Introduction
Thiel College Graphic Identity
    Primary Logo & Font
    Wordmark
    Secondary Logos
    Crest
    Seal
    Fonts
    Colors
Athletic Publicity, Logos and Wordmark
    Athletic Media
    Logos
    Athletics Wordmark System
    Colors
Thiel College Editorial Style Guide
Web Style Guide
    Overall Page Design
    Top Navigation Bar
    Left Navigation Bar
    Breadcrumb Trail
    Creating Links in Contribute
    Images
    File Naming Conventions
3rd Class Mailing Guide
    Some Guidelines for "Bulk" mailings
Thiel College Publications
    The Bell
    T-Notes
    Pawprints
    Thielensian
    Stationery
Services Offered by the Office of Public Relations
    Graphic Services
    Photography
    Advertising
    News Releases
    College Spokespersons
    Media Relations

INTRODUCTION

The Purpose of the Thiel College Identity & Style Guide is to assist the College’s various departments and offices in presenting a unified graphic and editorial identity in all College communications. This publication consists of seven parts: identity guide, athletic guide, editorial style guide, Web guide, third‐class mailing guide, publications of Thiel College and functions of the Office of Public Relations.

The guidelines laid down in the identity guide provide for easy visual identification for College‐produced publications. The Thiel logo must be used properly and consistently in order to project an impression of stability and consistency as well as protect the legal status of the logo.

The editorial style guide is not meant to address every specific situation. These guidelines, while flexible, are meant to maintain a unified College image. Consistency in grammar, spelling, capitalization and punctuation contributes to a positive College image. The style guide is intended for use in official College communications, such as brochures, flyers, newsletters, posters, etc. They are not applied to scholarly research, journal articles, dissertations or faculty books and articles.

The Thiel College Office of Public Relations, which prepared this guide, primarily uses the Associated Press Stylebook as its reference for questions of style and punctuation. Merriam‐Webster’s Dictionary is the primary reference for questions of spelling.

All departments and offices of the College should conform to the criteria established in this guide. The authority and responsibility of interpreting and implementing the guidelines has been placed with the Office of Public Relations. Until changes are announced, the College community is expected to follow the guidelines set forth here.

Please note: A “publication” in this guide refers to any hard‐copy document produced for internal or external audiences. Publications prepared for distribution in any external audience, either on or off campus, should be reviewed by the Public Relations Office. It is recommended that all materials be produced in conjunction with the PR office. Materials produced elsewhere and printed at the DocuCenter or at another off‐campus printer must conform to these guidelines and refrain from introducing conflicting graphic elements.

For questions not covered here, please contact the Public Relations Office, located in the basement of Harter Hall.

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GRAPHIC IDENTITY

Consistent use of Thiel’s logo, crest and other graphic elements will result in an easily recognizable graphic identity representing a multi‐faceted institution striving toward a common goal. For Thiel to present a unified image, the logo, crest and colors must be recognized and used campus‐wide.

Primary Logo & Font
The primary logo appears below the logo font is a manipulation on Times New Roman. The top of the crest appears above the words “Thiel College.”

• The logo can be used in four‐color, blue or black & white versions, or reversed (white type on a colored background).The logo should be used for publications and on‐ and off‐campus printing.
• No other symbol, character or caricature may appear above, below or beside the logo.
• The words “Greenville, Pennsylvania” or “Greenville, Pa.” may be centered under the logo if needed.
• Do not use the logo disproportionately.
• Logos are available through the Office of Public Relations.

REMEMBER: When re‐sizing the Thiel logo, do so proportionally in order to avoid warping, “squashing” or stretching the image. Individual departments are NOT permitted to use their own logo with the exception of the Athletics Office and individual athletic teams. All other offices must use the official primary and secondary logos without alteration.

Wordmark
The Thiel College wordmark is comprised of the text portion of the Thiel College logo. All other rules applying to the logo also apply to the wordmark. The wordmark is a manipulation on Times New Roman.

Secondary Logos
The logos below can be used as secondary logos when needed. Official documents should use the primary, “official” logo, but the logos below can be used when a more “fun” logo is needed or the publications design requires it. These logos are available from the Public Relations or Athletics offices.

Crest
The crest is used as a graphic element for publications. It is usually used in conjunction with the logo (as it appears above.)The crest can be used in four‐color, black & white, and reversed white versions.

Seal
The seal is reserved exclusively for formal events and documents, such as diplomas. Use of the seal always requires Cabinet approval. The seal may not be used on letterhead or other publications without specific approval.

Fonts
The Thiel College logo and business cards use Times New Roman; letterhead and envelopes use ITC Veljovic.

