Communications Tool Kit

Graduate Community Communication Resources

This kit offers a guide to communication support for the graduate community.

Tools for amplifying messaging around graduate student and postdoctoral scholars events, professional development opportunities, mentoring initiatives, and writing support are highlighted on this webpage. Promotional support is limited to registered CSU student organizations, CSU departments or offices, and other official CSU affiliated organizations.

The Graduate School reserves the right to modify all timelines and does not guarantee the dissemination of any messages. Please review the General Policies and Communication Processes section of this webpage.

Post an event on the Graduate School Calendar

The Graduate School calendar of events published at graduateschool.colostate.edu/events includes more than 250+ offerings for graduate students and postdoctoral scholars each academic year.

All events submitted for approval must be offered by a CSU department or office, a registered CSU student organization, or other official CSU affiliated organization.

Posting of events is at the discretion of the Graduate School. Typically, only events and offerings primarily created to benefit graduate students or postdoctoral scholars will be published to this calendar. Please submit events as early as possible, publication to the calendar typically takes 1-2 business days.

Calendar administrators review requests during regular business hours. Approved events are usually posted within 1-2 business days.

Submit Event

Subscribe to the Graduate School Calendar

Subscribe to the Graduate School’s event calendar to easily find upcoming events and set automated reminders. Our calendar includes a variety of professional development opportunities, CSU Writes sessions, Graduate Center for Inclusive Mentoring offerings, and social events among our 250+ curated offerings for the graduate community.

Display a digital slide on the 55" monitor outside 108 Student Services

Only slides with messaging from official student organizations or CSU units will be displayed.

Design requirements:

  • Horizontal orientation
  • 1920 x 1080 pixels, in a PDF format
  • High quality 300 dpi
  • Each slide is typically shown for 7-10 seconds
  • Copy must be short and concise, avoid large text blocks and use inclusive design methods
  • Included college/unit identifiers in the bottom left or right corner
  • QR codes must also be accompanied by a short link or URL

The frequency and length of display depends on number of requests. Generally,  slides can be displayed two consecutive weeks. Compliance with relevant requirements of CSU’s Policy on Posters, Banners, and Flyers is required.

Email your request to the Graduate School

Hang a poster on the display board at 108 Student Services

Only printed messaging from official student organizations or CSU units will be displayed.

Design requirements:

  • Vertical orientation
  • Maximum size 11×17″
  • Copy must be short and concise, avoid large text blocks and use inclusive design methods
  • Include college/unit identifiers in the bottom left or right corner
  • QR codes must also be accompanied by a short link or URL
  • Drop off poster at 108 Student Services. Graduate School staff will hang the poster on your behalf.

Poster will generally be displayed for two weeks on the display board directly outside of 108 Student Services. Space is generally very limited. Compliance with relevant requirements of CSU’s Policy on Posters, Banners, and Flyers is required.

Email your request to the Graduate School

Disseminate information via Graduate School Social Media

A limited number of requests are accepted to distribute messages to CSU graduate students and postdoctoral scholars via our X, Instagram, Facebook, and/or LinkedIn accounts. Our social media scheduling calendar is typically very full around the start and end of a semester. Please make requests as early as possible.

Please make your request via a DM or:

Email your request to the Graduate School

We love to celebrate #RamGrad and post-doctorate accomplishments with you. Please tag us on X, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Disseminating messages to graduate program coordinators

Requests to disseminate email messages or to share a message with the MS Teams Graduate Coordinator channel may be submitted  to the Graduate School Communications team.  Please make requests at least three days in advance.

Academic and Admissions coordinators/contacts for individual graduate programs are published the Graduate Program webpages.

Requirements for email messages:

  • Message must clearly identify unit or student organization.
  • Message must include contact person and email address for the contact.
  • Images cannot be included.
  • Messages built by email platforms such as Constant Contact or MailChimp cannot be forwarded, please provide a text only equivalent.
  • A maximum of three attachments in PDF format may be included. Each attachment must be less than 2 MB.

For MS Teams messages, please keep message as concise as possible and limit the number of attachments.

Email your request to the Graduate School

Messaging students for New Graduate Student Orientation

Each fall and spring semester, the Graduate School assembles and distributes an “orientation kit” to all graduate program coordinators with a collection of flyers specifically designed to highlight resources and opportunities for graduate students. Additionally, our New Graduate Student Orientation webpage features resources and information throughout the year in video and slide presentation formats.

Official student organizations and CSU units are invited to share resources and information for possible inclusion in orientations kits or on the webpage. 

Orientation kits are assembled by the Graduate School and distributed to graduate coordinators around mid July. Graduate coordinators then choose which flyers will be distributed and whether the flyers will be distributed in print or digital format. Coordinators may also gather information presented in the flyers and share that information through their preferred communication method (e.g. newsletter, social media).

