IS&T Communications Team

Guidelines for IS&T Communications

Effective March 2006

The Information Services and Technology (IS&T) Communications Team (istcomm@mit.edu) facilitates the process of creating clear, consistent, on-target messages to IS&T staff, the MIT community, and beyond. There are several core types of communications from IS&T:

1. Communication Events
2. Articles/Press Releases (published in is&t newsletter, Tech Talk, The Tech, The Faculty Newsletter, and outside publications such as The Boston Globe and Information Week)
3. Print Materials (brochures, postcards, etc.)
4. Project Communications
5. Broadcast Email Communications
6. IS&T Web Site
7. Conferences/Talks

The Communications Team has developed guidelines for each of these types of communications. In most instances, a planning and/or review cycle with the Communications Team is built into the process.

1. Communication Events

There are two types:

• Internal to IS&T (All Hands Meetings, Poster Shows, etc.)
• External to IS&T (Major events for the MIT community, such as open houses, community forums, back-to-school events, new service launches, vendor/trade shows, etc.)

The Communications Team coordinates the key internal events and many of the IS&T-sponsored events for the MIT community. IS&T staff planning an event should contact the Communications Team early in the process. The Communications Team will add the event to the IS&T Communications Calendar and assist in a review of plans, publicity, and coordination. You can view the Communications Calendar at http://web.mit.edu/ist/org/comm under Related Links.

2. Articles/Press Releases

IS&T staff should notify the Communications Team before publishing anything on behalf of IS&T. This includes giving interviews or quotes for articles.

The Communications Team is available to review drafts of articles intended for publication. When notified, the team will add articles to its master Articles and Press Release Calendar that is reviewed quarterly by the IS&T Leadership Team. The Communications Team also acts as IS&T’s liaison to the MIT News Office and editors at other MIT publications.

You can view the Articles and Press Release Calendar at http://web.mit.edu/ist/org/comm under Related Links.

3. Print and Marketing Materials

Any print or marketing materials being produced for IS&T should be reviewed by the Communications Team. These include things like brochures, postcards, and posters. To help you develop these materials, a Communications Worksheet is available at http://web.mit.edu/ist/org/comm. You can use this planning tool for yourself, or submit your input electronically to the Communications Team if you would like to discuss next steps with a member of the team. Other templates for print materials and stationery are available at http://web.mit.edu/ist/org/comm under Tools and Templates.

4. Project Communications

Major projects must be entered into the IS&T Project Database and use IS&T’s project management methodology. A Communications Planning worksheet can be found at http://web.mit.edu/ist/pmm in the templates section of the Project Management Methodology toolkit. Project managers should review their communications plans with a member of the Communications Team to ensure that they have allowed adequate time for review of announcements, press releases, or articles.

5. Broadcast Email Communications

Any email communications going to large segments of the MIT population should be reviewed by the IS&T Communications Team prior to release. For guidance, the Communications Team has published some basic templates for email communications. You can find these templates at http://web.mit.edu/ist/org/comm under Tools and Templates.

6. IS&T Web Site

The IS&T web site is one of the department’s primary tools for publishing information about its services. In collaboration with the IS&T Web Team, the Communications Team will work with content owners to review web pages to ensure that they are up to date and reflect the IS&T brand. You can view the IS&T web site style guide at http://web.mit.edu/ist/admin/styleguide/templates.html.

7. Conferences and Talks

Many IS&T staff attend conferences and give presentations. This is an important part of how we communicate outside of MIT and share our knowledge. Please remember to update the IS&T wiki with relevant information when you attend a conference or give a talk. You can add entries and view the wiki at http://istwiki.mit.edu/istwiki/ISTPresentationsPublications.

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