Colors
The College colors are blue and gold. In order to maintain consistency across all campus communications, all departments should use these colors as the official college colors. The Pantone Match System (PMS) color numbers of the College are blue (2768) and non‐metallic gold (4505) or metallic gold (873). Metallic gold is an accent color and should be used sparingly. Light Blue (PMS 283) may be used as a secondary color.

Athletic Publicity, Logos and Wordmark

Athletics Media
The Office of Athletics Media is responsible for all media coverage regarding athletics at Thiel College.
For questions not covered here, or for more information about sports information or athletics logos, please contact the Associate Director of Athletics or Assistant Directors of Athletics Media, located on the in the Rissell‐Beeghly Gymnasia.

Associate Director of Athletics
Ext. 2187 • kenstermacher@thiel.edu
Assistant Directors of Athletics Media

Ext. 2241

Logos
The following Thiel Athletics logos and design elements are approved, registered and designed to build the Thiel College athletics brand. Graphics are available in raster as well as vector formats. Logos must be resized proportionally and may not be re‐colored unless noted otherwise. Permission for use must be granted by the Office of Athletics Media.

Full‐Color Logos
Full‐color logos are for use in both print and digital applications. Logos may not be resized to measure less than 1.5” in width. In situations where cost is an issue, the eye in the secondary logo may be reproduced in white.

Two‐Color Logos
Two‐color logos are for use in print applications ONLY. Logos may not be resized to measure less than 1/2 inches in width. Two‐color logos may be printed in navy, gold, black or white.

Using text with logos
Text may be used with College athletics logos in the following formats only. Only the approved font shown below ‐ BankGothic Md BT ‐ may be used with Thiel Athletics logos (font can be obtained by contacting Athletics Media). The minimum acceptable width for logos with text is 1.5 inches.

Athletics Wordmark System
The Thiel College Athletics Wordmark System is available for both digital and print applications. Sport‐ and program‐specific wordmarks are available upon request from the Office of Athletics Media. Graphics are available in raster as well as vector formats. Wordmarks must be resized proportionally and may not be re‐colored unless noted otherwise. Two‐color wordmarks may be printed in navy, gold, black or white.

Primary Wordmark
The Primary Wordmark is appropriate for use in most applications, but is specifically intended for use in off‐campus publications and on coaches’ and team apparel. This version of the wordmark was designed with individuals who are not necessarily familiar with Thiel College in mind.

Primary Wordmark with Text
The guidelines for using the primary wordmark with text mirror those set for the primary wordmark.

Alternate Wordmark
The alternate wordmark is to be used sparingly on game uniforms, internal documents or where spatial constraints do not allow for the use of the primary wordmark. As a rule, most publications and coaches’ and team apparel should use the primary wordmark.

Alternate Wordmark with Text
The guidelines for using the alternate wordmark with text mirror those set for the primary wordmark.

Colors
The approved colors for any apparel, including t‐shirts, sweatshirts and other wearable items bearing the Thiel College athletic logos and/or design elements should match those listed below. When ordering apparel or equipment, please reference the Pantone Color codes below for an exact color match.

Thiel College Editorial Style Guide
This guide is not intended to cover all style issues that may arise when writing or creating a publication for the College. It is meant only to address frequently asked style questions. For further guidance, consult the AP Stylebook or contact the Public Relations Office.

A

Academic Affairs
Capitalize the formal (Office of Academic Affairs) and informal (Academic Affairs Office) names of the office.

Academic Degrees
In running text, use the general terms and do not capitalize:

• Many students received bachelor’s degrees this year.
• He was awarded a doctorate in philosophy.
• She is working on her master’s degree in English.

Specific academic degrees should be capitalized:

• The Mathematics Department awards Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees.

When abbreviated, they should include periods and be set off with commas:
• B.A. or B.S.
• M.B.A.
• Ed.D.
• M.S.
• J.D.
• Joe Smith, Ph.D.

Do not use “Dr.” and “Ph.D.” in the same reference (such as “Dr. Pam Jones, Ph.D.”).

Academic Departments
Capitalize both the formal and informal names of academic departments, but it is preferred to use the formal on the first reference:

• The Department of Biology received several grants
• The Religion Department is in Greenville Hall. The department has three faculty members.
• I worked in the Biology Department last summer.
• She was hired as an adjunct in the English Department.

Academic Majors
Do not capitalize majors unless the name of the major is also a proper noun:

• I am majoring in English.
• He is a math major.
• I took courses in biology and German this semester.

Academic Programs
Capitalize formal program names, including the word “Program”:
• Neuroscience Program
Academic Years
Lowercase references to a student’s academic year:
• He is a freshman and she is a junior.
• The SGA president is junior Joe Smith.

Administration
Lowercase, as in:

• The Thiel administration leads the College.

