Communications

Internal & External Channels for Promoting USF St. Petersburg Campus News & Events

DAILY

Website Homepage - https://stpetersburg.usf.edu/

  • Audience: External audience of current/prospective students, alumni, faculty/staff, parents of students, community partners/friends of the University.
  • Purpose/Content: Featuring major news & upcoming events.
  • Submission Guidelines: Matthew Cimitile, mcimitile@usf.edu

Campus Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn)

  • Audience: External audience of current/prospective students, alumni, faculty/staff, parents of students, community partners/friends of the campus.
  • Purpose/Content: Updating audiences 2-3 times a day on happenings, accomplishments, research, events, campus life.
  • Timeline: Posts are generally scripted out a week ahead of time.
  • Submission Guidelines: Kelli Carmack, kcarmack@usf.edu
  • Facebook Events

Harborside News Listserve

  • Audience: Faculty, staff and students who opt in to receive emails.
  • Purpose/Content: For business-related information, upcoming activities, search committee meetings, etc.
  • Submission Guidelines: Any faculty, staff, and students can post to Listserv once they have registered - https://www.stpetersburg.usf.edu/hr/new-hires/harborside-listserv.aspx 

Bulls Connect - https://bullsconnect.usf.edu

Digital Screens

  • Audience: On-campus audience.
  • Purpose/Content: Digital screens that display graphics and flyers about upcoming events and campus-wide messages in the University Student Center (USC), Lynn Pippenger Hall, Student Life Center and other buildings on campus.
    Submission Guidelines: Submit digital flyer here. 

Flyers on Community Boards

  • Audience: On-campus audience.
  • Purpose/Content: Promoting activities and events, boards found in SLC, Library, USC, and elsewhere on campus.
  • Submission Guidelines: Any faculty, staff and students can create, print and hang flyers on community boards. Check with Communications & Marketing regarding branding and check with staff in buildings for how many you can attach to each board.

WEEKLY

Press Release/Media Advisory/Newsroom Website - https://www.stpetersburg.usf.edu/news/index.aspx

  • Audience: Media contacts and general public
  • Purpose/Content: Generate awareness of major news and happenings, promote storytelling around the University, ensure media coverage to reach key audiences.
  • Timeline: Pitch story idea at least a month prior to event or when it should be published (varies depending on how many news stories Dept. is working on at the time).
  • Submission Guidelines: Carrie O’Brion, carrieobrion@usf.edu or Matthew Cimitile, mcimitile@usf.edu

Bulls by the Bay Briefing

  • Audience: All faculty and staff.
  • Purpose/Content: Featuring university-wide announcements and updates from leadership, including institutional items on accreditation, key meetings with community partners, etc.
  • Timeline: Goes out once a week, day varies.
  • Submission Guidelines: Carrie O’Brion.

Word for the Herd

  • Audience: Students
  • Purpose/Content: Loaded with content about what is happening on campus in the week to come for students.
  • Timeline: Goes out every Monday.
  • Submission Guidelines: Information is collected through Bulls Connect (indicate inclusion for Word for the Herd during questionnaire when posting in Bulls Connect). Don’t have Bulls Connect account, email Abigail Bradley-Tyler awbradley@usf.edu.

Bulls After Hours - https://www.stpetersburg.usf.edu/student-life/student-life/about/bullsafterhours.aspx

  • Audience: Students, faculty and staff
  • Purpose/Content: Weekly updates highlighting campus and community events (free or low-cost) on the weekends.
  • Timeline: Goes out every Friday on Harborside and social media.
  • Submission Guidelines: Submit by Thursday to Kyle Grosskopf, kgrosskopf@usf.edu 

MONTHLY

Harbor Notes Events - https://conta.cc/3fhshmq (latest edition)

  • Audience: Community partners, general public, alumni, faculty/staff, community board members, elected officials.
  • Purpose/Content: Preview of major public events on campus.
  • Timeline: Goes out around the 1st of the month. Need content a week before 1st of the month.
  • Submission Guidelines: Matthew Cimitile

Harbor Notes Newsletter - https://conta.cc/3CBDIwS (latest edition)

  • Audience: Community partners, general public, alumni, faculty/staff, community board members, elected officials.
  • Purpose/Content: Wrap up key stories and news coverage.
  • Timeline: Goes out around the 15th of the month
  • Submission Guidelines: All content in newsletter comes from news stories above or coverage by media outlets.

Parent and Family Bulletin

  • Audience: Student families
  • Purpose/Content: Designed to provide families with the latest campus news and events, snapshot of what students may be experiencing, and guidance/suggestions on how to support students throughout their college experience. Topics include academic resources on campus. community events, tips from advising and involvement opportunities that students can take advantage of during the year. 
  • Submission Guidelines: Joyner Atiles-Lopez jatilieslopez@usf.edu 

PERIODIC

Mass Emails

  • Audience: Faculty, staff and students
  • Purpose/Content: University-wide announcements on critical information or emergency messages suitable to entire campus.
  • Policy: Any mass email must be reviewed and approved by Communications & Marketing Dept.
  • Submission Guidelines: Carrie O’Brion or Matthew Cimitile

QUARTERLY

USF Magazine

  • Audience: USF alumni, faculty/staff, donors, friends of University
  • Purpose/Content: Highlighting the great stories happening throughout the University of South Florida, high impact activities and major initiatives and programs.
  • Submission Guidelines: All St. Petersburg campus content in USF Magazine comes from news stories above.

EACH SEMESTER

Regional Chancellor Letter to Parents

  • Audience: Parents
  • Purpose/Content: Regional Chancellor connecting with parents, providing recap of past months and outlook on what is to come.
  • Timeline: Goes out at the beginning of each semester.
  • Submission Guidelines: Carrie O’Brion

Fall & Spring Faculty/Staff Meeting

  • Audience: All staff and faculty
  • Purpose/Content: Regional Chancellor and Regional Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs providing key updates to campus community on recent achievements/progress/new initiatives.
  • Timeline: Beginning of each semester.
  • Submission Guidelines: Carrie O’Brion.

YEARLY

Innovations Magazine

  • Audience: external audience of current and prospective students, alumni, faculty and staff, parents, community partners.
  • Purpose/Content: Yearly wrap up of the biggest news, accomplishments and stories.
  • Timeline: Put together December, Publishes in January
  • Submission Guidelines: Stories/information selected by Communications & Marketing Department comes from news stories generated over the past year.

EXTERNAL RESOURCES

Public Event Calendars

Community Partner Newsletters or Social Media

Community organizations may be willing to assist in disseminating info about events. Connect with Caryn Nesmith, carynn@usf.edu, for help.

Arts Organizations

  • Creative Pinellas Social Media and email newsletters
  • St. Pete Arts Alliance social media
  • Warehouse Arts District Association newsletter
  • Artist United (Facebook groups)
  • Woodson African American Museum of Florida

Business Organizations:

  • St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce
  • St. Petersburg Innovation District
  • St Petersburg Downtown Partnership
  • St. Petersburg Economic Development Corporation
  • Pinellas County Economic Development