PURPOSE

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences’(UAMS) name and image are the most public and visible representations of the University, its proud history, present success and future promise as the only academic medical center in Arkansas. 

The Chancellor’s Office has delegated responsibility for the use of the name and the image of UAMS to the UAMS Office of Communications & Marketing. The following guidelines define how UAMS communications – including internal and external communications, media relations and online media – are managed. For more information, contact the Office of Communications & Marketing at 686-8992.

PROCEDURES

1. Coordination of Communications

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All major forms of communication that carry the name or logo of UAMS, whether intended to reach internal or external audiences, will be developed in consultation with the Office of Communications & Marketing and its Creative Services division. External audiences include: the general public, potential patients and families, donors or potential donors, professional health care organizations or associations, elected or appointed public officials, and national or local media.  Internal audiences include communications intended for a majority of UAMS faculty or staff or a majority of UAMS students.  The Office of Communications & Marketing is responsible for development and approval of communications that have broad distribution within UAMS.

Examples of the types of communications to these audiences that require Office of Communications & Marketing involvement are: brochures, fliers, advertisements, Web sites, promotions for conferences or continuing education offerings, direct mailings, invitations and

newsletters.  Materials that are informal and limited in distribution to a single division or department are not required to be produced through OCM.  However, if the materials contain graphic design elements, they should be reviewed by OCM prior to printing or publication.

These guidelines are not intended to be applied to journal articles, routine reports, financial documents, etc., which typically are word documents without graphics.  In the case of reports such as these, the documents should use the UAMS logo appropriately and be professionally designed and easy-to-read. 

Departments, divisions, institutes and all UAMS-affiliated programs must use the UAMS brand when identifying themselves and not present a separate identity to any audience.  Presentations or publications intended for scientific audiences are exempt as a general rule.

These guidelines include communications that are funded through all sources, including foundation or grant monies. 

2. Coordination of Media Relations

The Office of Communications & Marketing will coordinate all contact with and from the media. Different types of contact will require different types of coordination. UAMS faculty and staff should NOT contact the media directly without the involvement of the Office of Communications & Marketing.

The primary purpose of this guideline is to protect patient confidentiality and to establish an organized, professional and planned system where media relations, media events, news releases and announcements are concerned.

All phone calls, e-mails or other communications from the media for patient condition reports or any other matters should immediately be referred to the Office of Communications & Marketing at 686-8998 or can be e-mailed to Leslie Taylor, associate vice chancellor for communications, at leslie@uams.edu. After hours and on weekends, media should be referred to the media relations staff member on call at pager 501-395-5989. All UAMS faculty, based on or off the UAMS campus, should notify the Office of Communications & Marketing for help in producing news releases pertaining to any notable clinical advances, research grants or articles published in journals, or before such releases prepared by journals or other entities are sent. If another hospital or institution is involved, the UAMS Office of Communications & Marketing should still be notified before publication and will work with that other institution on joint media efforts.The Office of Communications & Marketing observes all journal embargoes and will work with journal communications staff to ensure their guidelines are followed.

3. Management of Graphic Identity and Branding

A graphic standards guide is posted on the UAMS Web site (http://creativeservices.uams.edu/Style%20guide.pdf).  It contains all approved uses for all UAMS logos, including the templates for letterhead, business cards and envelopes.  The logo cannot be altered or used in any way except as indicated in the guide.  Situations requiring adjustment or alteration of the logo must be approved by the Office of Communications & Marketing. 

The development of additional logos other than those referenced in the guide is not permitted without approval of the Office of Communications & Marketing and is discouraged as diluting the brand of UAMS.  Departments, divisions, programs and projects of UAMS should not develop logos for special purposes or events.

4. Placement of Advertising

All advertising for UAMS will be purchased and placed by the Office of Communications & Marketing. This includes advertising on behalf of a UAMS college, department or program with funds for advertising. The only exception is personnel ads, which must be coordinated with the UAMS Office of Human Resources. 