Administrative Offices
Capitalize the formal and informal names of administrative offices:

• He joined the staff of the President’s Office.
• The Bell is produced by the Public Relations Office.
• The Office of Student Activities planned the event.
• The Admissions Office is closed today.
Do not capitalize general references to administrative offices:
• The academic affairs staff met to discuss the student’s record.
• The career services director led the etiquette dinner.

Admissions Office
Use Office of Admissions or Admissions Office (plural) rather than Office of Admission (singular).

Adviser
Use adviser, not advisor in all instances.

• I made an appointment with my faculty adviser.

African‐American
Use hyphen; same for other ethnic groups, such as Japanese‐Americans.

Alumni
Do not refer to a single graduate of the College as an “alumni;” refer to individual graduates as “alumnus” (masculine singular) or “alumna” (feminine singular). When referring to groups of graduates, use “alumni.”

• Dr. Robert Olson ’60 is an alumnus of Thiel College.
• Cindy Farrell ’79 is an alumna of Thiel College.
• The alumni from the Class of 1967 visited the campus.

Sometimes, when referring to a group of female graduates, the word “alumnae” is appropriate, but only when the term is relevant to the topic being discussed. Use “alumni” when referring to graduates in general.

When writing about the College in formal situations, avoid using terms as “alum” and “alums.” In informal situations, those terms can be appropriate.

Athletic director
Use director of athletics and not athletics director or athletic director.

• Jack Leipheimer is Thiel’s director of athletics.

B

Baccalaureate
Service that occurs before Commencement; capitalize it when referring to Thiel’s service.

• We enjoyed the pastor’s address during the Baccalaureate service this year.

Black
This term is okay, but consider using African‐American or another term such as minority, ethnic group, underrepresented group, where appropriate. Do not capitalize when used.

• The Martin Luther King Jr. Day speaker had a special message for Thiel’s black students.

Boards
References to the Thiel College Board of Trustees, Board of Associates and Alumni Board should be capitalized when referring to the full name of the organization.

• The Thiel College Board of Trustees meets at Homecoming.

When using an informal reference, it is not necessary to use capitals:

• The board passed the motion.

The same rule applies when referring to any board.

Building/Facility Names
Refer to the catalog for the names of prominent buildings on campus. On first reference, use the full name of buildings (the Howard Miller Student Center), second references can be shortened or common forms (HMSC). Always capitalize building names even when using the shortened forms:

• Roth Hall
• HMSC
• The Library
• The Academic Center (the AC)
• Greenville Hall
• William A. Robinson Theater

C

The Cabinet/Presidential Cabinet
The formal name of the president’s advisory group is the Presidential Cabinet; on second reference or informal usage, the Cabinet is acceptable. Both should be capitalized. The Cabinet is composed of the president, the vice president for college advancement, the vice president for finance, dean of students, dean of enrollment, the vice president for auxiliary enterprises, the vice president for academic affairs, the athletic director and the assistant academic dean.

• The Presidential Cabinet holds its weekly meetings on Wednesdays.
• The Cabinet met to discuss the issue.

Chapel
Capitalize only when using the proper name or second reference, David L. Johnson Memorial Chapel or Johnson Memorial Chapel:
• The David Johnson Memorial Chapel is a great place to hear a concert.
• We are headed to the chapel for this week’s Community Worship.

Class Year
Use the last two digits of the year to indicate a graduate’s class year. Be sure to use an apostrophe (’) rather than a backward apostrophe (‘).

• Joe Smith ’86
• Mary Jones ’51

For those who graduated 100 years or more ago, use the whole year with no punctuation:

• Robert Murphy 1908
• Lynn Brown 1898

Class of
Capitalize when used before the date in reference to a specific class:

• The Class of 1957 came to campus during Homecoming.

Co‐curricular
Use this term instead of “extracurricular” when talking about campus life and learning activities:

• Thiel offers a wide variety of co‐curricular activities to its students.

College
When referring to Thiel College, capitalize:

• The College is located in Greenville, Pa.

When referencing another college or college in general, lowercase:

• There is not another college like Thiel in the area.

Commencement
Avoid referring to Commencement as “graduation.” Always capitalize “Commencement” when referring to the specific year‐end ceremony:

• 420 students graduated during Commencement 2008

Do not capitalize when using “commencement” in a general reference to the ceremony:

• The commencement ceremony is my favorite Thiel event of the year.

Committees
Capitalize committee names when used completely:

• The Presidential Search Committee met yesterday to discuss candidates.

Lowercase when “committee” is used in second references to a formally named committee or when referring to committees in general:

• The Presidential Search Committee met yesterday. The committee made no decision on the candidate.
• Thiel’s faculty committees met last week to discuss curriculum.

Composition Titles
Place titles of books, computer games, movies, operas, plays, poems, songs, TV programs, and lecture, speeches and artwork titles in quotes. The principal words of each title should be in caps.

