Twin Cities Campus Safety Style Guide and Identity System
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Key Messages
These key messages help connect us around a shared expression of purpose. If our safety communications are effective, these will be the impressions of our audience.
- Fostering a culture of safety for every member of the University is our top priority.
- We prioritize safety in every sense of the word. From public safety, to mental health, to cyber security, to lab safety and everything in between. Every member of the University community.
Voice: Reflects Who We Are
Consistent use of voice and tone aligns all University safety communicators and helps audiences feel they’re being informed by cohesive messages. Please incorporate these whenever possible.
- Proactive: The world is unpredictable, so we anticipate the best and prepare for the worst. We actively create opportunities to make our community a better, safer place.
- Persistent: We devote our time to ensure the safety of the University community. We remain resilient in times of adversity and stay committed to our goals.
- Welcoming: Safety means different things to different people and we work to foster a community where all people feel safe to live, learn, and express themselves.
Tone: Reflects The Conversations We Have
- Compassionate: We care deeply about the needs of our community and offer, create, and adapt essential services and resources to ensure their safety and wellbeing.
- Resolute: We remain focused on solutions despite challenges while navigating the fluctuation of safety.
- Inclusive: The University is made up of differing thoughts, ideas, and experiences. We respect and invite the diverse perspectives of our community.
Style Guidelines
Follow these editorial style guidelines to ensure that safety communications are consistent.
- Safety is a communal effort. Consider using words like “us,” “we,” “community,” and “Gophers” to invite audiences into our messaging.
- Always spell out departments, offices, and organizations on first reference, followed by their acronym.
- Example: The Office for Equity and Diversity (OED) helps to support students' sense of belonging. OED offers tools and resources to support this work.
- Safe Campus is the primary web resource for safety information.
- Use the term public safety when referring to situations centered around the protection of one’s physical welfare.
Official Terminology
624-WALK
Walking escorts provided by University Security to and from campus locations and nearby adjacent neighborhoods for all students, staff, faculty and visitors.
Note:
- 624-WALK, not Safe Walk.
- Capitalize WALK.
- Can reference the last four digits (9255) if need be.
Areas and neighborhoods
The areas and neighborhoods surrounding the Twin Cities campus.
- Como
- Dinkytown
- Marcy-Holmes
- Prospect Park
- Seven Corners
- Stadium Village
Phrasing examples:
- Operation Gopher Guardian will increase officer presence and visibility in Dinkytown and the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood.
- Many students live in the Prospect Park neighborhood and frequent bars and restaurants in Stadium Village.
Blue light kiosk(s)
Tall blue poles marked “emergency,” installed on and around campus. Blue light kiosks provide students, staff, and visitors the ability to quickly alert UMPD dispatch in the event of an emergency.
The Clery Act
A federal law requiring colleges and universities to collect campus crime data and share that information with the public.
Department of Public Safety (DPS)
The unit that includes:
- Public Safety Emergency Contact Center (PSECC)
- University of Minnesota Police Department (UMPD)
- University Security (USEC)
- Community Engagement Team (CET)
The departments within this unit should not be used interchangeably with DPS.
Example: Officers from UMPD responded to the incident. Not, Officers from DPS responded to the incident.
University of Minnesota Police Department (UMPD)
The University’s licensed police department.
Note:
- Spell out on first reference, then use UMPD thereafter.
- Use UMPD instead of university police.
Community Engagement Team (CET)
As part of the UMPD, the Community Engagement Teamworks to promote positive relationships with the campus community through presentations and outreach.
Public Safety Emergency Communications Center (PSECC)
The University’s 911 dispatch and monitoring center.
University Security (USEC)
Security patrol for campus facilities and leads 624-WALK, Dinkytown Safety Guides, and Gopher Chauffeur.
Dinkytown Alerts
Dinkytown Alerts notify the campus community to take immediate action or avoid an area. These alerts cover areas that are off campus and not the primary jurisdiction of UMPD. They are not required by law, and UMPD receives alerts from the Minneapolis Police Department as a courtesy.
