the Inside WFU editor.  Generally, another staff member in CER will regularly assist the Inside WFU editor in receiving some content, posting content for review/editing, and communicating with those making submissions.

An important responsibility of the Inside WFU editor is to determine the appropriateness of all content for the website.  The editor’s role is to seek out content, review solicited and unsolicited content, edit any submitted content. Of course, the editor also produces content.  The Inside WFU editor should not accept content that is a clumsy fit for the website.  Is this about faculty and staff? Will faculty and staff want to read it?  Does it support faculty and staff in some manner?  If the answers are “no,” most likely it does not need to be on Inside WFU.  Somewhere else, maybe, but not on Inside WFU.

Sample list of items (specific and general) appropriate for Inside WFU

 –Messages emailed by CER to faculty/staff or all on campus
–Safety/security announcements (generally, emergency announcements will be on Wake Alert, instead)
–Staff hires, promotions.  Director level and above.
–Faculty promotions
–Faculty/staff comings and goings
–Faculty/staff milestones
–Faculty books
–Faculty proposals funded
–New University initiatives/priorities/goals/programs
–Major University events/activities
–Significant faculty/staff achievements
–Major awards for faculty/staff
–Construction, renovation, expansion of University facilities
–New locations for University departments
–New or revised or expanded services for faculty/staff
–Meetings of the Staff Advisory Council
–New departments (academic or administrative)
–Substantial disruptions to the usual operations of the University

In closing, CER staff are grateful for the many faculty and staff who read Inside WFU and propose content for the website.  And, CER staff are grateful for all who participate in some manner in gathering and preparing its content.  Our goals is that Inside WFU will regularly contribute to furthering the sense of community that faculty, staff, students and others feel at Wake Forest.