WNBU Submission Guidelines

Who can submit events?

Postings should meet these criteria for inclusion:

• Student groups whose event has already been approved in Baylor Connect. (If your event hasn't yet been approved, but it is a department-sponsored event, submitting without Connect approval is okay.)
• Any official department on campus.
• All events should be open to the entire campus community, accommodate at least 25 individuals, and appeal to a broad audience. For example, individual club meetings on campus are likely too small in scope to be appropriate for the What's New BU emails.
• University-sanctioned events held on campus by outside organizations. Inclusion of non-Baylor events is at the discretion of Student Life leadership and there is no promise of promotion.
• All postings must be consistent with the Baylor mission and values.

Student Life events and promotions are given priority over other University events and Student Organizations. Inclusion of events and promotions is at the discretion of the Student Life leadership and space availability.

When should I submit my information?

Friday at 8 a.m. is the deadline for emails coming out the next Monday.

What if I want to advertise something that isn’t an event?

The format of the emails is chronological running Monday – Sunday with a section at the end called “Opportunities.” If you are submitting information that is not an event (i.e. job applications, symposium registrations, etc.), your post will be included in the “Opportunities” section. Posts of this type fall further down the email. This is by design as the emails are intended primarily to increase student engagement through University events for that week.

Can my event be advertised more than one week?

Because these emails are designed to act as a weekly calendar of events for the students, we do not include more than a single week’s calendar. Students are extremely busy, and getting the information in front of them more than a week in advance does not necessarily improve attendance. Information provided in the “Opportunities” section (i.e., job applications, conference registrations, etc.) should not run for more than two weeks. If an upcoming event requires ticket sales or volunteer requests, we can both advertise for the upcoming event as well as solicit a call to action in a post in the "Opportunities" section.

What can I do to draw attention to my event?

The best practices you should follow include:

1. Give your post a catchy headline. “Have a blast at Six Flags with Student Activities!” is better than “Student Activities Trip.”
2. Keep your event description concise. No one will read more than a sentence or two. There is a 300 character limit in the submission form to help keep your information within an appropriate length.
3. Provide a link to more information. (This does not have to be a link to a Baylor website. It could be a link to a guest speaker’s biography or other information. It can even be a link to a PDF file sitting in your campus Box if you don’t have a website.) Providing more information helps interested students learn more about your event and helps keep the email more concise.

Can I include a Graphic with my event? 

Yes, but there are some limitations. Over the years as What's New BU has grown more popular, the length of the email has also grown. Though we can almost always guarantee you a post in the email, we cannot guarantee space for a graphic. If you submit a graphic, it will be used if space permits. 

For consideration, all graphics should be:

1. 16:9 Aspect Ratio (this means they need to be wide rectangles.) Vertical graphics take up too much space in the email and can consume the entire phone screen when students check email on their phones. 
2. Graphics that are filled with text should NOT be used. When the graphic is shrunk down to email size, that text becomes unreadable. 
3. The graphic should NOT have a QR code in it. Though QR codes work well on digital signage, they provide no value in an email where all we need is a clickable link. Most students check their email on their phones and there is no easy way to scan a QR code when viewed on the phone itself. 

If you would like to supply a graphic, email it to WhatsNew@Baylor.edu after you've completed the WNBU form.