Messaging
How We Present Ourselves
Voice and Tone
Language has a major impact on how people perceive the Division of Campus and Community Engagement. The tonality of our language must always reflect our brand as an impactful, engaging, forward-thinking Division. Our voice is confident, warm and inclusive; intellectual but unpretentious. When it comes to acronyms (aka “alphabet soup”) and five-dollar words, less is more. Our priority is to engage our audiences through dynamic “show, not tell” storytelling. We work to keep our writing accessible with an emphasis on inclusive language. See our house style guide for more information.
Our Name
The official name is the Division of Campus and Community Engagement or, if the association with the university is not clear from the surrounding context, the Division of Campus and Community Engagement at The University of Texas at Austin.
First Mention
The formal name, the Division of Campus and Community Engagement, should be used as the first or dominant mention of the school in a document, page or website.
Secondary Mentions
After the formal name has been used, it is permissible to use “the DCCE” or “the Division.”
Narrative Description
The Division of Campus and Community Engagement is a national model for integrating access and belonging into the University’s core mission. It works with a broad range of students, faculty, staff and community constituents to help The University of Texas at Austin connect its intellectual resources to communities across Texas and offer education to those who may face the most significant challenges in accessing it. The Division focuses on four core pillars: student success, campus engagement, community engagement, and advancing access and belonging.
Editorial Style
In alignment with the university’s editorial style guidelines, we use the Associated Press Stylebook as our primary style guide because much of our writing is intended for external audiences— prospective students and their parents, donors and prospective donors, government officials, business leaders, news reporters and editors and the public at large.
The DCCE’s House Style Guide
Please defer to our house style guide as a point of reference for your written materials. This resource, which includes inclusive language guidelines, is intended to help writers and editors communicate clearly and consistently about the DCCE—for audiences both within the Longhorn community and beyond.
For specific questions about UT’s editorial style, please contact Jessica Sinn, communications coordinator, at sinnjessica@austin.utexas.edu.