Communication resources
The following communications resources were compiled for faculty and staff of the Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station.
Consistent use of the following guidelines will strengthen our institution’s brand reputation, increasing the value and equity of our work. The goal is not to make all communications look identical, but to make them appear related. Brand consistency helps those without affiliation understand who we are and why we matter.
Sharing news and working with the media
You can submit news items by emailing news@maine.edu.
All faculty with an Experiment Station appointment are expected to identify with this when they discuss their research in public and with the press. Examples are below:
- Bananas Bear, professor of science at UMaine’s Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station, . . .
- Bear’s lab, which is part of the Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station at UMaine, will . . .
- Bananas Bear, professor of science at Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station and science specialist with the Science Advancement Institute, both of the University of Maine, . . .
If coverage features research that was conducted on Experiment Station farms or facilities, you are expected to acknowledge that as well. An example is below:
- Bear’s lab and Aroostook Farm are part of the Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station at the state’s R1 public research university.
Quick talking points about the Experiment Station are available online here.
Business communication templates
Email signature
Directions about how to add UMaine’s logo to an email signature are available here.
All faculty with an Experiment Station appointment are expected to include this affiliation in their email signature. Those with split appointments should list their majority appointment first. An example is below:
Bananas Teaching Bear, Ph.D.
Professor of Science
School of Science • Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station
Science Specialist
Science Advancement Institute
University of Maine • 5782 Winslow Hall • Orono, ME 04469
umaine.edu • bananas.bear@maine.edu • 207.581.0000
Bananas Researching Bear, Ph.D.
Professor of Science
Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station • School of Science
Science Specialist
Science Advancement Institute
University of Maine • 5782 Winslow Hall • Orono, ME 04469
umaine.edu • bananas.bear@maine.edu • 207.581.0000
Acknowledgements for publications, presentations and posters
On all papers, presentations, posters and other opportunities, please include the following statement:
This project was supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, [Hatch/McIntire-Stennis/ Animal Health] Project Number ME0-XXXX through the Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station.
Journal articles
On all papers, please list your appointment in the Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station in addition to any other appointments you wish to list.
Presentations
UMaine-branded Powerpoint templates are available to download here.
Zoom background
Zoom’s virtual background feature allows you to select and display an image or video behind you instead of showing your real surroundings. You can find generic UMaine-branded backgrounds at the Division of Marketing and Communications website. You can download a background with the Experiment Station logo through the link below.
Name tag
Templates for printable name tag inserts intended for lanyard style tags are available here.
To order metal name tags with a magnetic back, contact Printing Services here.
Stationary
UMaine letterhead, envelopes, business cards, notecards, mailing labels, memorandum forms, fax cover sheets, personalized notecards and other UMaine stationery items are printed at Printing Services here. They have templates for quick turnaround.
Those in need of electronic letterhead may download the following Word document. Letterhead may only be used by University of Maine faculty and staff for official university correspondence.
Professional portraits
The Division of Marketing and Communications offers free studio portrait sessions for faculty, staff and students. Ten-minute sessions are available on the first Tuesday of the month from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. and the first Wednesday of the month from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Due to demand, you must schedule your appointment in advance by emailing the Visual Media team.
Those having portraits taken are asked to come dressed in attire suitable for a professional photo. There is a $20 fee for subsequent portrait sessions in the same academic year.
Digital copies of portraits will be provided. They also are added to the Marketing and Communications photo database.
Logos
If you need a vector logo for a large-format print project, contact Jenna Davenport. For most other projects, please download and use the images below:
University of Maine’s branding standards
Communication-related policies
Required non-discrimination notice
All bulletins, event flyers, announcements, publications, catalogs, application forms, or other recruitment materials that are made available to students, employees, applicants, or program beneficiaries must include the UMaine non-discrimination notice. The current version is available on the Office of Equal Opportunity website.
Guidance regarding political engagement
If UMaine employees wish to become involved in partisan political activities, they must do so on their own time, without using System or University funds or resources of any kind. When exercising their rights to participate in the political process as individuals, employees should emphasize that their comments or actions are their own, unless they have been specifically authorized to speak or act on behalf of a System institution. Additional information is available here.
Recording virtual events to post online
If you plan to record a virtual event and may share it online, the event’s host must:
- Obtain permission to record the event from all participants if they plan to publish a recording online. Zoom offers an option to enable a recording disclaimer in its settings. Events may also be hosted as a webinar, rather than a meeting event, to negate this requirement. This guidance was developed in response to questions about events like seminars. Additional guidance regarding virtual events that involve students is available on the UMS IT website.
- Obtain a completed copyright license agreement from speakers who are not affiliated with the University of Maine.
- A photo release is recommended for speakers, regardless of whether they work for the university.
Use of UMaine facilities by visual media professionals
A filming crew of any size (from one to many people) must complete this form and provide proof of insurance as described in Section 6 of the form. If the videographer makes any changes to the document’s contents the changes must be approved by UMS legal counsel prior to filming. Certificates of insurance must be provided to the UMS Risk Manager at least 30 days prior to filming. This requirement also applies to the press unless they are filming in parts of campus that are technically public property, like driveways and walkways. Obtaining stock footage or recording for non-news purposes will require an agreement regardless of location.
Photo and video release forms
It is best practice to obtain a photo and video release from anyone of any age, regardless of their affiliation with the university, if they are identifiable in photographs or video that may be published at some point. The form is available to download here.