LET'S COMMUNICATE
Agriculture Communication Newsletter
March 2006, No. 123
Contents
Use the Correct Logos
Business Reply and Bulk Mailing Regulations
E-mail Publicity and Delivery
Equipment Available for Checkout
Ag Communication Charges
Write the Right Word
Use the Correct Logos
As you develop new PowerPoints, brochures, Web pages and other
materials, be sure to use the official NDSU logos. The Experiment Station and
Extension logos are available in various formats at http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/policy/
. We'll be adding similar formats for the University-wide NDSU logo.
University Relations reminds us to never create our own logos
with the NDSU letters. Even though the letters may look like a regular typeface
to you, they aren't. They are manipulated into a graphic. Until University
Relations makes those graphics available on the Web in high-resolution formats,
please contact an Ag Communication graphic artist for them.
Business Reply and Bulk Mailing Regulations
Extension's penalty mail program was terminated September 30,
2003, but we are still getting reports from USDA with federal penalty charges
because some offices are still using the old business reply envelopes and cards.
This is delaying the process of meter credits. Please discard all envelopes or
cards with old permit numbers and proofread before printing new ones. The only
permits that may be used now are #10 for business reply envelopes and cards and
#818 for bulk mail. However, these permits may only be used in conjunction with
campus. Contact Sharon Lane at
slane@ndsuext.nodak.edu or 231-7883 for details.
E-mail Publicity and Delivery
Even if you use Extnet as your primary e-mail system, please
publicize an NDSU e-mail address and have your mail forwarded to your Extnet
address. For example, I have becky.koch@ndsu.edu
on my business cards, but that mail is redirected to my
bkoch@ndsuext.nodak.edu maildrop.
To change your maildrop, go to
http://enroll.nodak.edu and go to E- mail Delivery in the right column
under Manage Services.
Equipment Available for Checkout
Ag Communication has loan equipment available for checkout. No
fees are assessed if you are under the umbrella of the Vice President for
Agriculture and University Extension. Faculty and staff may check out and be
responsible for equipment for student use.
Available equipment includes:
LCD projectors * a new digital video camera * digital cameras *
VCRs * projector stands * tape recorders * easels * public address systems
for inside or outside use * new Extension vinyl banners and fabric table drapes
* display boards
Contact Gail Hokenson at 231-7881 or e-mail her at
Gail.Hokenson@ndsu.edu for
availability.
Ag Communication Charges
Ag Communication charges only for materials, not for labor, for
regular projects for faculty and staff under the Vice President for Agriculture
and University Extension. However, labor is charged on projects supported by
grant funds since Ag Communication work is expected to be included in the grant
proposal. Several staff are supported on this income generation.
Give someone in Ag Communication a call if you need help
estimating costs for a grant proposal.
Also, please remember that Ag Communication cannot do work for
non-NDSU entities. For example, if you cooperate with an ag dealer or a radio
station on an educational program, Ag Com needs to receive payment from you, not
from the private entity. This avoids the perception that we're doing work that's
subsidized by tax dollars for private entities that should be going to public
communications businesses.
Write the Right Word
This is a follow-up to December�s article on the much-misused
comma.
You don�t need a comma before the "and" in a simple series of
items. The family had three dogs, two cats and a parakeet. The educational
materials include a poster, brochure and CD.
However, you do need a comma before the "and" in a series if the
last item also contains an "and." She had a muffin, grapefruit juice, and ham
and eggs for breakfast. Consumer demand is based on price, convenience, and
health and food safety concerns.
When writing as though you are speaking to a particular person
or group of people, and you refer to that person or group by name, you need to
set off the name with commas. Thank you, Fred, for taking time to review this
article. Great job, team! The reason is the name is a nonessential clause,
which means it adds meaning to the sentence, but the sentence would make sense
without it.
Use commas to separate a string of adjectives (descriptive
words) of equal rank. Dieters are looking for an easy, quick, inexpensive way
to lose weight. Producers rely on a high-quality, low-cost supply of feed for
their cattle. The tip for determining whether adjectives are of equal rank
is to see if you can replace the commas with the word "and" without changing the
meaning of the sentence. Producers rely on a high-quality and low-cost supply
of feed for their cattle.
Use a comma when a conjunction such as "and," "but" or "for"
links two clauses that could stand alone as separate sentences. She went to
the store to buy milk and bread, and she came home with juice and rolls. The
producer hoped the rainfall would be adequate this year, but he had to irrigate
his crops three times.
You don�t need a comma before "because" when it is the beginning
of an essential clause, or one that is essential for the sentence to make sense.
Reading nutrition labels on packaged food is important because it can help
you make healthy choices. She often took her lunch to work because she couldn�t
afford to eat at a restaurant.
