No. 196, June 2003

Contents

Templates, hats, and software, oh my!
From educational videos to Web
If “E” means online, why is there a sales price?
Resources in Spanish
New publishing steps help us help you

TEMPLATES, HATS, AND SOFTWARE, OH MY!

By Jean Stilwell, Extension marketing leader, and Tom Weeks, graphic designer

With diminished budgets for marketing activities within Extension, it’s more important than ever to engage in a marketing activity that has little cost but high benefits. Marketers refer to this activity as “stealth marketing,” but we’ll call it “low-input” marketing. For Extension, this would be any activity that helps people become aware of OSU Extension and its benefits, or that reinforces the importance of OSU Extension and higher education in general.

County Extension offices have a great opportunity to engage in low input marketing by converting to Web sites with new templates and “hats.” Recently developed by several Extension and Experiment Station Communications (EESC) faculty, the new hats (front-page banners), complement the OSU main campus and Extension Home pages. Each banner depicts a major agricultural component or geographical location within the county for a custom look. There’s also a “scene setter” photo for each county Home page.

Because many county offices have developed their own Web site, the graphic elements and template package will not change the navigation already in place. Instead, the templates provide a consistent image for all OSU Extension Web sites. The templates include links to the OSU Home, Find Answers, Find People, County Offices, News, Extension Programs, Local Faculty and Staff, and a Search feature. Best of all, there is a new software tool that will be available in the near future that uses these templates to streamline creating and maintaining Web pages.

Once all county office Web sites have a consistent Home page, Web visitors will know they are still connected to OSU and OSU Extension--which is very important. If you’re interested in updating your Web site image and learning the new software, call or e-mail Scott Gilpin (541-737-0813) to schedule a date.

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FROM EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS TO WEB

By Andy Duncan, department head

Shrinking state budgets--and FTE--are changing the picture in Extension and Experiment Station Communications (EESC)...literally.

For years, communication specialists Lynn Ketchum and Steve Dodrill have collaborated with campus and field faculty and staff in producing educational videos to support Extension programs. Lynn and Steve also have taken lead roles in producing grant-funded videos that cut across program areas and deliver information on important public issues such as “Towns in Transition” about sustaining natural-resource-dependent communities and “We All Live Downstream,” which focuses on water quality.

Video will continue to play an important role in nonformal education. But with fewer people in our department, and increasing demand, something had to give. EESC no longer will have the resources to continue producing longer-format videos the way we have in the past.

Both Lynn and Steve are finishing a backlog of projects. In the next biennium, both will devote considerably more time to supporting faculty and staff who want to deliver educational programming via the Web. This will include video streamed on the Web, which tends to appear in short clips rather than longer formats. Other projects already in the works include a “digital image archive” that will provide photo, and perhaps video, images via the Web for you to use in educational programs.

If you are considering a traditional, longer-format instructional video, give Steve or Lynn a call. They will help you think through how to achieve your objectives. If video appears to be the best solution, they may suggest you build production costs into a grant proposal and will help you identify a contract video producer.

In the next issue of “Communicate!,” we’ll report additional changes in EESC as we evolve to support the Extension Service and Agricultural Experiment Station--and you--in the most effective manner possible with the resources available.

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IF “E” MEANS ONLINE, WHY IS THERE A SALES PRICE?

By Evie Engel, publishing specialist

If you’ve used the online Publications and videos catalog recently, you probably noticed that some publications now carry an “E” after the series number. This indicates the publication is available only online. This means there are no supplies in the Corvallis warehouse--people wishing paper copies must download the publication from the Web.

Even though the publication is available only online and can be downloaded without charge, it carries a sales price for two reasons. First, the price alerts county offices to what the sales price would be if the publication had been printed, and second, the customer is aware of the publication’s value.

If you have questions or concerns, please call or e-mail Evie Engel (541-737-0807).

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RESOURCES IN SPANISH FOR EXTENSION EDUCATORS

By Teresa Welch, publishing editor

A new Web site, Extensión en Español, is a great resource for anyone looking for educational materials in Spanish, help with translation, or information about Hispanic culture.

Contents include:

NEW PUBLISHING STEPS HELP US HELP YOU

By Evie Engel, publishing specialist

Extension authors planning to publish through EESC will want to check out a new online form, “OSU Extension Publishing Planning.” Introduced in mid-May, EESC now requires authors to submit publishing proposals to EESC before preparing manuscripts that they want to publish through Extension. Each quarter, editors will work with Extension program leaders to evaluate proposals in light of Extension and program priorities and available publishing resources.

The form and procedure replace the antiquated “blue sheet,” or “OSU Extension Publications Approval Form.” The new forms are available on the Extension and Experiment Stations Web site in Staff Resources. Publications currently under way with EESC are not subject to the new protocol.

Also, EESC no longer requires an approval form to replenish items. Before we initiate action, we will query you via e-mail or phone about the currency of information.

If you have questions, please call or e-mail Teresa Welch (541-737-0812), Andrea Dailey (541-737-0808) or Evie Engel (541-737-0807).