Resources

Audience

Who do we communicate with?

• Students:
  • Highly qualified undergraduate teacher candidates from Michigan, the U.S. and beyond
  • Future athletic trainers and kinesiology majors preparing for health-related careers
  • Top-caliber, diverse master’s and doctoral student candidates dedicated to intellectual development, research and service within the many disciplines represented by the college
• Prospective faculty members: Potential colleagues who are leading researchers in their fields and committed to teaching and service
• Peers and disciplinary leaders: Deans and professors at other higher education institutions, particularly other high-ranking schools and colleges of education
• Practitioners: Working educators (superintendents, principals, teachers) and other professionals (school psychologists, student advisors, fitness consultants, etc.) across the state, nation and world. They are our partners, our prospective students, our alumni and the users of our research knowledge.
• Policymakers and influencers: This includes state and U.S. lawmakers, leaders of professional organizations and educational leaders as noted above.
• Funding sources: Individuals, families, foundations and government agencies seeking to advance knowledge and support students through gifts, grants and other resources
• Alumni: Graduates who want to stay connected and who are capable of aiding the college with their experience, talent-spotting, donor support and employment opportunities
• Each other: Faculty and staff within the College of Education.

Our Brand

Brand Essence

As an important part of Michigan State University, the College of Education shares the essence of the university brand:

• Individual Strength – Our people set us apart.
• Collective Power – Our open, collaborative community makes us prepared to lead in powerful ways.  
• Extraordinary Impact – We make the world a better place by improving learning and human development across the lifespan.

Positioning and Personality

Positioning

Our positioning statement helps articulate and distinguish the unique value of the College of Education:

The College of Education’s smart, passionate people and collaborative culture of high achievement prepares leaders to make an extraordinary impact on health, well-being and education around the world.

Across the college, a key theme describes our people and programs: Prepared to Lead

Personality

We are:

• Genuine
• Persistent
• Practical
• Open
• Inclusive
• Collaborative
• World Changing

For more information, see also About the College and our Mission & History.

Telling our story

Although we do not state the essence of our brand explicitly, we can incorporate these ideas into communications materials to describe, for example, our academic expectations, how research is conducted by our faculty and students, or what our graduates are able to achieve.

Here are key messages that express why the College of Education is distinctive and, more importantly, a place where people are prepared to lead in whatever they do.

Individual Strength

We always strive for excellence.
Among the nation’s top-ranked education schools for more than 20 years, we have built a reputation for excellence and share significant standards of academic and scholarly preparation. We prepare professionals to become leaders in their fields. 

We have an amazing work ethic.
We expect and support the highest levels of achievement from ourselves, without pretense. No challenge is beneath us—or too big to tackle—if it makes a difference in people’s lives.

We turn talent to good.
We believe in the power of learning and the potential of every person. We seek to understand how people learn and develop so we can best use that knowledge to benefit all people.

We value differences.
Our inclusive culture encourages mutual respect and the creative power of diverse ideas, viewpoints and backgrounds.

Collective Power

We foster openness and flexibility.
We celebrate individuals and empower them to create their own paths of achievement. Our work transcends disciplines and departments.

We believe in partnerships.
We have the skill and are always willing to work together with schools, universities and communities to bridge connections between theory and practice. Getting the best results and creating capacity for the future is more important to us than getting all the credit.

We connect globally.
Our horizons are global and we seek opportunities to make a difference through cross-cultural connections and projects. We prepare graduates to succeed within diverse contexts, both at home and abroad.

Extraordinary Impact

We affect lives in extraordinary ways.
It’s in our DNA to solve practical problems, moving beyond analysis to promote policy reform and assist in implementation. We are committed to improving how educators and health professionals serve the world.

We are visionaries.
We have a track record of innovative thinking. Our research and teaching has the power to challenge assumptions, create groundbreaking discoveries and transform how things are done.

We deliver excellence and opportunity.
We are an elite research institution, but never elitist. We are competitive at the highest levels but we are also known for supporting the success of a globally-minded, diverse population of learners. 

We stand by our values.
We are committed to creating knowledge, promoting social justice and improving health and education for all people—and we will lead others by example.