Digital flyer design requirements:

  • 8.5×11″ in a PDF format
  • Please consider no-bleed designs and avoid solid backgrounds so flyers can be printed on desktop printers
  • Copy must be short and concise, avoid large text blocks and use inclusive design methods
  • Include college/unit identifiers in the bottom left or right corner
  • QR codes must also be accompanied by a short link or URL
  • Submit by June 23 for Fall Orientation Kits
  • submit by December 1 is for Spring Orientation Kits

Video messages may be submitted for possible inclusion on the New Student Orientation webpage. We request that you:

  • Create a brief video message, 3 minutes or less
  • Provide a YouTube link or MP4 file
  • Use inclusive design methods
  • Submit videos by June 23 for Fall Orientation
  • Submit videos by December 1 for Spring Orientation Kits

Compliance with relevant requirements of CSU’s Policy on Posters, Banners, and Flyers is required.

Email your request to the Graduate School

Unit identifiers for promotional materials

When sponsoring an event, the Graduate School requests recognition as appropriate for our sponsorship level. Please add a unit identifier to print or digital materials when possible.

Please request your prefer files format by sending an email to the communications team.

 

Request sponsorship of an event serving CSU Graduate Students

To submit a sponsorship request, please email the communications team. Only requests from official student organizations or CSU units will be considered. Sponsorships are very limited and are prioritized around student success initiatives such as professional development and mentoring opportunities.  The Dean of the Graduate School gives final approval for all sponsorships.

 

SOURCE

Tagged stories related to the graduate community are included in the News section on the homepage of the Graduate School’s website.  Stories of graduate student impact are also featured in the Grad Ram Impact gallery.

The Grad Ram Impact gallery includes more than 80 featured stories including  graduate students and postdoctoral scholars.  The News gallery features more than 340 stories. Most stories are also shared via Graduate School social media channels.

Unit and colleges are encourage to request either the “Graduate School” tag or “Graduate Students” on any SOURCE stories featuring graduate students or the CSU graduate school experience.

Website change, addition, or update requests

Please email the communications team if you would like to request a change to the Graduate School website.

Contact updates

Graduate programs may request updates to graduate program academic or admission contacts as published on our Graduate Programs webpage.

An overview of how these contact are used is on the  FAQs webpage and review the Graduate Programs Update Guide prior to submitting the following form:

Request a contact change

Email messages

A limited number of requests to distribute email messages to CSU graduate students and postdoctoral scholars are accepted. The  dissemination of moderated email messages is very limited  in order to help lessen email overload for graduate students. During high demand periods, such as the beginning of the semester, we are rarely able to send messages beyond those that are created by the Graduate School and/or Graduate Student Council.

Messaging for events being sponsored or supported by the Graduate School is prioritized before other requests. The primary audience for any email must be graduate students and/or postdoctoral scholars.

We recommend submitting requests at least a week in advance. Requests made less than two business days before a requested distribution date will not be considered.

Requirements for email messages:

  • Message must clearly identify unit or student organization.
  • Message must include a a specific contact person and email address for the contact.
  • Images cannot be included.
  • Messages built by email platforms such as Constant Contact or MailChimp cannot be forwarded, please provide a text only equivalent.
  • A maximum of three attachments in PDF format may be included. Each attachment must be less than 2 MB.

We are unable to assist with messages in these topic areas:

  • Help wanted  – please contact the Career Center.
  • Promotion of specific CSU courses.
  • Messages from entities not officially affiliated with CSU.
  • Research or other survey requests (in rare cases, an exception may be made by the Graduate School Dean).

We are unable to provide access to a graduate student, postdoctoral scholars, or graduate assistant listservs/distribution lists. 

Email your request to the Graduate School

Other communication requests

Please email the communications team if you have communications questions or requests.

General policies and processes for communications

The Graduate School reserves the right to modify all timelines described on this webpage and does not guarantee the dissemination of any messages. Our communication channels are limited in capacity, our promotional support is not intended to be a comprehensive marketing and communications plan. Requests for message distribution are all subject to approval by the Communications Director and/or the Dean of the Graduate School.

All events submitted for approval must be offered by a CSU department or office, a registered CSU student organization, or other official CSU affiliated organization. An exception may be entities sharing fellowships, sponsorships, or professional development opportunities for graduate students.

Compliance to all CSU policies including CSU’s Policy on Posters, Banners, and Flyers is required for all messaging. The Graduate School works in partnership with University Communications and Marketing (MarComm) to ensure that the Graduate School is adhering to University policy and procedures.

We are unable to provide access to a graduate student, postdoctoral scholars, or graduate assistant listservs/distribution lists.

The Graduate School supports inclusive communications. A helpful resource for best practices is the Inclusive Electronic and Information Technology webpage produced by the Assistive Technology Resource Center.