• “No Country for Old Men” won the Oscar in 2008.
• The English class read “Of Mice and Men.”
• We watch “Today” on NBC every morning.

The Bible, catalogs, almanacs, directories, dictionaries, encyclopedias, handbooks and similar publications are not placed in quotes. Do not put quotes around software titles, such as Microsoft Word.

Courses
When using the whole name of the course, include the course abbreviation and number, capitalize department name and course title, and use an em dash after the course number:

• We took History 461—History of Modern China in the fall.
• I learned a lot in Chemistry 240—Quantitative Analysis.
When not using the course number, the official course name should still be capped:
• Literary Criticism was a great course.

Do not capitalize the shortened references to course names, unless a proper noun is included in the course’s title:

• He is taking Chinese culture next semester.
• She loves Professor Miller’s entrepreneurship course.

D

Day of the Month
Write as a cardinal number (even though it is pronounced as an ordinal one):

• April 18 (not April 18th)

Day of the Week
Never abbreviate in running text:

• My chemistry class meets on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Dean’s List
Use as a proper noun when referring to Thiel’s published list of students who are recognized for academic achievement:

• He was on the fall 2007 Dean’s List.

E

e‐mail
Lowercase, with a hyphen:

• I’ll send you an e‐mail later.

Extension
For telephone numbers, use “ext.” followed by a space and the four‐digit number:

• The Human Resources Department can be reached at ext. 2858.

F

Faculty
Use the word “faculty” as a collective noun and it should be used especially when describing this group taking a collective action. Always use lowercase spelling and it requires a singular verb:

• The Thiel faculty approved a new curriculum.

A single member of the faculty should be referred to as a “faculty member”:

• As a faculty member, she was eligible to receive a travel stipend.

Faculty Titles
Use the proper title for faculty members. Refer to the catalog to determine the proper title for members of the faculty:

• Lecturer
• Visiting professor
• Assistant professor
• Associate professor
• Professor (sometimes referred to as full professors)
• Professor emeritus (male), professor emerita (female), professors emeriti (plural)

Capitalize titles when they precede the name of the faculty member:

• I worked with Professor David Miller during the spring term.
• Assistant Professor Martin Bright spoke to the students.

Do not capitalize titles when the come after a name or when used in place of a name:

• I worked with Michael Bacon, professor of physics, in the fall.
• We enjoyed speaking with the assistant professors.

First‐Year Student
Use this term instead of freshman, except when referring to a student’s class year (i.e. freshman, sophomore, junior, senior):

• The first‐year students gathered for a picnic during orientation.
• Sally is a freshman while Stephanie is a junior.

G

Grade Point Average/GPA
In running text, the preferred usage is “grade point average” but when using the abbreviation, do not use periods (GPA not G.P.A.):

• She earned a 3.5 grade point average last semester.
• A student must earn a 3.4 GPA to be included on the Dean’s List.

H

Homecoming
Capitalize the word “Homecoming” when referring to the Thiel’s annual fall event.

• Everyone enjoyed the 2007 Homecoming

Do not capitalize “homecoming” when making a general reference to the weekend.

• Do you ever see anyone from our class at homecoming?

I

Internet
Capitalize, i.e.:

• The Internet is a great research tool.

L

Logos
Guidelines for the use of the Thiel logo and athletic logo/wordmark can be found on page 5. Please refer to this guide when incorporating the logo into publications and other materials.

M

Midnight
Midnight is the preferred reference. Do not use 12 a.m. Midnight is not capitalized unless it begins a sentence.

• Midnight is when the party starts.
• The party starts at midnight.

N

Newspapers
Newspaper titles are in italics:

• The Thielensian is published every other week.

Noon
Noon is the preferred reference. Do not use 12 p.m.

Numbers
In running text, always spell out one through nine. Use figures for 10 or more unless they appear at the beginning of a sentence.

• We ordered three pizzas for the party.
• Twenty‐five students were excused for the field trip.
• I wrote a 20‐page paper for class.

O

Online
Do not hyphenate.

• Incorrect: on‐line

Ordinal Numbers
Do not superscript ordinal numbers:

• 30th anniversary
• 10th reunion

P

Phone Numbers
Use hyphens, do not use parentheses or periods. Omit the 1 in all long‐distance numbers, including toll‐free numbers:

• 800‐24‐THIEL
• 724‐589‐2000

President
When writing about the president, follow the rule regarding faculty titles. Capitalize the word when it precedes the name of the president:

• President Troy VanAken spoke to the faculty.
• The retirement party for President Olson was held in June.

Do not capitalize the title when it comes after the name or when it is used alone in place of the president’s name:

• Dr. Troy VanAken, president of Thiel College, attended the meeting.
• The president spoke to the student government meeting.