Writing About The College

Tone

We foster leadership by communicating like leaders, using simple, clear and direct language. Go for shorter sentences and fewer adjectives. We communicate not only with academics but with students and working professionals. We engage in conversations, not one-way communication.

Ask yourself: Will my brochure/website/article/etc. help make the College of Education and its programs/units come across as a dynamic community, where collaboration is embraced and people are truly committed to being prepared?

Does this show how we are prepared to improve teaching and learning, to advance human potential, to meet future challenges or—in other words—be leaders?

Boilerplate language

This is short, standard language that briefly describes the institution and its priorities. This may be used without alteration in any document including, for example, grant proposals, materials created for events or by outside organizations partnering with the College of Education, on promotional materials for specific programs or offices/institutes.

College of Education:

The College of Education at Michigan State University is a community of students, educators and researchers prepared to meet the challenges of education and kinesiology. We are committed to improving practice together through exemplary research, teaching and service. With a renowned five-year teacher preparation program, rigorous training for health-related careers and several nationally ranked graduate programs, the College of Education prepares leaders who make an extraordinary impact on health, well-being and education around the world.

Michigan State University:

Michigan State University has been advancing the common good with uncommon will for more than 160 years. One of the top research universities in the world, MSU pushes the boundaries of discovery and forges enduring partnerships to solve the most pressing global challenges while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.

Note: A longer version of the MSU boilerplate is available.

Taglines

Remember: A brand is not a single logo or particular tagline.

However, the official MSU tagline, Spartans Will., may be used by all units on campus without alteration. Learn how to use Spartans Will. in the MSU Brand Guide.

In addition, College of Education faculty and units may use the College of Education message, Come prepared to learn, leave prepared to lead on various advertisements, flyers, email communications, etc. Please do not change the text in any way. Contact Lauren Knapp for guidance on when and how to use this phrase.

The word Spartan or Spartans is also encouraged to maximize the effect of the university’s name and identify. Example: Become a Spartan teacher.

Editorial Style Guide

To help establish consistency in language, see the Editorial Style Guide for terms and phrases used frequently by the College of Education. This has been adapted from the main MSU Editorial Style Guide. Also, see the section on Tone for writing tips.

To ask questions or suggest additions to the college editorial guide, contact Lauren Knapp.

Graphics and Logos

Logos

Logos for individual units at Michigan State University are discouraged and should never be used on communication materials to external audiences (i.e. alumni, prospective students, other institutions, news media). This includes the former College of Education logo with its mortar board and blue tassel, as well as any individual logos used by departments, centers, programs and so forth.

For all forms of external communication, the MSU wordmark MUST appear (on the front or back cover in print, or in the footer for web sites). Again, no other MSU-related “logos” are permitted. However, MSU provides a signature system that contains three different ways in which units may officially identify themselves in conjunction with the MSU wordmark or the Spartan Helmet. Versions of this for the College of Educaton and its four departments are available below.

MSU Wordmark

The MSU wordmark below is suitable for most applications.

Download MSU Wordmark – Black

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Download MSU Wordmark – Green

Wordmark with College Designation

The following are suitable for most applications. If you need a different file type, contact Trevor Hawks.

Download College Wordmark – Helmet (color JPG)
Download College Wordmark – Helmet (color PNG)
Download College Wordmark – Helmet (color SVG)
Download College Wordmark – Helmet (black JPG)
Download College Wordmark – Helmet (black PNG)
Download College Wordmark – Helmet (white PNG)

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Download College Wordmark – Horizontal (color JPG)
Download College Wordmark – Horizontal (color PNG)
Download College Wordmark – Horizontal (color SVG)
Download College Wordmark – Horizontal (black JPG)
Download College Wordmark – Horizontal (black PNG)
Download College Wordmark – Horizontal (white PNG)

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Download College Wordmark – Vertical (color JPG)
Download College Wordmark – Vertical (color PNG)
Download College Wordmark – Vertical (color SVG)
Download College Wordmark – Vertical (black JPG)
Download College Wordmark – Vertical (black PNG)
Download College Wordmark – Vertical (white PNG)

Wordmark with Department Designation

The following are suitable for most applications. If you need a different file type or require a wordmark for a unit other than one of the four departments, contact Trevor Hawks.

