Bison Insider Editorial Guidelines
Purpose
Bison Insider is the official weekly newsletter for NDSU faculty and staff. It consolidates campus announcements, events, opportunities, and accomplishments into one Monday morning email so you can stay informed without sorting through multiple listservs. The goal is timely, accurate information delivered in a format you can skim in minutes and return to as a reference.
Format
Every item runs as a maximum of two sentences plus a link. No exceptions. This keeps the newsletter skimmable and ensures equal treatment of all submissions. If your item needs more detail, put that detail on an external page (a department webpage, registration page, or shared document) and link to it. The editor reserves the right to edit any submission for length, clarity, and section placement.
Tone and Voice
Write in plain, direct language. Lead with the most important information: what the reader needs to know or do. Address the reader as "you." Avoid formal announcement language, jargon, and third-person constructions like "The Office of X is pleased to announce." If a submission does not meet this standard, the editor will rewrite it. When in doubt, aim for warm, clear, and respectful of the reader's time.
Newsletter Sections
Each issue is organized into the sections below. You do not need to specify a section when submitting; the editor will place your item where it fits best.
This Week's Events
On-campus events with a confirmed date, time, and location that need no further explanation. Events are listed as one line per entry: name, time, and link. No descriptions. If your event needs context or a call to action beyond "show up," it belongs in a thematic section instead and may also appear here as a calendar entry.
Campus News
Information that affects how the institution operates and that all faculty and staff should know, regardless of role. If your item is specific to a professional discipline, classroom practice, or scholarly pursuit, it belongs in a more specific section below.
Professional Development
Opportunities that help faculty and staff grow, advance, or navigate their careers at NDSU. The focus is on the employee's professional trajectory rather than day-to-day responsibilities.
Teaching & Learning
Information that directly supports classroom instruction or student learning. If the item is about the faculty member's own career rather than their teaching practice, it belongs in Professional Development.
Research & Creative Activity
Information that supports the pursuit of new knowledge and creative work, including funding opportunities, calls for proposals, and research resources. Completed accomplishments belong in Kudos.
Kudos
Celebrates achievements validated by an external body: a publisher, jury, granting organization, or peer review process. Self-submissions are welcome and encouraged for accuracy. Items run as a single sentence with an optional link. Conference presentations, self-published work, and internal committee appointments are not included.
Deadlines
A reminder section for items with approaching deadlines that have already appeared in a previous issue. This section is not for new announcements. Items with deadlines will first run in their thematic section and then appear here as a reminder in subsequent weeks.
Community & Marketplace
Campus units offering goods or services to the faculty and staff community. One line and a link. External vendor promotions and personal items are not accepted.
Who Can Submit
Any NDSU faculty or staff member. Submissions must relate to your professional work at NDSU or to a university-connected initiative, event, or opportunity. Student organizations should use student-facing communication channels.
Submission Deadline
Submissions are due by noon on Friday for inclusion in the following Monday's issue. Late additions may be accepted at the editor's discretion, but inclusion should not be assumed. When Monday is a university holiday, the newsletter will be distributed on Tuesday morning and the Friday deadline remains unchanged. When Friday is a university holiday, the deadline moves to noon on the last working day before the holiday.
What Will Not Be Accepted
Bison Insider is not a platform for personal or political opinion, advocacy, petitions, or open letters. It is not a channel for external vendors, personal projects, or commercial promotion outside the Marketplace section. Items that are urgent or sensitive enough to require immediate communication should use direct channels rather than the weekly newsletter. The editor has final discretion over all submission decisions.
Corrections
If you spot an error, contact haley.hamel@ndsu.edu. Factual errors that change the meaning of a submission will be corrected in the following week's issue. Time-sensitive errors (a wrong date, deadline, or link) may be corrected promptly outside the regular publication schedule. Stylistic changes or corrections that do not affect substance will not be made.
Bison Insider is edited and produced by Haley Hamel, Director of Operations, Provost's Office. Questions about submissions or editorial decisions can be directed to haley.hamel@ndsu.edu.