Internal communication policies

The biweekly Campus Checklist electronic newsletter and news and notices posted to the Current faculty and staff section of uvic.ca work together with the Ring newspaper to provide a timely mix of news, information and resources of interest and relevance to the campus community.

The regular series of town-hall Campus Update sessions and the campus-wide Digicaster digital signage network supplement these efforts to keep the community informed about news, information and issues of importance at UVic.

Further information about Campus Checklist and the Current faculty and staff web pages follow the section on Ring policies on this page.

Ring policies

General disclaimer

Material published in The Ring does not necessarily represent University of Victoria policy.

Publication rights

Textual material published in The Ring may be republished in whole or in part in other media and by other publishers without permission but with appropriate credit to The Ring. Those wishing to publish photographs and images used in The Ring must contact the editor or copyright holder for permission.

Letters to the editor

We welcome letters to the editor on issues of direct concern to the university community. To be considered for publication, a letter must:

be signed with university community affiliation (if any) noted and contact information provided for verification purposes
not exceed 400 words in total length
be relevant to campus issues or articles that have appeared in the publication
be addressed to The Ring and not sent to other media
not be libelous, obscene or a personal attack on an individual or group
be received 10 days before publication date.

The editor reserves the right to select letters for publication and to edit for grammar, style and length, while making efforts to preserve the core of the author’s argument. The number of letters by one individual on a particular issue published in The Ring is normally limited to two, unless invited by the editor to contribute further comment. The editor may append an editor’s note or solicit a reply to a letter for publication in the same edition as the original and, in such case, will notify the author of the original letter prior to publication. The editor reserves the right to terminate debate once an issue has received a reasonable hearing.

Opinion columns

Any member of the university community may submit an opinion piece for possible publication. Such pieces must:

be signed with university community affiliation noted and contact information provided for verification purposes
not exceed 600 words in total length be addressed to The Ring and not sent to other media
not be libelous, obscene or a personal attack on an individual or group
not be likely to seriously harm the reputation of an individual or the university
not be substantially similar to another opinion piece published in the previous year
be received 10 days before publication date.

The editor reserves the right to edit submissions for grammar, style and length, while making efforts to preserve the core of the author’s argument. The editor bases the decision on whether to publish a particular opinion piece on its relevance to university and current issues and its appeal to a broad readership. Authors may not claim copyright of opinion pieces published in The Ring. Opinion pieces will be published with a disclaimer that reads: “Views expressed in this article are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect those of The Ring or the University of Victoria.”

Events calendar listings

The Ring publishes a small selection of events listings based on listings submitted to the online UVic events calendar. The selection of events published in The Ring rests with the editor. Responsibility for the accuracy of event information rests with the originating unit or organization.

Advertising

The Ring welcomes display advertising from both inside and outside the university community. The Ring will not accept ads for alcohol or tobacco products, external ads for educational programs or services that compete directly with those offered at UVic, or ads that contravene university policies or the human rights code. The Ring reserves the right to refuse publication of any ad based on content or design. Ad placement is at the discretion of the advertising representative and the editor, based on ad size and content and editorial layout considerations.

Campus Checklist

Campus Checklist is a brief campus news digest delivered biweekly to all UVic faculty and staff via their university-supplied email. It is intended to help strengthen communications between faculty and staff in different areas, support UVic’s culture of respect, inclusion and collaboration, build a sense of shared enterprise and improve campus communications.

What content is given priority?

University faculty and staff are the main audience of Checklist emails, and content is chosen to reflect its relevance and significance to a wide range of faculty and staff. Principles and examples that guide content include:

Need-to-know news or information about policies, processes or other administrative changes for UVic employees
Announcements about broad-based or campus-wide service improvements that will help faculty and staff in their work, or will otherwise improve campus life (e.g. new services, supports or employee programs)
Opportunities for engagement, consultation or input on matters of widespread interest or impact
Deadlines for institution-wide initiatives (e.g. President’s Extraordinary Service Awards, Chancellor searches, governing body nominations)
Major event announcements that are relevant to a wide range of campus audiences
Volunteer or community partnership opportunities for campus community members
Extraordinary achievements or recognition of teaching and research that help demonstrate what sets UVic apart on the national or international scale

In order to ensure that Checklist covers the highest impact items for the campus community, Internal Communications staff encourage contributions from across the university. The Ring newspaper, Online tools, Current faculty and staff and UVic News will continue to provide possible venues for suitable announcements that aren't included in the Campus Checklist broadcast emails.

Current faculty and staff site

UVic’s internal home page

The Current faculty and staff (CF/S) page is the default home page for UVic faculty and staff, providing up-to-date campus notices, news and information relevant to them, as well as links to useful electronic tools and resources. The landing page of the site includes:

Campus and employee announcements from Online tools. This category routinely includes service notices, training announcements, facilities information, administrative changes, opportunities for input or volunteering and administrative content similar to Around the Ring notices in the print edition of The Ring.
Up to eight rotating banners, including newsworthy items, stories that celebrate achievements of faculty and staff as well as students, and events of campus-wide interest.
Three popular link boxes that include top tools, resources and university websites.
The latest news relevant to the UVic campus.
Academic dates and a list of events of interest to the campus.

Additionally, the CF/S site is home to secondary pages devoted to the Campus Update sessions, information for new faculty and staff, a searchable list of resources (including many key off-campus links) and an additional subsection devoted to facilities (maps and buildings), departments and on-campus experts.