Inside PFW and Don Life Newsletter Guidelines
Introduction
The Office of Communications and Marketing is responsible for managing official university communications designed to help Mastodons stay informed about all that’s happening within their own campus community. Central to these efforts is the publication of dedicated newsletters—Inside PFW for faculty and staff and Don Life for all currently enrolled students. The overarching goal of both newsletters is to provide short-form articles in a timely manner that help our university community stay informed, engaged, and proud of their shared experiences at Purdue University Fort Wayne.
Publication Schedule
Inside PFW is published on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Don Life is published on Wednesdays during the fall and spring semesters.
Special Editions
Inside PFW Special Edition and Don Life Special Edition are supplements to the regularly scheduled newsletters. They cover breaking news and time-sensitive information directly related to university operations.
Method of Delivery
Each newsletter is delivered to the university email account of the recipient.
Policies and Best Practices
A. Content Considered for Publication
The primary focus of Purdue Fort Wayne’s internal newsletters is to communicate information that may be of interest to all university employees and students, not just subsets of these respective audiences. The editorial staff will consider on a case-by-case basis exceptions to this general practice, especially if the submitted content is exclusive to faculty and staff; it conveys a direct benefit to university students; or it has universal appeal including, but not limited to, all-ages events or those activities that highlight Purdue Fort Wayne’s contributions to the betterment of the region.
B. Editorial Decisions
Decisions regarding publication of proposed content rest solely with the editorial staff. Appeals for inclusion, or clarification on policy, should be directed first to the editor at [email protected] or [email protected]. Final decisions related to content are made by the vice chancellor for Communications and Marketing or their designee.
C. Submitting Story Ideas
University faculty and staff may submit story ideas for consideration to the Inside PFW editor by emailing [email protected]. Submissions from faculty and staff for consideration in Don Life may be emailed to the editor at [email protected].
D. Weekly Deadlines
The deadline for Tuesday editions of Inside PFW is 2 p.m. on Monday. The deadline for Thursday editions is 2 p.m. on Wednesday.
The deadline for Wednesday editions of Don Life is 2 p.m. on Monday.
Story ideas that are related to events, approaching deadlines, or other time-sensitive issues should be submitted no later than two weeks in advance of the target date, keeping in mind the respective publication schedules.
Special editions of the newsletters are distributed only when absolutely necessary. Special editions are not an option for general communications unless the topic is directly related to university operations as determined by the vice chancellor for Communications and Marketing or their designee.
E. Opting Out of Inside PFW or Don Life Communications
Inside PFW and Don Life are considered official university communications that convey important and often time-sensitive information about university news, policies, operations, procedures, and programs.
Employees and students may not opt out of receiving their designated newsletter.
Each edition contains essential news and information for faculty, staff, and students including benefits, events, safety and security, announcements about campus construction and disruptions, and other important messages. Additionally, there are times when information needs to be communicated urgently, such as campus closures, health and safety protocols, major leadership announcements, or changes to employee benefits that take effect immediately.
F. Individual Projects, Pursuits, Accolades
Purdue Fort Wayne is a dynamic university made up of students, faculty, and staff who regularly demonstrate success inside and outside of the classroom. Examples of these accomplishments are reviewed on a case-by-case basis for newsletter inclusion with items of wider appeal receiving greater consideration.
- Published works including, but not limited to, books, articles, and academic papers are not featured in the newsletters unless they are mentioned in reference to university activities such as lectures or exhibits that are open to the entire community. Items of national or international significance will be considered.
- Awards and accolades of major significance will be assessed on a case-by-case basis for possible publication.
- Off-campus events need to have a direct connection to the university and clearly demonstrate how a member of our campus community is being highlighted in a featured role. Individual or group participation in external activities does not by itself guarantee promotion or coverage in Inside PFW or Don Life.
- Group and individual fundraising and/or involvement in initiatives benefitting an external organization will not be communicated unless the university is directly involved in the execution of the campaign or is a designated beneficiary of the efforts.
G. Employment Announcements
Information related to arrivals, promotions, and transfers will only be considered for publication as a standalone communication if the individual holds a position of executive director or higher, or their essential job functions consist primarily of outward-facing interactions with external individuals and entities. General information provided by Human Resources that lists new hires and transfers does appear periodically in the On the Job section of Inside PFW.
The communication of retirement open houses and celebrations will be considered if the activity is open to the entire campus community.
H. Student and Class Projects
Individual or group activities related to routine coursework, including capstone projects, do not qualify for newsletter inclusion unless the work involves a significant and clearly defined link between the university and community. Exceptions to this general practice may be considered if information on the project is submitted for review with adequate advance notice and if the topic is determined by the editorial team to be of interest to a broad university audience.
I. Optimal Length of Articles
Inside PFW and Don Life feature short-form articles typically two to three paragraphs long. Generally speaking, topics that require more information must include links to updated websites and the email addresses of primary points of contact to answer additional questions before the item will be considered for publication.
J. Obituaries
Purdue Fort Wayne will consider publishing notification of the death of current PFW faculty, staff, and students only if there will be an on-campus memorial service open to the entire university community.
K. Commercial Services
General information from internal commercial services—companies with Purdue University Fort Wayne contracts such as the Mastodon Campus Store, Don's at Walb, Einstein Bros. Bagels, Java Spot, Holiday Inn, etc.—will be considered for publication. Examples of these items include operating hours and special rates or discounts that are available to university employees and students. The newsletters do not publish or provide links to coupons.
External companies or organizations wishing to promote services and/or discounts through the newsletters will not be included.
Neither Inside PFW nor Don Life accept paid advertising.
L. Requests for Human Research Subjects
Purdue Fort Wayne does not publish requests for human research subjects from any university school, college, or department.