5. Research Advertising

All clinical trial advertising (print, broadcast, outdoor, Web. etc) must be coordinated with the Office of Communications and Marketing.  The UAMS Institutional Review Board-approved process is:

            1.         Investigator determines an advertisement is needed.

• Investigator contacts the Office of Communications & Marketing for assistance as a first step.
• The Office of Communications & Marketing discusses project with investigator to determine content for ad and desired response on the part of the public or target audience.
• The Office of Communications & Marketing makes recommendations on media to be used (Arkansas Times, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, radio, etc.) to reach intended audience, size, design, estimate charges for ad.
• The Office of Communications & Marketing sends recommended advertisement to investigator for review.
• Investigator approves or changes advertisement until both the Office of Communications & Marketing and investigator are in agreement.
• Investigator sends to IRB for approval.
• IRB approves advertisement or raises questions.
• Questions resolved, investigator given pricing, confirms intention to proceed, receives IDT information. The Office of Communications & Marketing places ad.
   

6. Management of the UAMS Web site  

 Four principles are the foundation of UAMS online policy:

• The UAMS Internet site, which is accessible to the public, is a form of communication that advances the mission of UAMS: education, clinical care, research and service to the state.
• The UAMS intranet site, which is NOT accessible to the public, is a form of communication that advances the mission of UAMS: education, clinical care, research and service to the state.
• All pages on the UAMS Internet and intranet sites should clearly and consistently represent the University.
• The content of the UAMS Internet and intranet sites should adhere to the same high standards as printed publications of the University, including accuracy, excellence in style and presentation, and timeliness.
  
  

The Chancellor has delegated oversight of the UAMS Internet and intranet sites to the Office of Communications & Marketing. Concerns about the content, design, and organization of particular sub-pages on the UAMS Web sites, or about adherence to these standards, should be referred to the author(s) of the material first, then to the Office of Communications and Marketing
( http://www.uams.edu/communications/webcontact/ ).

UAMS INTERNET, INTRANET POLICIES

1. Information provided to public visitors to the UAMS Web site must meet the same standards of accuracy, professionalism and ethics as any other information published or provided by UAMS.  
2. Medical information on the UAMS Web site should adhere to all applicable professional standards.  
3. The name and logo of UAMS must appear on the home page of any center, department or program. Where more than one institution’s or agency’s logos are used, the UAMS logo must be prominent. All uses of the UAMS logo must be approved by the Office of Communications & Marketing. 
4. The Office of Communications & Marketing maintains graphic standards and templates for pages on the UAMS Web sites. All departments, centers, programs, and other units of UAMS must use the graphic standards and templates or make arrangements with the Office of Communications & Marketing for any exceptions.  
5. A link to the UAMS home page (www.uams.edu) must be easily accessible on the main page of any department, center, program or other unit. Any page providing Web site navigation also should include a link to the UAMS home page.  
6. Sub-pages of the UAMS site should include clear, written directions for visitors as well as links to campus maps.  
7. UAMS Web-based information services must, to the extent possible, be equally effective for persons with and without disabilities. Any administrative unit of UAMS that assumes or accepts responsibility for producing Internet pages, regardless of the Internet address, is responsible for complying with this policy.
   
   Every page containing essential information must be in a text-only format or have a companion text-only, single-column version. (Refer to the UAMS Online Toolbox (http://www.uams.edu/communications/webtoolbox/) for instructions on preparing text-only pages.  Essential information includes information for students, faculty, staff, patients, prospective students and prospective job applicants. It also includes data displayed graphically; information conveyed in photographs, illustrations and diagrams; and the content of audio and video files.
   
   If producers choose to maintain graphical and text-only pages, they must update content of text-only companion pages at the same time they update content of primary pages.
   
   Producers who publish material on intranet or password-protected sites for non-protected audiences, such as medical students, are not obligated to provide text-only versions.  

8. Sub-pages of the UAMS Web site may not contain copyrighted material without written permission from the holder of the copyright. An exception is made for temporary sites for online courses, to which the fair use standard applies. Faculty members must affix the following notice to any excerpts of copyrighted materials posted on the pages of an online course the first time they use the materials: “This material may be copyrighted. Further distribution is prohibited.”
   
   Before copyrighted materials are used a second or subsequent time in the same online course, the faculty member must obtain written permission from the copyright holder. This rule applies to copyrighted text and graphic images, whether originally published in paper or online editions.
    
9. UAMS departments and other units may provide links to non-UAMS pages that clearly relate to the mission of the institution, such as sites of scientific organizations. It is the responsibility of the department or unit to regularly check such links and delete them if they are no longer viable.
    