In your communications, note these are separate from SAFE-U Alerts. If applicable, recite how to opt in to them.
- “Students, faculty, and staff must opt in to receive these alerts through the following channels: text, phone, and email, depending on individual preferences. Log in to MyU, select the My Info page, click the Manage SAFE-U Alerts page, and select “DINKYTOWN” in the editable My Information area list.”
- “Families and community members must download the Everbridge app on a mobile device and enter the keyword UMNDINKYTOWN (case sensitive) to subscribe to alerts in the app.”
Dinkytown Safety Guides
Members of University Security who patrol the Dinkytown area Wednesday through Sunday nights to provide safety presence and friendly interaction with residents and visitors.
Everbridge app
The software app that provides emergency notifications.
See "SAFE-U" and "Dinkytown Alerts".
Gopher Chauffeur
Program providing safe rides home for all University of Minnesota Twin Cities students. Operated by University Security.
GopherTrip
A GPS-based system to find current bus locations and upcoming bus arrivals for the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus bus services.
Note: GopherTrip, not Gopher Trip.
Health, Safety, and Risk Management
The unit that houses:
- Department of Biosafety and Occupational Health (BOHD)
- Building Code Department (BCD)
- Department of Emergency Management (DEM)
- Department of Environment Health & Safety (DEHS)
- Department of Radiation Safety (DRS)
Medical Amnesty
A Minnesota law that ensures minors receive medical attention for alcohol emergencies without fear of prosecution.
Office for Student Affairs
The Office for Student Affairs (OSA) has many resources to support student mental health, including:
- Boynton Mental Health & Counseling
- Care Program
- Let’s Talk
They also offer the Student Crisis Line, the preferred crisis line for students in distress. Call: 612-624-2677
Rave Guardian app
A location tracker and timer which monitors the user’s walk to a destination. It alerts selected contacts and 911 if the timer expires.
- Capitalize the ‘R’ in Rave and ‘G’ in Guardian.
Safe Campus
Website hub with Twin Cities safety information and resources.
Note: Safe Campus or Safe Campus website, not Safe-U or Safe U website.
SAFE-U Alerts
Alerts issued when a reported crime, occurring within University Clery Geography, is determined to pose a serious or ongoing threat to the campus community but does not require immediate action.
Note: Capitalize SAFE-U, with a hyphen between “E” and “U”.
If applicable, recite how to opt in to these alerts.
- “By law, students, faculty and staff must receive SAFE-U alerts through their University email. To opt in or update text and phone call methods: log in to MyU, select the My Info page, click Manage SAFE-U Alerts page, and select My Profile.”
- “Families and community members must download the Everbridge app on a mobile device and enter the keyword UMNSAFEU (case sensitive) to subscribe to alerts in the app.”
To unify our messages, we will no longer refer to these as SAFE-U notifications.
SAFE-U Emergency Alerts
Sent when an emergency situation poses an immediate threat or imminent danger.
SAFE-U Advisory Alerts
Sent for other risks or situations when there is no imminent threat or danger.
Visual Style
- The Indesign template is a simplified version of the campaign poster, which units may use to tie into the campaign look.
- The safety message should be short and direct, and it should include a call to action and a resource.
- Use a maroon background with white and gold upper case text. Units may include their own mark at the bottom or off to the side. Or units may use a Block M separated from the name of their unit.
- Avoid photos. If you must use a photo, follow the guidelines in the "Photo Style" section below.
Poster example from the fall 2022 Safety Campaign:
Posters should include:
- Maroon background
- Message is centered in gold Open Sans Extra Bold type, all caps
- End message with a period
- Resource in white Open Sans Condensed Bold type, all caps
- U of M unit mark
Alternate bottom: Block M separated from name of unit in Open Sans Semibold type
Templates
- The safety message should be short and direct, and it should give a resource.
