Newsletters Guidelines and Tips

Align your newsletter with the SUNY Cortland brand by incorporating the university's primary logo. You may request a customized lockup of the primary logo featuring the name of your department or office.

Avoid using any unofficial logos or word marks.

• Request a primary logo lockup

• Consider replacing stock images with options from our media library.
  
  
• While icons and other graphics may be used, clip art and other imagery should be used sparingly. 

Changing the colors is a quick and easy way to make your document feel Cortland-specific.

• Use official color values.

• Review the university font guidelines.

White space can assist with reading comprehension, direct the reader's attention and keep your design clean.

• Split up long blocks of text. Use headings, subheadings, paragraph breaks and bulleted or numbered lists.
  
  
• Include white space around photos, text and other elements to ensure pages are not overcrowded.

Determine your goals and curate engaging content. Suggested topics include:

• New initiatives, programs or services
• Awards, honors or accreditations
• Advocacy information
• Upcoming events
• Mission-related stories
• Introduction of new or leadership-level faculty/staff

Top newsletter tips are below. View the Writing Style Guide for a comprehensive list. 

• Abbreviations: Avoid abbreviations/acronyms unless they are universally known, such as "FAFSA."
• Dates: Write out dates. Abbreviate month names when written with a date, except March, April, May, June and July. Avoid ordinals (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.). Do not abbreviate days of the week.
  • Examples: Wednesday, Aug. 25; Monday, May 3
• Times: Write a.m. and p.m. lowercase and with periods. Only include minutes to indicate a specific time after the hour. Use noon for 12 p.m.
  • Examples: 6 to 7:30 p.m.; 9 a.m. to noon; Friday, Sept. 17, at 4 p.m.
• Symbols: Avoid ampersands (&), the "at" symbol (@) and the pound sign (#). Reserve them for official names or social media.
• Punctuation: Use only one space between sentences and following other marks such as colons. 

Include contact information for your office or department within your communication.

Format:

Office/department name
SUNY Cortland
Building, Room number
Phone number
Email address
URL (optional)

Example:

Marketing Office
SUNY Cortland
Brockway Hall, Room 311
607-753-2519
marketing@cortland.edu
cortland.edu/marketing

• Alternative (alt) text must be used to describe an image for readers using assistive technology or if the image fails to load. Include alt text for all images used. The text should describe the content of the image.
• Avoid including regular text in images. Instead, insert text and images as separate elements.

People who browse using a screen reader can use headings like a table of contents to "skim" through pages.

• Use headings liberally.
• Structure headings hierarchically.
• Avoid all caps.
• Use true headings (e.g., h1, h2, etc.) and avoid large/bold fonts.

Stark contrast between text and its background can increase reading comprehension, especially for those with visual impairments.

• Use dark text over a light background, or light text over a dark background, whenever possible.
• If text is set over complex visuals such as graphics or photos, be especially mindful of contrast. Avoid setting long, running text over complex visuals.

Hyperlink your URLs using descriptive text.

• Avoid link language such as "click here" or "this link."
  • Example to avoid: "For the Communication Guide, click here."
• Instead, use text that describes the destination of the URL.
  • Example: "For more information, visit the Communication Guide."

As PDFs are notoriously inaccessible, SUNY Cortland is making an effort to reduce their creation and use.

SUNY Cortland is committed to ensuring universal access to university information, regardless of physical or cognitive ability. This commitment is not just a legal obligation but a moral one, emphasizing our responsibility to make content accessible to all.

Adopt a publication schedule that makes sense for the amount of new content you have: weekly, monthly or semesterly. Sending too often may cause readers to delete your emails without reading them or to become frustrated.

Considerations when determining frequency:

• Is this information time-sensitive?
• Does the timing align with other events (e.g. finals week)? 

• The more frequently you send your newsletter, the shorter it should be.