University Calendar Guidelines

This document provides guidelines for submitting, approving, and promoting events on the university calendar and website. Following these standards will ensure a consistent, high-quality user experience and increase the visibility of key events.

Table of Contents

• Event Submission Guidelines
  • Early Submission Requirement
  • Content Standards
  • Adding a New Event
  • Visual Requirements
  • Categories and Tags
  • Cancelling, Postponing, or Removing Events
• Approval Guidelines for Authorized Event Approvers
  • Content Review Standards
  • Promotion Potential
  • Approval Workflow
• Calendar and Website Promotion Rules
  • Standard Placement in the Event Calendar
  • Homepage and Featured Event Sections
  • Promotion Timeline
  • Best Practices for Event Promotion on the Website
• Submission, Approval, and Promotion Checklist

Event Submission Guidelines

Early Submission Requirement

Submission Timeline: Submit all events at least 4 weeks in advance to allow time for review, approval, and promotion planning.

Advance Booking Verification: If applicable, confirm room bookings with Events Management before submitting an event. Events with unconfirmed room bookings will not be approved.

Content Standards

Event Name: Use concise, descriptive titles under 255 characters. Avoid jargon or abbreviations unless widely recognized. This field should not contain a category such as “Information Session” or “Workshop” and should creatively describe what the event is about, not what type of event it is.

Description: Write clear, engaging descriptions that highlight the event’s value and essential details (e.g., target audience, key speakers, activities).

Essential Details: Include accurate information for date, time, location, and any registration requirements. Virtual events should include a verifiable access link.

Adding a New Event

When creating a new event, it is important to start fresh rather than updating the details of a pre-existing event. This ensures accuracy and preserves the integrity of our calendar analytics.

Create a New Calendar Event

• Use the "+ New Event" feature to enter the details of the new event.
• Avoid editing existing events to repurpose them, as this can compromise event tracking and reporting.

Use Existing Events as References

• If a previous event is similar, you can use it as a guide for formatting or content.
• Ensure the new event reflects current and accurate information, such as updated dates, times, and descriptions.

Visual Requirements

Images: Upload high-quality images (square images with a 500x500 pixel resolution) that represent the event’s theme. Avoid generic stock images, solid backgrounds, logos or graphics with excessive text.

Alt Text: Ensure all images have descriptive alt text for accessibility, briefly explaining the image content in relation to the event.

Categories

Appropriate Categorization: Choose categories reflecting the event type (e.g., “Workshops,” “Information Sessions,” “Student Life”).

Current Categories:

Requesting a new category: To request a new event category, please fill out the Event Category Request Form. Categories should be broad and general in nature, avoiding redundancy or excessive specificity, to ensure they have wide applicability.

Current Calendars

A calendar is a curated collection of events with a shared purpose that collectively tell a story about the university. For instance, events related to professional development or academic achievement are grouped together. These are the official university calendars:

• Academic Enrichment – Study Abroad, Tutoring, Distance Education, Research Symposia, Honors Program, etc.
• Alumni & Advancement – Donor events, alumni gatherings, advancement initiatives, networking events, etc.
• Arts & Entertainment – O’Kane performances, Fine Arts program events, concerts, rhythm & books talks, etc.
• Community Engagement – Youth camps, CCESL, Service Events, etc.
• Employee Relations – HR employee events, Give to Gators, Faculty Affairs, etc.
• Enrollment & Outreach – Program Info Sessions, Jump Start programs, Recruitment events, etc.
• Institutional Deadlines – Academic Calendar dates, Financial Aid deadlines, Registration periods, Graduation application cutoffs, Accreditation Deadlines, etc.
• Professional Development – Main Career Center, MDCOB Career Center
• Student Life & Engagement – 3SL Signature Events, Traditions, Student Orgs, etc.
• Technology Training – TTLC, HR technology training, etc.

Requesting a new calendar: To request a new event calendar, please fill out the Calendar Request Form. Categories should be broad and general in nature, avoiding redundancy or excessive specificity, to ensure they have wide applicability.

Canceling, Postponing, or Removing Events

Our new calendar module provides options to mark events as canceled, postponed, or to remove events entirely. Each option serves a specific purpose:

Canceled or Postponed Events

• When an event is canceled or postponed, it remains visible on the calendar.
• This transparency informs attendees of changes and reduces confusion.
• Example: If a workshop is postponed, the updated date can be added once confirmed, maintaining the event's visibility for easy reference.