Punctuation
Always put commas and periods inside quotation marks. Exclamation points and question marks belong inside the quotation when they are part of the quoted matter. Otherwise, put them outside the quotes.

S

Spaces after Periods
Use only one space after a period before beginning the next sentence.

Staff
Use the word “staff” as a collective noun and it should be used especially when describing this group taking a collective action. Always use the lowercase spelling. It requires a singular verb:

• The Thiel staff enjoyed the picnic.

A single member of the staff should be referred to as a “staff member”:

• As a staff member, she had to fill out different paperwork.
• Staff members often eat in the Bistro.

Student‐Athlete/Scholar‐Athlete
Term is always hyphenated:

• Thiel student‐athletes excel in the classroom and on the field.

Students
Always lowercase:

• Thiel students were out enjoying the sunshine.

Semesters and Sessions
Thiel uses a semester system, not terms. Summer courses are divided into sessions. Do not capitalize references to semesters or sessions.

• fall semester
• spring semester
• May session
• June session
• July session

Suffixes (Names)
Do not use a comma before “Jr.,” “Sr.,” “III,” etc.:

• Dr. Carl A. Hoffman Jr. serves on the Board of Trustees.

T

The/the
Avoid capitalizing in running text when it precedes the name of a building or organization.

• We went to a play at the William A. Robinson Theater.
• We will eat lunch with representatives from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

However, some organizations ask to capitalize “The” in references to their names. (If you are not sure whether the “the” should be capitalized, please check the organization’s Web site.):

• We received a grant from The Pittsburgh Foundation.

Theatre/Theater
This spelling is used when referring to theatre as a discipline, as in Department of Theatre. “Theater” is used when referring to a physical building, i.e. the William A. Robinson Theater.

Thiel College
Thiel College is preferred in its full context without abbreviation. Secondary references include “Thiel” and “College.” When using “College” in reference to Thiel College, the “C” is capitalized. The acronym “TC” should not be used.

• Thiel College is located in Greenville, Pa.
• Thiel is affiliated with the ELCA. The College is proud of its Lutheran roots.

Time of Day
Times of day in even, half and quarter hours are usually spelled out in running text:

• He left the building at a quarter to four.

Numerals (with zeros for even hours) are used in running text when the exact moment of time is emphasized.

• Class begins at 2:30 in the afternoon.
• The bus leaves at 8:00 tomorrow morning.

Abbreviations for the time of day are usually set in lowercase. Numerals are used with these abbreviations, but not with “o’clock”:

• At 4 p.m. or 4:00 p.m.
• 11:30 a.m.
• Eight o’clock

All time references in a document should be consistent.

Tomcat
The official athletic mascot of Thiel College is the Tomcat. Acceptable variations are Tomcats and ‘Cats. Variations such as “TomCats” and “Lady Cats” should be avoided. Team‐specific nicknames such as “Matcats” are allowed, but should be used sparingly.

U

United States/U.S.
Only use U.S. as an adjective in running text; otherwise, spell it out:

• He was born in the United States.
• He is a U.S. citizen.

W

World Wide Web
Capitalize all references to “World Wide Web,” as in the “Web” or “Web site.”

Web Addresses
When showing an address for a Web site, exclude the http:// portion of the address. (i.e. www.thiel.edu NOT http://www.thiel.edu.)

Web Style Guide
This document is intended for Thiel Web site publishers that are using Macromedia Contribute to update a section, or sections, of the Web site. The guidelines described here should be followed for all pages on the Thiel Web site, so as to provide a consistent user experience.

If you have any questions regarding any of the items in this guide, please Thiel’s Information Technology Department.

Overall Page Design

• The design of the page from the top navigation bar and up should not be altered in any way.
• All content for your Web site section should be contained within the content area of the page (the white area).
• All text within the page must utilize the provided styles (no other fonts, colors, etc. may be used). If you have a special request for a different style, you may ask your Contribute administrator if it would be possible to add your style to the style sheet.
• The content area of the page should include a 15‐pixel gutter (empty column) on the left and right side of the content area, so that text does not begin or end at the edges of the content area. This should already be setup in your template by IT. If you discover missing gutters, please contact your Contribute administrator.
• All links to external Web sites should be setup to open in a new browser window.
• All links should be functional (open valid Web pages), or else they should be removed from the page.
• There should be at least one blank line at the bottom of the content area of every page, after the last textual content on the page.
• Tables that are placed in the content area should not exceed 600 pixels in width.
• All body text in the content area should use the “body‐text” style.
• All links in the content area should use the “body‐link” style.

Top Navigation Bar
• The top navigation bar and drop‐down menus will be maintained by IT and should not be altered in any way.
• The main section in which your site resides should be highlighted in yellow for all pages of your site (this should be done for you by IT).

