Policies and Procedures

Publications

According to the Tennessee Higher Education Commission and the MTSU Board of Trustees, publications that will be seen by outside audiences must be either created or approved by Creative and Visual Services before the job can be produced. See University Policy 154.

We encourage you to set up an appointment or to give us a call to discuss your project early in the process. An investment in planning brings big returns, both in terms of your satisfaction and the money saved by being prepared. We can help you with writing, editing, design, and photography, and we can make sure you get the best price possible. If you are putting together your own piece, we can help make sure that what you create can be produced by vendors and that it meets MTSU standards and protects our brand.

As a public institution, there are a few items MTSU is required to have on all materials that are seen by outside audiences, including the equal opportunity statement, a publication number, and the MTSU wordmark. We also put the I AM True Blue mark on all of our materials. You obtain these from us, either as a function of our creating the piece or when you pass it by us for approval.

We are more than happy to help save you time and effort by creating your publications and graphics for you. However, we recognize that sometimes offices and departments have specific reasons for designing their own materials or working with outside firms. In those instances, please send us via email or campus mail (Box 49) a paper hard copy or a PDF file of the proposed publication or item along with a publication order form. We will review the publication, offer guidance on how to meet MTSU standards if necessary, and send you the publication number and proper branding marks for insertion. After final approval from us, you will be able to output the publication either at Blue Print or another outlet, such as a tshirt vendor or similar entity.

If you are ordering shirts, pens, etc., contact CVS for more specific information and guidance. You will need to use licensed vendors. See the approved CLC vendor list here.

Planning for Production Timelines

To ensure smooth production and on-time delivery, we recommend working backward from your desired distribution date. This allows adequate time for each stage of the process and helps departments plan effectively.

Design & Approval: 10+ working days

Complex Projects (12 or more pages): May require additional time for concept development or coordination with other departments or offices

Additional Prep: Allow time for writing, editing, photography, and consultation with the University editor

Printing: 5+ working days

Mailing: Build in extra time for postal delivery if needed

Before submitting your job:

• Have a conversation with CVS staff.
• Write, edit, and proofread your content.
• Schedule your photo shoot(s).

A sample two-week (10 working days) timeline for the production of a trifold brochure would look like this:

Production Timetable

The timeline will be established once the project is initiated in the CVS queue.

Project timelines may occasionally shift from the original schedule.
If the delay is due to an internal oversight, we remain committed to meeting the originally agreed-upon deadline.
However, if the delay results from a client-side issue—such as missed approvals or late submissions—the deadline will be adjusted accordingly. Should your project still require adherence to the original deadline despite the delay, the project may be reassigned to a freelance designer, which could result in additional charges.

*Jobs that go out for proofing to clients but do not return for four (4) weeks will be moved to inactive status. If the job returns to Creative and Visual Services, it will be given a new job number and reentered into the existing queue in due order. No priority treatment will be assigned to the returning job as a result of its having been previously submitted but then voided.

Proofing Process

Once the designer has completed the initial design for your project:

• You will receive an email with an attached PDF or a link to it. Please make sure to share the initial proof with all persons that need to be consulted to avoid additional work or delays.
• Submit your changes to your designer via email, scan, or comments/stickies in the PDF.
• The designer will confer with you about the alterations and will send a new proof.
• Each design project includes up to three rounds of proofs as part of the design schedule.
  If more than three proofs are needed, an additional $15 per proof will be charged.
  For large design projects that may exceed three proofs quickly, we’ll review those on a case-by-case basis.
• Proof approval reminder: When you approve a proof, you’re confirming it’s been fully reviewed, is error-free, and ready for production. Once approved, it will be sent directly to Blue Print. Please don’t approve if you expect more changes—this could lead to extra charges
• When completed, your project will be delivered by Blue Print to the specified location, or you can be called for pickup. In the unlikely event that a problem is noticed after the job is delivered, please contact Blue Print to let them know. They will then work with us to help correct the issues.

Invoicing

Creative and Visual Services (CVS) partners with Resource and Operations Management (ROM), also an office in the division of Marketing and Communications, to invoice our clients. ROM processes and sends out invoices. Please contact ROM at 615-898-2875 with questions about an invoice. Feel free to continue speaking with CVS about questions related to the work we do for you at creativeservices@mtsu.edu or 615-898-2744.

Tips

• MS Publisher, PowerPoint, Word, and Canva are not professional design programs. Many printers will have difficulty producing work created with them. Consult with us, and we can create files that can be printed correctly and cost-efficiently.