Publication Creation and Review Process

Creating a Publication
Points to consider when developing a publication or promotional material:

• Do I have the proper resources to produce this publication? (Often, a publication will require the expertise of a graphic design professional.)
• What is the purpose of this piece? How does it fit in your department’s overall marketing efforts?
• Who is the target audience?
• How will the publication be distributed?
• Have you gained approval from your department chair, supervisor, dean and/or vice president to cover costs associated with printing and distribution?
• Are you and your department prepared to handle the results of this type of promotion (i.e., increased telephone calls, increased enrollment)?
• How will the effectiveness of this piece be evaluated in your overall marketing efforts?

The Review Process
All publications, printed on or off campus, must be reviewed by APSU’s Office of Public Relations and Marketing staff before approval. Per University policy, this office is the campus unit designated by the APSU president to review publications for approval.

Your publication must be accompanied by the Publication Approval Form, which can be downloaded from our Web site. All information must be provided on the form. You must deliver both a clean copy of the publication and the approval form to our office, either in person or via campus mail, prior to approval.

Compliance with TBR guidelines, consistency of style, quality, cost effectiveness and correct use of logo are the primary purposes of the review process. All publications submitted must have the combined Tennessee Board of Regents and affirmative action statement:

Austin Peay State University, a Tennessee Board of Regents institution, is an equal opportunity employer committed to the education of a nonracially identifiable student body.
 

During the review, staff will edit the publication for both copy and design elements. The latest edition of The Associated Press Stylebook is used in the editing of publications. Also, when applicable, staff will suggest more economical methods to print and distribute your publication.

No publication number will be assigned until all required information is received by Public Relations and Marketing. Staff may request to see proofs containing corrections before the required publication number is given.

Frequently Asked Questions About Publications
Why is this process necessary?
State law (Tennessee Code Annotated Section 12-7-104-106) requires that all public institutions of higher education adhere to specific quality and cost-monitoring procedures for publications printed by state colleges, universities and technical schools. Today, these publications and the expense associated with their production and distribution merit an increasingly high degree of monitoring to ensure accountability and efficiency. Initial legislation was enacted in 1976 that created the Higher Education Publications Committee (HEPC), which establishes the rules and regulations for most publications produced by college/university divisions. All institutions are required to follow the guidelines on their respective campuses.

Which publications need to be reviewed?
Basically, if your publication is printed with the monetary use of government funding and uses the Austin Peay State University logo, the piece should be reviewed by Public Relations and Marketing. However, when in doubt, submit your material for review.

Examples (not exhaustive) of publications that require a publication number

• Brochures, posters, calendars, pamphlets, flyers, event programs, postcards, handbills.
• Student-recruitment publications
• Undergraduate and graduate catalogs
• Admissions applications (unless part of another publication)
• Housing applications
• Financial aid applications
• Alumni and development solicitation materials
• Seminar and workshop registration forms, brochures, etc.
• Campus telephone directories
• Faculty and student handbooks
• Employee training manuals
• Campus, college and departmental newsletters

• Work-processing forms for internal use
• Research project reports generally not distributed
• Research survey instruments and classroom test instruments
• Instructional material
• Personnel and fiscal policy manuals
• Grade reports
• Tickets for athletic and cultural events
• Student newspapers
• Traffic citations