- Templates use a maroon background with white and gold upper case text styles built in.
- Units may include their own mark at the bottom or off to the side. Or units may use a Block M separated from the name of their unit.
- Avoid photos. If you must use a photo, follow the guidelines in the "Photo Style" section below.
Poster 8.5" x 11" template
Template above shows the unit mark, which must be placed as a graphic.
Poster 11" x 17" template
The template above shows Block M with the unit name, which can be typed.
Digital signs:
To create other digital sizes, choose an orientation that is closest to what you want to create. Then, use image size and/or canvas size to adjust the size.
View all digital sign templates
Digital sign templates include the follow sizes:
1920 x 1920 Photoshop template
Photo Style
In general, avoid photos. But, if photos are needed for social media, for instance, they should match our tone: compassionate, resolute, and inclusive. And, they should be credible, serious, and respectful.
When appropriate, choose aspirational images—photos that show safety instead of fear-based scenes. Choose photos of students feeling safe on campus or surrounding areas, for instance, instead of someone looking frightened in a dark alley.
Choose photos that authentically reflect the diversity of people in the community and at the U—gender, race/ethnicity, ability, age, etc.
In general, prefer photos from the U, not image stock libraries.
University Photo Library
Social Media: Voice and Tone
Guidelines for social media voice and tone should be used in conjunction with the general safety communications voice and tone. These are more specific guidelines for social media but are not meant to replace the overall safety voice.
- Safety in all forms of the word: We are committed to the safety of everyone who steps foot on our campus.
- Partnership: We are cooperative with our safety partners across our campus, city, and state.
- Looking out for you: We have your back in an emergency situation.
- Trusted: We are a resource for our community to get factual, trusted information.
- Caring: We respond to questions with kindness, empathy, and care.
- Professional: We understand the subjects we are covering are serious, and we will convey them professionally.
Tips for Creating Social Content
- Incorporate your voice and tone into all posts.
- Assets (photos, videos) are key for your posts, and they should support the content.
- Imagery should be diverse, striking, and relevant to the post (i.e., don’t rely solely on stock imagery).
- Don’t just post to post. Make sure your content is contributing to your overall communication strategy of presenting your unit as an established and reliable information source, and a professional, prepared, well-trained safety partner for our campus community.
When to Respond on Social
Sometimes a response will de-escalate a situation. Many times, it will make the situation worse. Knowing when and how to respond is critical.
It’s usually a good idea to respond when:
- The feedback comes in the form of a direct message. This way, you can engage with the person in a private channel without others jumping on the chain.
- Note: That’s not to say only respond to direct messages, but it’s usually safer to respond to a direct message vs. a public facing comment.
- Someone is asking a question and genuinely looking for an answer.
- Your response will lead to a resolution.
It’s not advised to respond when:
- Trolls are involved. Trolls are defined as social media users who are trying to get a reaction out of our institution.
- There is a heated/nasty discussion happening in the comment thread. If you interject with a comment, users may push you to make further statement concessions.
- If there is an ongoing/active investigation or legal component.
- Note: If we’ve been cleared to comment by Chief Clark, this is the exception.
- If the user is not asking a question or looking for a resolution, but rather just spreading negative sentiment.
- Note: These comments are still useful for monitoring and deciding how to craft future statements on your account, but responding to each and every one of these comments will likely lead to a lot of social media arguments and not serve the goal of establishing your unit page as a reliable safety resource.
Reposts vs Original Posts
- Original posts make the most sense when the content is best told from your voice or perspective.
- Reposts make the most sense when the content is best told from another page’s perspective, however you want to amplify the post to your followers.
- Example: The National Weather Service announces something that affects the entire city of Minneapolis.
- As a rule, the vast majority of reposts (~90%) should come from other University units or city/state/government/agency partners.
- Likes are visible to all followers in their feeds, so be cognizant of the posts you like.
Sample Social Media Post
For guidance on how to choose appropriate photos, see the "Photo Style" section above.
