Writing guide
Subject line
- Do not exceed 70 characters (including spaces)
- Use active language
- Use sentence case
Examples:
Join us in launching UBC’s Centennial
Submit your ideas for new ways of working by May 13
Apply for funding by Dec. 15 to celebrate UBC turning 100
Audience
- All UBC Broadcasts should clearly state who is receiving the message (e.g. faculty, staff and/or students) and where they are located (e.g. in Vancouver and/or the Okanagan)
- Use sentence case
Examples:
To: Faculty, staff and students in the Okanagan
To: Students in Vancouver
To: Faculty and staff in Vancouver and the Okanagan
Additional text included in all messages going to staff
All UBC Broadcasts intended for staff will include the following text:
If you are a manager of staff whose work is not computer-based, please print this email and display it in a common work area for them to review.
Message body
- Ensure the key information/call to action is at the top of the message.
- Ensure your message does not exceed 200 words.
- An alternative for expanding upon the information contained in the email would be to provide a URL pointing to a web site containing the additional material (documents, images, etc.).
- For the benefit of users who receive UBC Broadcasts in plain text or printed format, URLs cannot be embedded. They must be written in full in the body of the message.
- Do not include images in your UBC Broadcast.
Sign off
- All UBC Broadcasts should come from a member of the UBC Executive.
- UBC Broadcasts do not include sign offs, such as ‘yours truly’, ‘many thanks’ or ‘kind regards’.
- UBC Broadcasts do not include prefixes, such as ‘Dr.’.
- Ensure the name is on one line and in bold, and the full job title is on the next line.
- If this is a message from two people, list them one above the other.
Examples:
Andrew Szeri
Provost and Vice-President, Academic, UBC Vancouver
Sample message