Left Navigation Bar
• The first item in the left navigation bar should always be “Home,” and this item should link to the main Thiel home page.
• All additional items in the left navigation bar should appear in alphabetical order.
• Each link should be indented two spaces from the left side of the screen.
• Each link should be separated by the dotted line image (there should not be any additional white space above or below the dotted line image).
• All links in the left navigation bar should use the “left‐nav‐link” style.

Breadcrumb Trail
• The breadcrumb trail is the navigation element that is located at the top of the content area (white space) and below the top navigation bar.
• The trail begins with a link to the main top navigation category in which your Web site section is located.
• The trail continues by adding an element for each left navigation category that is chosen inside of your Web site section (names for the trail should be the same as the page names), and each of the items should be a link back to the named page.
• All elements of the breadcrumb trail should be separated by a space, then the greater than symbol, then another space ( > ).
• The last item in the breadcrumb trail should be the title of the current page, and should NOT be a link.
• All text in the breadcrumb trail should use the “breadcrumb‐text” style.
• All links in the breadcrumb trail should use the “breadcrumb‐link” style.

Creating Links in Contribute
• Whenever you create a link on a page, you must follow these steps in order to ensure that the link styles appear correctly on screen:

- Type in the text for the link.
- Highlight the text, click on the “Link” button and add a hyperlink.
- Highlight the text again and then select “link style” from the Style drop‐down box.

Images
• All images should be no greater than 450 pixels in width and height.
• Only images in JPG or GIF format should be used. Images should be RGB and not CYMK.
• The width and height of an image must be entered correctly (if you wish to resize an image, you must do so in an image editor, you cannot resize an image by changing the width and height values directly in Contribute).
• All images must specify ALT (alternate) text, a short description of the image.
• All images must include a one‐pixel black border around the edges. This may be accomplished by creating an image border in Contribute, or it may be accomplished using photo editing software.
• Page titles MUST be created by IT. Please contact the Contribute administrator with any page title requests.

File Naming Conventions
• All filenames should be lowercase.
• Dashes should be used between words in filenames (no spaces or underscores)
• HTML files should use the three‐letter extension (.htm).
• Example: press‐release.htm

3rd Class Mailing Guide
The Office of Public Relations offers 3rd class mailing services (nonprofit rate) to members of the Thiel College community mailing more than 200 pieces at one time.

The Public Relations Office has a Pitney Bowes mailing computer and printer that can dedupe, presort, check for address changes and problems, and print addresses directly on mail pieces. This new process qualifies the College for a presorted/automated discount that is below the regular nonprofit rate. (Third‐class mailing rates for letters are often 30 cents or more less than first‐class rates.)

Those wishing to use the service of the mailing coordinator should provide or arrange with the PR office for materials, such as envelopes, as well as an account number for postage TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE DATE THE MAILING SHOULD ARRIVE IN MAILBOXES to insure for timely delivery. Especially large mailings (1,000 pieces or more) should be given even more time to ensure its timely delivery.

After a mailing has been scheduled, the mailing lists can be placed in the “Mailing” folder on the L: drive and a member of the PR office should be notified that the list has been placed there or lists can be e‐mailed directly to a member of the PR office.

All postage is the responsibility of the originating department.

Some Guidelines for “Bulk” Mailings:
• Minimum of 200 pieces
• Mailings are processed on a first‐come, first‐serve basis.
• Mailing lists should be in Excel spreadsheet format. The addresses should be spell checked and as clean as possible. For mailing lists composed of purchased names and addresses (such as those used in admissions and athletic recruiting), this is especially important. (If you need a mailing list, the Alumni Services Office can print alumni addresses and the records office can print student addresses.)The PR office reserves the right to remove any addresses from mailing lists that clearly will be undeliverable in an effort to save money on postage and mail return costs.
• Bulk mailings must include the nonprofit indicia on the envelopes, postcard or other mailer. They must also include “Return Service Requested” below the return address. Envelopes marked with “Permit Paid” are available from the mailing assistant. You will be charged for any envelopes used.
• PLAN AHEAD! Bulk mailings must be prepared according to USPS guidelines and following these guidelines does take time.
• Bulk mailings may take longer to deliver (two to five days), but not necessarily so. Please note that bulk mail is not forwarded if the recipient’s address has changed.
• Contact the mailing assistant or Thiel post office for details on the proper size, shape and folding of third class mail pieces if you are not familiar with these regulations before you produce your mailing.
• As of November 2008, the USPS requires that all presorted mailing lists be cleaned using the National Change of Address (NCOA) directory. A “cleaned” list is only valid for 90 days. The new Pitney Bowes software will take care of this process.
• The PR Office has placed limits on the number of pieces per mailing that will be processed on campus. Those limits are:
- Postcards: 10,000
- Envelopes requiring address matching and/or stuffing: 5,000

For mailings larger than these limits, the PR Office will make arrangements for the mailing to be processed at a mailhouse or other off‐campus vendor. The mailing charges and postage will be the responsibility of the originating department. Changes to these guidelines may be made on a per case basis upon discussion about the mailing with the PR office.