Removing Events

• Removing an event deletes it from the calendar and CMS entirely.
• This option should be used sparingly, typically only for events created in error or deemed irrelevant.

Recommendation

Whenever possible, use the canceled or postponed statuses instead of removing events. Maintaining visibility ensures clear communication with your audience, builds trust, and prevents miscommunication about planned activities.

RSVP Functionality

The built-in RSVP feature of our calendar is currently disabled. For events requiring RSVP, please use a third-party tool such as Eventbrite or Formstack to collect responses.

The Digital Media team is actively evaluating RSVP solutions and plans to make a decision on a RSVP tool for implementation during Spring 2025 Semester.

Organizers

An organizer refers to a department responsible for hosting events and is limited to submitting events to authorized calendars relevant to their area. Access is only required for individuals within the department who are responsible for submitting events. Organizers must ensure all submissions adhere to event guidelines, including accurate details, proper categorization, and compliance with content and visual standards, as managed and reviewed by the marketing team.

Approval Guidelines for Authorized Event Approvers

Content Review Standards

Marketing-Quality Copy: Approve only events with clear, professionally written descriptions in the brand’s tone and style.

Visual Quality: Ensure images are high-quality and visually appealing. Events with low-quality images or irrelevant visuals should be returned for edits.

Text On Images: Text should be limited on graphics and images, attempt to limit text to a title and potentially a subtitle.

Complete Event Details: Verify that all essential event details are provided, including confirmed dates, locations, and contact information.

Promotion Potential

Featured Events: For your events to be promoted they will need to be submitted in the calendar at least 4 weeks in advance. Only signature events associated with an institutional initiative will be considered for promotion by marketing.

Approval Workflow

Timeline: Review and approve events within 2-3 business days of submission. For expedited approval, please email digitalmedia@uhd.edu with an URGENT subject line.

Event Approval: Ensure that the events department has awareness of the event we are promoting if the event is on campus.

Feedback Loop: If an event does not meet approval standards, return it to the submitter with clear feedback on improvements needed or guideline violations (e.g., images, title clarity, or descriptive copy).

Calendar and Website Promotion Rules

Homepage and Featured Event Sections

Events that align with strategic priorities, significant university events, or community-engagement themes may be selected for homepage or featured event placement.

Authorized event approvers should identify and elevate these events during the approval process for potential inclusion in featured sections.

Promotion Timeline

Events selected for homepage or featured placement must be submitted at least 4-6 weeks in advance to ensure proper promotion rotation. The submission process will notify marketing and communications about the event and align any common work.

Event organizers will be notified if their event has been chosen for website promotion.

Best Practices for Event Promotion on the Website

I.e. Instead of MBA Information Session say, “Looking to get your MBA?” and mark it as an Information Session category.

Clear Title: Write a title that informs and encourages participation of your event using descriptive and engaging text.

Engaging Descriptions: Write descriptions that entice users by emphasizing unique aspects of the event (guest speakers, learning opportunities, etc.).

Image Guidelines: Use images that stand out and represent the event effectively. Avoid overly text-heavy or abstract visuals. For best rendering, use a square 500 x 500 image and a keep your file sized smaller than 1MB (Ideally <500KB). Images should be stored in images/calendar and you should create a folder named after your department if one does not already exist.

Call to Action: A call to action (CTA) should be concise, engaging, and action-oriented, avoiding vague or generic terms like "click here." Instead, opt for specific verbs that clearly guide the audience toward their next step.

User Accessibility: Ensure descriptions, dates, times, and links are clear, accessible, and include alt text for images.

Submission, Approval, and Promotion Checklist

Event Submission Checklist

• [ ] Submitted at least 4 weeks in advance
• [ ] Room booking has been confirmed with Events Management (if applicable)
• [ ] Title is concise and descriptive
• [ ] Description is clear, engaging, and easy to read
• [ ] All essential event details included (date, time, location, registration)
• [ ] High-quality, relevant square (500x500px) image provided with alt text
• [ ] Appropriate categories selected

Approval Checklist

• [ ] Marketing-quality copy and visuals meet content standards
• [ ] Event details verified for accuracy and completeness
• [ ] Potential for additional promotion flagged, if applicable

Website Promotion Checklist

• [ ] Event selected for public or homepage promotion
• [ ] Description and image meet high engagement standards
• [ ] Event organizer notified for additional information, if needed