Download CEPSE Wordmark – Helmet (color JPG)
Download CEPSE Wordmark – Helmet (color PNG)
Download CEPSE Wordmark – Helmet (color SVG)
Download CEPSE Wordmark – Helmet (black JPG)
Download CEPSE Wordmark – Helmet (black PNG)
Download CEPSE Wordmark – Helmet (white PNG)

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Download CEPSE Wordmark – Horizontal (color JPG)
Download CEPSE Wordmark – Horizontal (color PNG)
Download CEPSE Wordmark – Horizontal (color SVG)
Download CEPSE Wordmark – Horizontal (black JPG)
Download CEPSE Wordmark – Horizontal (black PNG)
Download CEPSE Wordmark – Horizontal (white PNG)

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Download CEPSE Wordmark – Vertical (color JPG)
Download CEPSE Wordmark – Vertical (color PNG)
Download CEPSE Wordmark – Vertical (color SVG)
Download CEPSE Wordmark – Vertical (black JPG)
Download CEPSE Wordmark – Vertical (black PNG)
Download CEPSE Wordmark – Vertical (white PNG)

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Download EAD Wordmark – Helmet (color JPG)
Download EAD Wordmark – Helmet (color PNG)
Download EAD Wordmark – Helmet (color SVG)
Download EAD Wordmark – Helmet (black JPG)
Download EAD Wordmark – Helmet (black PNG)
Download EAD Wordmark – Helmet (white PNG)

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Download EAD Wordmark – Horizontal (color JPG)
Download EAD Wordmark – Horizontal (color PNG)
Download EAD Wordmark – Horizontal (color SVG)
Download EAD Wordmark – Horizontal (black JPG)
Download EAD Wordmark – Horizontal (black PNG)
Download EAD Wordmark – Horizontal (white PNG)

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Download EAD Wordmark – Vertical (color JPG)
Download EAD Wordmark – Vertical (color PNG)
Download EAD Wordmark – Vertical (color SVG)
Download EAD Wordmark – Vertical (black JPG)
Download EAD Wordmark – Vertical (black PNG)
Download EAD Wordmark – Vertical (white PNG)

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Download KIN Wordmark – Helmet (color JPG)
Download KIN Wordmark – Helmet (color PNG)
Download KIN Wordmark – Helmet (color SVG)
Download KIN Wordmark – Helmet (black JPG)
Download KIN Wordmark – Helmet (black PNG)
Download KIN Wordmark – Helmet (white PNG)

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Download KIN Wordmark – Horizontal (color JPG)
Download KIN Wordmark – Horizontal (color PNG)
Download KIN Wordmark – Horizontal (color SVG)
Download KIN Wordmark – Horizontal (black JPG)
Download KIN Wordmark – Horizontal (black PNG)
Download KIN Wordmark – Horizontal (white PNG)

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Download KIN Wordmark – Vertical (color JPG)
Download KIN Wordmark – Vertical (color PNG)
Download KIN Wordmark – Vertical (color SVG)
Download KIN Wordmark – Vertical (black JPG)
Download KIN Wordmark – Vertical (black PNG)
Download KIN Wordmark – Vertical (white PNG)

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Download TE Wordmark – Helmet (color JPG)
Download TE Wordmark – Helmet (color PNG)
Download TE Wordmark – Helmet (color SVG)
Download TE Wordmark – Helmet (black JPG)
Download TE Wordmark – Helmet (black PNG)
Download TE Wordmark – Helmet (white PNG)

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Download TE Wordmark – Horizontal (color JPG)
Download TE Wordmark – Horizontal (color PNG)
Download TE Wordmark – Horizontal (color SVG)
Download TE Wordmark – Horizontal (black JPG)
Download TE Wordmark – Horizontal (black PNG)
Download TE Wordmark – Horizontal (white PNG)

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Download TE Wordmark – Vertical (color JPG)
Download TE Wordmark – Vertical (color PNG)
Download TE Wordmark – Vertical (color SVG)
Download TE Wordmark – Vertical (black JPG)
Download TE Wordmark – Vertical (black PNG)
Download TE Wordmark – Vertical (white PNG)

Again, examples and instructions for using MSU logos and marks – including downloadable versions of the wordmark, seal, block “S” and helmet – are available in the MSU Brand Guide.