Please contact the mailing assistant at ext. 2194 or the Thiel College post office at ext. 2230 with any questions regarding nonprofit rate mailings.

Please note that the Public Relations Office can help with the design and production of your mailing if needed. The office is also happy and willing to review your publication or letter to ensure compliance with Thiel College design and style as well as postal regulations before it is produced.

Thiel College Publications

The Bell
The Bell magazine is published twice a year by Thiel College, and is produced and edited by the Office of Public Relations. The current schedule is fall (November) and spring (May). The office determines the material appropriate for publication, but suggestions for story topics are welcome.
Thiel College faculty, staff, alumni, trustees, former students, friends and donors are encouraged to keep the office updated about achievements, awards, presentations, publications, etc. so that these can be shared with all College constituents.

Class Notes
The Class Notes section will include information received from graduates and former students. Information reported includes marriages, births, deaths, promotions, publications, awards, honors, presentations, new jobs or other items deemed appropriate by the Alumni Services Office and the editor of the magazine.
All information submitted for publication must be in written form from the alumna/us. The editor reserves the right to refuse publication of material deemed inappropriate.
Information not published in Class Notes includes phone numbers of businesses and other information that crosses the line into advertising; endorsement by the College of a publication or belief of an alumna/us; home addresses and phone numbers; and impending events such as engagements and pregnancies.

T-Notes
T‐Notes is an internal publication of the Office of Public Relations to inform the College community of campus opportunities, schedules of events, policy information, human resource announcements and achievements of the College. It is an electronic document that is housed on the Thiel Web site at www.thiel.edu/news/tnotes/index.htm and is published every Wednesday during the academic year and every other Wednesday during the summer.

Information is encouraged and accepted from faculty, staff, administration, students and trustees about promotions, presentations, awards, honors, etc. Some information submitted for T‐Notes may also be released to the media via news release if deemed newsworthy.

Items for sale, real estate announcements, etc. are not accepted for publication in T‐Notes. The deadline for submitting items is the Monday prior to publication by 5 p.m. Items submitted after the deadline may be held until the next week.

Pawprints
Pawprints is the month electronic newsletter for Thiel College alumni and friends. It is published the 15th of each month, or the closest weekday. Content is generated by the Alumni Services Office. It is put together and published by the Thiel Webmaster. Pawprints can be found at www.thiel.edu/alumni/newsletter/index.htm. Suggestions for items to include in Pawprints can be sent to the alumni services director.

Thielensian
The Thielensian is Thiel College’s student‐run newspaper, funded by the Student Government Association (SGA). Please note that the Public Relations Office has no oversight over or formal relation to the Thielensian. It is published every other Friday throughout the academic year.

Stationery

Letterhead
All College stationery and envelopes follow the approved College standards outlined in this guide and should be coordinated through the Public Relations Office.

All College departments and offices, excluding athletic teams and offices, must use the approved College letterhead. Individual departments or office names may be printed onto the stationery, at the bottom of the page, but other changes are not acceptable.

Athletics stationery will follow the same format and design as the rest of the college, but will replace the primary college logo with the primary athletic or team logos in order to create a consistent brand for Thiel College athletics.

Stationery, without individual departmental names, can be ordered directly from the public relations office. If you wish to order stationery with your office name, contact the assistant director of public relations who will typeset and format the letterhead.

Personalized stationery with the Thiel College logo is unacceptable in any format for College use.

PLEASE NOTE: Individual offices are not permitted to order letterhead directly from vendors. Letterhead is ordered in bulk at a great cost savings to the College by the Office of Public Relations, and then distributed to other offices as needed.

Envelopes
Departments and offices are no longer permitted to order envelopes on their own. The College has begun ordering envelopes of all formats in bulk in order to save on printing costs. If you need envelopes, including business reply envelopes, please contact the public relations office to do so. Your department will be billed for the envelopes that are ordered.

Business Cards
Thiel College business cards are pre‐printed cards with the Thiel College logo. All cards are white with the logo in Thiel blue and black lettering.

If you need business cards, or need to reorder business cards, please contact the assistant director of public relations. Allow two weeks for delivery. Cards will be billed to the department or individual who ordered them.

Services Offered by the Office of Public Relations
The Office of Public Relations is composed of three staff members who address the College’s public and media relations, publications and printing, photography, promotion and publicity, advertising and bulk mailing needs.

