• Broadly relevant: Staff Bulletin content must be relevant to staff across ACU campuses.
• Newsworthy: Content included in the Staff Bulletin should be newsworthy and aim to communicate a specific piece of new information, key milestone, event or activity to staff.
• New: The same Staff Bulletin article will not be repeated in multiple editions. You may submit an article on the same topic more than once, however additional articles must be written from a new angle.
• Timely: Staff Bulletin content is more likely to be read if it is timely. When submitting a post-event or initiative story please aim to submit it within a week of the event or initiative.

A maximum of 12 feature articles will be included in each edition of the Staff Bulletin. 

Please use the Staff Communications form in Service Central to contact the Internal Communications team about scheduling important, time-dependent announcements via the Staff Bulletin.

Keep in mind that the more notice you provide, the more effectively we can provide advice and help you schedule your communications for optimal impact. Plan ahead and let us know about upcoming events, initiatives and activities you would like featured in the Staff Bulletin.

Key considerations

Deadline

The Staff Bulletin is published each Wednesday. The deadline for submitting content is 12midday each Tuesday.

Approval

All Staff Bulletin content must be approved by the relevant Executive Dean or Director (or an authorised delegate) before submission.

Submission

Approved Staff Bulletin content needs to be submitted via the Staff Communications form in Service Central before the deadline each week.

Images

You are encouraged to provide an image to accompany your article. If you have a preferred image, please upload a high-resolution version when submitting your Staff Bulletin item via the Staff Communications form in Service Central. If you submit an image of a staff member, student, or member of the public, you must have their permission to publish their picture in the Staff Bulletin.

Visit the Library’s guide on finding open access resources for advice on finding an open access stock image.

The Internal Communications team can also assist with sourcing images. Please indicate whether you need assistance sourcing a stock image when submitting your Staff Bulletin item via the Staff Communications form in Service Central.

Editing

Your article may be edited to fit the tone and style of the Staff Bulletin. The Internal Communications team will liaise with you about any significant changes.

Workplace

ACU-relevant content that doesn’t meet the Staff Bulletin content guidelines can be shared in an appropriate Workplace group. Consider using the relevant campus, or faculty/institute/directorate/team group. The team will advise you which open Workplace group you should publish your submitted article in.

Writing for the Staff Bulletin

General guidance

• Ensure your key message is clear at the beginning of your news item.
• Use subheadings and/or bullet points to break up longer news items.
• Use plain English and avoid technical language and jargon.
• Spell out acronyms the first time you use them, e.g. Senior Executive Group (SEG).
• Focus on the information your target audience wants and needs to know.
• Don’t include unnecessary details. Instead, direct the reader to a webpage or contact person for more information.

• Embed hyperlinks, rather than publishing full URLs.

Word limits

When writing a Staff Bulletin article aim for 150 – 300 words.

Remember to break up longer Staff Bulletin articles by using subheadings. You may also wish to consider splitting longer articles into multiple articles. Contact the Internal Communications team via the Staff Communications form in Service Central for further guidance.