Rationale

Digital signage helps the college and the campus community to communicate with internal audiences via locations in highly trafficked campus locations. The purpose of this policy is to ensure that this resource is well-maintained as an internal communications tool. This policy outlines expectations for signage content managers as well as for contributors submitting content for inclusion.

Scope

This policy applies to the campus digital signage principally managed by the Communications & Marketing (C&M) office, using a single system to manage screens across campus.

Other instances of digital signage on campus limited to a single screen, a single building, or not managed by C&M are not covered by this policy. Those campus signage managers are encouraged to work with C&M to integrate their signage with the campuswide system.

Roles

• The Signage Administrator, chosen from the C&M staff by the Director of Communications & Marketing, is the principal manager of all digital signage. The Administrator is responsible for all-campus content, supervises the work of other Signage Managers, and enforces this policy.
• Other employees with access to manage one or more screens within this system are Signage Managers. Managers are responsible for content specific to the screens or spaces they control.
• Anyone in the campus community may be a Content Contributor if they have valid content to show on signage. Contributors should submit content to the Administrator or Managers for consideration, following the requirements outlined in this policy as well as any other procedures the Administrator or individual Managers may define.

Compliance

Anyone who manages or contributes to digital signage is expected to adhere to the expectations of this policy.

• A Signage Administrator determined by the Director of Communications & Marketing to not fulfill this policy’s expectations may have their role removed and assigned to another member of C&M staff by the Director of Communications & Marketing.
• A Signage Manager determined by the Signage Administrator to not fulfill this policy’s expectations may have their access to edit digital signage removed by the Administrator. If this occurs to a sole Manager for a space, and if they are not replaced, the screen(s) previously in their control will be reverted to campus signage.
• A Content Contributor determined by a Signage Administrator or Manager to not fulfill this policy’s expectations, or otherwise consistently or intentionally attempts to misuse digital signage, may have their ability to submit content for consideration removed for some or all screens.

Signage Types

• By default, screens around campus are campus signage. These screens and their content are managed by the Signage Administrator. The content shown is generally the same across all screens, composed of content intended for the entire campus community.
• An office, department, or building with campus signage screens in their space(s) may request that the screens be made into cooperative signage. These screens continue to be campus signage, but one or more Signage Managers are also assigned to manage additional content specific to their space(s).
• In certain cases, screens may be set up as specific-use signage. These screens have a dedicated purpose in the space they occupy or are specifically for external audiences. These screens do not display all-campus content, but only specific content managed by either the Signage Administrator or one or more Signage Managers.

Signage Content

1. Signage content must be related to college business, or be generally useful.
   
   • Content related to college business includes campus event promotion, college program deadline reminders, invitations to participate in student clubs or organizations, building/office hours, sharing community accomplishments, etc.
   • Content that is generally useful includes the current date and time, weather, etc.
   • Content that is not allowed includes the promotion of personal interests, promotion of events or programs not associated with the college, endorsements for other corporations, businesses, political entities, or similar institutions, etc.
2. Signage content must be relevant to broad audiences.
   
   • Content shown across campus should be potentially useful or informative for large audiences, such as all students, all employees, or anyone in the campus community.
   • Content shown on specific screens or in specific buildings may use more narrow audiences, such as all building visitors, students participating in a department’s courses, students pursuing a department’s majors/minors, etc.
   • Content that is limited to too small of an audience for a given space should use more direct communications methods.
3. Signage content must remain current and relevant.
   
   • Evergreen content may appear on signage indefinitely only so long as the content remains accurate and relevant. This content includes building information, department services, weather, time, etc.
   • All other content may only appear on signage for a duration of one month maximum, may only remain on signage while it is still relevant, and should be scheduled for at least one week.
   • Event content may only appear on signage starting one month before the first instance, and only remain until the end of the final instance. Event content must also be added as an event item on the campus website and appear on the campus calendar before it is promoted on digital signage.
   • Story content may only appear within one month of occurrence or publication, and only for a duration of two weeks maximum.
   • Signage managers may make exceptions for content to appear earlier or longer if there is clear value in doing so, such as when additional notice would help viewers better prepare for an opportunity.
   • Signage managers may impose more strict limits on when content appears as needs dictate, such as when an excessive amount of content needs to be displayed in a short window of time.
4. Signage content must be easily readable and understandable.
   
   • Signage content should try to use the full landscape orientation of the signage screens (1920px wide by 1080px tall). Signage content in a portrait orientation may be paired together.
   • Text should be short and to the point. Text should use large fonts and high contrast with the background to be readable at a distance.
   • Colors, graphics, and visual elements should be kept as simple as possible. Scannable elements like QR codes should be as large as possible. Avoid overlapping text and graphics.
   • Animated or video content should be used only when there is a clear need for it. Video content with narration or speaking must have hardcoded captions.
   • Signage content that does not meet these requirements will be sent back for revisions or will be converted into a default signage template.

Maintaining this Policy

The Director of Communications & Marketing has the sole authority to approve changes to this policy, ideally in consultation with the Signage Administrator. The Signage Administrator should communicate any changes to users, but it is ultimately the responsibility of everyone who manages or uses digital signage to keep up with the changes to this policy.