Photography

The college maintains a database of professionally photographed images that are available, upon request, for use by departments, programs and individual offices. Updated regularly, this collection represents a range of college-specific subjects, including buildings and landscapes, events, faculty and staff, technology, students, research, outreach and alumni.

Rather than acquiring images from stock photography sources, use of these images in printed materials and on college websites is preferred. To view what is currently available or to make a specific photo shoot request, please contact Lauren Knapp or email the the Communications Team.

The Michigan State University photo library is viewable at www.photos.msu.edu, and the communications office can acquire high-resolution images on your behalf.

Graphical Elements

Main MSU brand elements such as the Spartan helmet, Spartan shield, Spartan spear and copy bar with chevron can be downloaded from the MSU Brand Guide.

With assets available to create clean, professional-looking brand-aligned materials, the use of clip art or other externally generated graphics is not allowed.

Fonts

While the official fonts of Michigan State University are Californian (serif) and Gotham (sans-serif), there are acceptable substitutions that are more commonly available. Georgia can be used in place of Californian, and the acceptable substitution for Gotham is Helvetica. The use of Georgia is recommended as the body copy for print publications, as serif typefaces are easiest to read in print.

The opposite is true of digital media and electronic forms of communications whereas Helvetica is the recommended font for body copy. Helvetica is also recommended for headline treatments as well as to highlight secondary pieces of information such as bulleted lists, photo captions or in graphs, tables or charts.

To see examples of the fonts and their usage, please visit the MSU Brand Guide.

NOTE: The font Myriad Pro is also permitted when used in conjunction with the MSU wordmark to display the name of an individual unit such as a department, office, center or institution. (See the section on Logos.)

Colors

The four primary colors that are used in college communications are as follows:

R:24 G:69 B:59
C:82 M:0 Y:64 K:70
#18453b
PMS 567

R:99 G:149 B:103
C:65 M:24 Y:72 K:5
#639567
PMS 7730

R:96 G:179 B:207
C:60 M:13 Y:13 K:0
#60b3cf
PMS 631

R:201 G:192 B:161
C:22 M:20 Y:39 K:0
#c9c0a1
PMS 454

A list of suggested accent colors that can be used in combination with these primary colors can be found in the MSU Brand Guide.

Publications and Promotional Materials

College of Education publications

The College of Education Communications Office produces several publications, from the New Educator magazine to specific flyers and brochures. Before you consider creating your own publication, we encourage you to take a look at our inventory of materials.

Requests for materials should be made with as much advance notice as possible, preferably one week. Please fill out this request form or contact Lauren Knapp.

College publications:

NEW EDUCATOR – Glossy magazine published once a year, includes news and feature articles about research, policy, faculty, students and alumni (last printed October 2022)

RANKINGS – A one-page (two sided) flyer highlighting our graduate program rankings, plus general points of distinction for the college (last printed June 2022)

GUIDE TO GRADUATE PROGRAMS – A booklet detailing the college’s graduate program offerings (last printed June 2022)

SOCIAL MEDIA POSTCARD – Listing of ways to connect with the College of Education through social media networks, eNewsletter and alumni activities (last printed June 2022)

NEW FACULTY – A brochure produced once per year to welcome and introduce new faculty to the college (last printed 2019-20)

Program specific publications:

KINESIOLOGY – A brochure about undergraduate programs in the Department of Kinesiology (last printed May 2022)

TEACHER PREPARATION – A booklet about reasons for becoming a teacher through the MSU Teacher Preparation Program, including elementary, secondary and special education (last printed ~2017)

GLOBAL EDUCATOR COHORT PROGRAM card – A two-sided card with details about the Global Educators Cohort Program (GECP) for students planning to become teachers (last printed ~2017)

URBAN EDUCATOR COHORT PROGRAM card – A two-sided card with details about the Urban Educators Cohort Program (UECP) for students planning to become teachers (last printed ~2017)

College of Education event materials

Various types of signage and promotional giveaway items are available at no cost to faculty and staff coordinating events at which the College of Education benefits from a strong visual presence. Requests for materials should be made with as much advance notice as possible. Please fill out this request form or contact Lauren Knapp.