10. UAMS departments and other units must have authorization to host guest agencies and organizations by providing links and space for pages on the department’s or unit's areas of the UAMS site. A request for authorization to host such guest pages should be made by a department chair, dean, or other relevant administrator to Shane Tripcony, Web marketing manager in the Office of Communications & Marketing, at 603-1263, by e-mail at shane@uams.edu or online at http://www.uams.edu/update/absolutenm/templates/forms.asp?articleid=1076&zoneid=47. All guest pages, which are hosted on the UAMS site as a courtesy, must carry this standard acknowledgment of UAMS as host and disclaimer that the pages do not represent UAMS: “As a service to professional colleagues, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) provides resources to host this Web site. UAMS does not in any way monitor or approve the information or other content provided through this Web site. This Web site is entirely the responsibility of (organization name).” All guest pages must have a functional "back button" to the UAMS host page.

11. Employees may not use a page on the UAMS Web site to promote personal activities unrelated to UAMS.
12. Regular Upkeep: All UAMS offices that produce Web sites must keep their sites current and functional. This includes repairing outdated links, updating content, responding to users, troubleshooting technical problems, overseeing discussion areas and any other related tasks.
13. Content should be “evergreen,” or current and accurate for a reasonably long time, so that it requires little site maintenance. Time-sensitive content should be promptly removed when no longer appropriate. If a producer is unable to provide upkeep for a site, time-sensitive content should not be posted there. UAMS online calendars (http://www.uams.edu/news/calendar.asp) are available for listing campus events and other time sensitive information.

All UAMS sites must appear to be complete prior to launch. Once UAMS sites are launched, they should never include "Under Construction" pages. The Office of Communications & Marketing reserves the right to temporarily or permanently retire sites or pages that are out of compliance with accepted UAMS Web standards and design templates, not properly maintained and/or become outdated. Before making the final decision to retire a site, the Office of Communications & Marketing will alert the site’s producer to allow adequate time to respond. 

Departmental Contact Information: The main page of each section of the UAMS Web site, or a site credits page linked from the main page, should contain complete contact information for the relevant department or office. Contact information should include an e-mail link to a departmental mailbox, i.e., Dermatology@uams.edu.

Example: 

For more information, contact:
Department of Dermatology Business Office
College of Medicine
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
4301 W. Markham St., # 576
Little Rock, AR 72205
501-xxx-xxx (tel.)
501-xxx-xxxx (fax)

Dermatology @uams.edu

 DoeJohnS@uams.edu

 mailto:DoeJohnS@uams.edu

Each department or office with a section of the Web site should designate an employee to check the departmental mailbox daily and respond to inquiries concerning the Web site pages. 

15. Webmaster Contact Information: Each page of the UAMS Web site should have an e-mail link, or link to a “Contact Us” page that includes a contact form. E-mail links such as a "Questions about this page?" link should be directed to a departmental mailbox or contact form. Each department or office that has a section of the Web site should designate an employee to check the departmental mailbox daily and respond to all inquiries concerning the Web site pages as quickly as possible. If an internal or external provider of Internet technology services maintains the pages(s), the "Questions" e-mail link should be to that provider and the provider should respond to all inquiries as quickly as possible.  

16. Metatags: To make the UAMS Web site accessible to prospective visitors, each page of the UAMS Web site should contain an appropriate description tag and appropriate metatags and/or other elements that support search engines.
     
17. Internet Site Addresses: All sections of the UAMS Internet site should conform to the “uams.edu” address style. Acronyms or names of units, programs, etc., should follow “uams.edu” in a logical fashion, i.e., www.uams.edu/com <http://www.uams.edu/com> (College of Medicine), www.uams.edu/cop <http://www.uams.edu/cop> (College of Pharmacy), www.uams.edu/con <http://www.uams.edu/con> (College of Nursing), etc. New pages may not have addresses with prefixes before “uams.edu,” such as www.surgery.uams.edu <http://www.surgery.uams.edu> or www.headcold.uams.edu <http://www.headcold.uams.edu>.

This policy also applies to sites representing UAMS programs or projects that are created or maintained by outside vendors. All UAMS departments and programs must consult the Office of Communications & Marketing before creating new Internet pages. All UAMS departments and programs must consult the Office of Communications & Marketing before creating new print materials that include the department’s or program’s Internet addresses, to ensure that the proper addresses are used.

The Office of Communications & Marketing will provide new addresses for existing areas of the UAMS site and other sites hosted by UAMS. The Office of Communications & Marketing also will implement the conversion of existing pages on the UAMS site to the new address style.