Graphic Services
One of the easiest ways to ensure that your publications are consistent with the College’s image is to take advantage of the graphic design services offered by the PR office.

*Don’t feel you have to design your publication before you submit it for graphic design services.

All brochures, booklets, pamphlets and other promotional/public materials must follow the authorization channels below.

• To the department head and College dean, or if a nonacademic area, to the administrative head. You are responsible for gathering the appropriate input and approvals for your project BEFORE it comes to the PR office.
• If needed the PR office can help draft text for your project if the information needed has been provided. We will also edit provided text to fit with Thiel editorial style guidelines.
• Once your project comes to the PR office after the copy has been reviewed and approved by those involved in the project, the office can provide assistance on text, design, layout and printing.

Quality graphic design takes time, as does printing and mailing, so plan ahead. The office requires adequate notification in order to ensure timely production of your publications, preferably one to two weeks. Also, it is helpful to have an approximate budget figure for your project as well as the account to be charged for production, mailing and other costs.

**Please note that the PR office cannot provide you with a quote on printing costs without a quantity. It is helpful to have a quantity in mind at the start of a project.

Project Timeline Guide:
• When do you want the piece in your readers’ hands?
• Working backward from that date, allot at least two weeks for minor projects and more for major projects for design, printing, copy preparation and mailing.
• Keep in mind that most printers need 10 working days in order to prepare and deliver your project.

A Note on Producing Your Publication
Before submitting copy for publication, check it thoroughly for spelling, grammar and punctuation errors. Although the PR office will proof your copy, you are ultimately responsible for the accuracy of your publication. When you sign off on a project, you are saying it is approved and ready for production. It can be very expensive to correct errors in later stages of production, especially with off‐campus printers who sometimes charge $100 an hour for computer work, so make sure you CAREFULLY go over the proof of your project before signing off on it.

For larger and/or more detailed projects, it is always best to schedule a meeting with the PR office to discuss your vision and how it can be realized.

Printing
The office also has established relationships with the DocuCenter (and its parent company ComDoc) here on campus as well as several off‐campus printers. We are happy to gather bids for the printing of your project to ensure that the College gets the best possible price on printing services.

Photography
The PR office maintains an archive of photos of campus events and people. We either take photos ourselves or hire a professional photographer for various events throughout the year. The office functions on a digital photography basis to facilitate e‐mailing of photos to the media as well as their use in publications. We are happy to provide photos as needed to the campus community and are always happy to accept photos from your events to expand our library.

Photo Prints
The PR office has a photo printer that we can use to print photos for members of the campus community, up to 8x10‐inches in size, on a limited basis. For a large quantity of photos, we recommend that community members get their photos printed at Wal‐Mart, a drug store or online provider.

Scheduling Photography
If you would like the PR office to take photos for you and/or an event, we ask that you alert us to the event a week or two before it occurs in the interest of time and scheduling. If the assistant director or director cannot take photos due to schedule conflicts, we will either have a student worker/intern take the photos or lend a camera for your use at the event.
Note: The PR office recommends that departments and offices on campus purchase a digital camera if they foresee a frequent need for photos throughout the year. As demands for our time increase, we have less and less time to devote to photography.

Advertising
All advertising for the College must be coordinated through the Office of Public Relations in order for all communication to remain consistent. Contact the director if you need assistance in purchasing advertising for an event. All advertising costs are the responsibility of the office or department who requested it, unless discussed otherwise.

News Releases
The Office of Public Relations coordinates release information, relative to College events and activities, with College departments and officials. Releases are designed either as initial contact for media to use as reporting background and/or to be filed as articles for publications. Items that may be considered newsworthy are faculty, staff and student accomplishments or activities; events; or grants, donations or other fundraising activities.

All news items or leads should be reported to the Office of Public Relations and will be reviewed for appropriate dissemination for internal and external distribution. The office is responsible for writing all news releases. They are written in Associated Press style on College‐approved news release letterhead. Proper lead time is required in planning and disseminating all information. Please note that the PR office cannot control if or when a news outlet uses information that is sent from the College.

College Spokespersons
The chairman of the Board of Trustees is the primary spokesperson for the board. The primary spokesperson for the College is the president, and is responsible for representing board policies to the public. Community involvement by individual faculty and staff is encouraged; however, personal views are not to be represented as those of the College (i.e. support of political candidates).

Media Relations
The Office of Public Relations is to be kept fully and promptly informed about events, incidents and developments in which there is current or potential media or public interest. In the event of controversy as well as in routine matters, the office will work closely with those involved to coordinate release of news items, respond to inquiries and to offer counsel as requested or required.

Please note: Information with reference to students will NOT be released unless the information qualifies as “Directory Information” as legally authorized under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). (http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html)