Would you like something you don’t see on this list? The Communications team can assist in ordering college-branded or unit-branded items. Expect at least 30+ days from initiating the request to having the item in hand. Please see Lauren Knapp for details.

On a first come, first serve basis:

• Tablecloths – 6-foot or 8-foot green cloth, both say Michigan State University College of Education
• Banners – 7-foot retractable free-standing banners; two general College of Education banners.

Available anytime (and in almost any quantity):

• Cell phone wallets – White with MSU green branding of the Spartan helmet and either “Education” or “Kinesiology”; adheres to the back of cell phones
• Hair ties – Gray with MSU green branding of the college wordmark
• Folders – MSU green College of Education folders available for presenting a collection of publications or materials. Two sizes available: regular or high-capacity.
• Notepads – paper pads with College of Education branding (two sizes)
• Sticky notes with College of Education branding
• Pens – MSU green exterior with College of Education branding
• Pencils – MSU green exterior with College of Education branding
• Stickers – 3″ MSU green helmet with the word “Education” or “Kinesiology” underneath
• Stickers – 5″ circular stickers with “Education,” “Kinesiology” or “College of Education Alumni” branding
• Sticky notes with College of Education branding

In limited quantities (please see Lauren Knapp):

• Keychains
• Flashlights (small)
• Lanyards
• Pennants

Giveaways and Merchandise

The university requires that any item using a Michigan State University trademark, logo, slogan or “other symbol or device associated with or referring to the university” be reviewed and authorized by the University Licensing Programs office.

All items must also be purchased from an MSU licensed vendor. The college works with multiple vendors and can help assist with the process. Visit the University Licensing website for additional information.

The college has limited merchandise to use for giveaways (pens, stickers, etc). To request items, or to see what is currently available, contact Lauren Knapp or visit room 518 (fifth floor) Erickson Hall in person.

To purchase College of Education apparel, visit shop.msu.edu.

Examples of merchandising activity:

• Sales of products for fundraising programs
• Sales of products on campus with vending permit
• Sales of products to group members or staff
• Sales of products through either campus or private retailers
• Sales of products to any third party
• Promotional product giveaways

Common MSU trademarks:

• the official University logotype,
• Contemporary Spartan Helmet,
• Sparty Mascot (full-length),
• Block S,
• Spartan Football Helmet,
• MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY,
• MICHIGAN STATE,
• MSU,
• MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS,
• SPARTANS,
• STATE
• and GO GREEN/GO WHITE

Templates and Stationery

Template Files

The templates and graphic materials provided are intended as a starting point for small-scale projects such as posters, speaker announcements, event handouts and various electronic forms of communication.

For more substantial projects that will have longevity and sustained use, please contact Communications Director Lauren Knapp or Graphic Designer Trevor Hawks for assistance in the production of these materials.

Building upon what is offered at the university level, the College of Education communications office provides some custom templates for use within the college.

Here are the templates available for download:

• PowerPoint presentation — please email Trevor Hawks for access
• Labels or nametags
• Reports and documents
• Event/Speaker poster: Option 1 or Option 2
• Award certificates
• Email header

Stationery

All stationery (letterhead, envelopes and business cards) must display the Michigan State University wordmark and university seal as specified. No additional visual marks are permitted. The university provides clear templates and an online ordering option that allows you to enter information for your unit into pre-set templates.

Visit the MSU brand guidelines for more information. To order printed stationery and more, go to MSU’s print procurement site.

Web

Web Content

Many staff members have access to edit website content for their respective departments, programs and offices as well as access to add event information to the main College of Education website and related events feeds.

If you need changes made or access to edit a website, please send us a message using our Web Service Requests form.

Building and Maintaining Websites

Working within the College Web Framework

It is important that all websites representing the College of Education look and feel similar. Cohesiveness throughout the College of Education’s websites not only reinforces our university and college brands, but also helps visitors to feel familiar and comfortable while navigating across all our college sites. In addition, consistency across websites makes the work of our web development team much more manageable. Our websites are constantly evolving and improving, and with so many sites and pages throughout the college it takes a lot of time to implement a change throughout. When our websites use the same back-end frameworks, we can most efficiently and effectively make changes and upgrades to all sites.

New Websites

If you are in need of a new website within the College of Education web space, contact Lauren Knapp. Examples of websites that would be appropriate for using the College of Education web framework include departments, academic programs, centers, institutes, offices and labs. Other related websites that we do have resources for, but that would not be appropriate for the college website framework, include courses, student organizations, faculty websites and grant/project websites.

Existing Websites, News and Events

Keeping our college websites, news system and events calendar up-to-date and accurate is of the utmost importance. If you are tasked with updating content on a website within the College of Education, and need access to update that content, contact Lauren Knapp.

Editing Our Websites

Website Editing

• The goal is to maintain up-to-date and accurate content.

Getting Started

• Access to edit will need to be configured before the first time you use it. Please fill out a web request to get access to edit.
• Please look at the Training Slides for reference on how to make edits to the site

Events

Adding events

A few best practices for adding events to our College’s digital calendar:

• Make sure you search for an event before creating a new one to avoid duplication.
• Include contact information for all events.
• Make sure your event title is brief, yet descriptive.

How To Add Events – Tutorial Video

To assist calendar administrators in adding events to the college calendar, our office offers a complete step-by-step video tutorial. If you or a member of your team is interested in gaining access to the college calendar to add events, please contact the Communications Office at coemedia@msu.edu.

How to print an events flyer:

Our online calendar system is now a one-stop location where you can promote your events on our website and create a flyer.

• Add your event to the college’s online calendar. Questions? Watch our step-by-step video tutorial or email us at coemedia@msu.edu.
• While logged into our online events system, navigate to the event(s) that you would like to publicize with a flyer. (Note: Only Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari and Microsoft Edge are currently supported.)
• Print using “CTRL + P” or “CMD + P” or by selecting “Print” in the “File” menu dropdown.
• Make sure that the print is in “Portrait” style (not landscape, or oriented horizontally) and is limited to one page. (Note: Flyers with images will look more appealing if printed in color and including an image. Only one image is allowed in a print flyer.)

Want to recommend the inclusion of an event? Submit an event through the community event form.

Social Media

I am interested in setting up a social media account for my unit.

If a department, program, office or other unit is considering setting up a social media account (or accounts), contact Communications Director Lauren Knapp prior to creating any social media account.

There are already established social media channels for our department. When posting on behalf of the college or a department, what should be considered?

If you currently manage a social media account on behalf of a unit in the College of Education, fill out this Social Media Registration Form.

All social media accounts require regular posting and can be time-intensive. For suggestions on how to use social media for your unit, connect with Communications Director Lauren Knapp to for a short tutorial on tips, tricks and other advice. In addition, Michigan State University has developed detailed Social Media Guidelines.

How should social media be used?

Michigan State University has provided social media guidelines for faculty and staff use. Any member of the college’s faculty or staff who is sharing information on behalf of a unit or department should familiarize themselves with these detailed guidelines.

Safety & Privacy Concerns

The internet is open to a worldwide audience. When using social media, please be mindful about what is being shared. 

MSU Community Guidelines

Michigan State University’s institutional social media accounts are maintained in order to provide information about the University and share university stories, news, and highlights. MSU welcomes comments on these pages, but encourages civil discourse. In order to promote civil discourse, certain categories of speech may be removed.  

To read all the MSU Community Guidelines—including policies on when a comment may be removed—please visit the Social Media at MSU website.

I’m interested in advertising for my unit or program on social media.

The Communications Team is happy to discuss with units how social media can be a useful, and often relatively low-cost tool, to advertise for application deadlines, research findings and more. To learn how we can help you, reach out to Communications Director Lauren Knapp.

Email

I want to create a newsletter / advertise for my unit.

Contact Communications Director Lauren Knapp.

What newsletters are already being sent by the college/units?

• eNewsletter (to alumni, friends, peer institutions), featuring key news stories since the previous issue. Sent in January, April, July and October of each year. Subscribe here.
• Internal Insights (Faculty, Staff, Graduate Students), featuring latest campus updates, events and deadlines as well as celebratory news from around the college. Sent on a bi-weekly basis. If you have a suggestion or would like something added, contact Lauren Knapp.

Individual units may send newsletters to their own audiences. A few examples of these can be found in this list of College Blogs.

Video Requests

For all college related video requests, please contact Trevor Hawks.