Communications Policy

Please use the Google forms using the links provided below for all AOSA communications requests. All communications need to be pre-approved using the policy outlined below and are coordinated through an AOSA Communications Calendar.

AOSA National Board of Trustees Communications Approval Policy AOSA

Any time a written communication is going to be read by the general membership of AOSA, it must be approved by the President, Executive Director, and one other member of the executive committee. The approval process does not mean that the Executive Committee will be actively involved in the editing process. Rather, the Executive Committee will be presented with the final product for approval. The NBT committee or AOSA subcommittee from which the document is coming is encouraged to make edits prior to approval by the Executive Committee.

Mass Communication platforms include: emails to membership, large member groups, or targeted groups based on program; social media posts on Facebook (page and group), Twitter, and Instagram; and posts on the AOSA website. Materials that are posted on the website as page content are considered mass communication. Additionally, materials that are posted on the website as page content are considered mass communication if they are time sensitive or not part of a program with assigned staff supervision.

Approval Sequence for Mass Communications

  1. A designated committee member or committee chair drafts the communication. This includes all the actual written materials to be used for the various communication platforms
  2. The committee member or chair sends the communication to the rest of the committee for their discussion, edits, and, finally, committee approval.
  3. The committee member or chair may send the communication to one or more outside person(s) (e.g. a former or current NBT member; a member of your chapter; or a friend whom you know to be a good editor) to check for clarity or to make final edits.
  4. The committee member or chair sends the communication to the entire Executive Committee for approval.
  5. The communication approved by the President, Executive Director, and one other member of the executive committee.
  6. The approved communication is distributed by the Executive Director or his/her/their designee, in coordination with the requesting committee and approved by the Executive Committee. The requesting committee representative may serve as designee.

Guidelines for Member Mass Communications (i.e., Social Media, E-mail, Membership Essentials)

  • Member communications are coordinated by the Executive Director and Communications Director.
  • The EC and CD will assist the committee/subcommittee/panel in determining the best audience for the message.
  • The EC and CD reserve the right to choose the media platforms through which an item is communicated to ensure that information is delivered using the AOSA communications tool that will be most effective.
  • Post/send dates are determined by a communications calendar to ensure that AOSA communications are timely and do not conflict across the organization.

Submission Guidelines for AOSA Website – Please use the Website Update Request Form.

  • Tips for submissions that include an update to a document that is already on the site:
    • Name your new document with the document name, year, and month (e.g., newdoc.2017Sept).
    • If people who are not members of AOSA will view your document attachment, please include the AOSA logo that can be found in the AOSA Brand and Logo Kit.
    • Have someone other than the original author proofread all text. The best approach is to ask your whole committee to check for typos and accuracy of information before submitting the text.
    • Submit attachment files as PDF documents. The only exception is forms requiring user input, which may be submitted as Word documents. Many AOSA forms are now submitted on-line via Google Form.
    • Provide a link to the page where the document resides.
    • Please see the Approval Sequence above and follow these steps before completing the Website Update Request Form.
  • To request revision of an existing web page, begin the process by contacting the Communications Director. Explain what you are trying to accomplish and the communications team will work to format it to meet your goals. Request the AOSA Website Submission Guidelines to help organize content for the web page.

Submission Guidelines for Social Media

  • Be sure to provide advance notice of the post so the committee can fit it into the posting calendar and avoid conflicts with other AOSA posts.
  • Have someone other than the original author proofread all text. Do not assume the person doing the posting will edit your work; it is important that our SM posts put the best face on AOSA.
  • If you have a preferred image to post with your text, it will need to be included with your request. When creating graphics for use in SM, it is important to use the AOSA color scheme and logo.
  • Please see the Approval Sequence above and follow these steps before submitting your request to the Social Media and Marketing Manager ([email protected]).

Parental permission is required for all pictures of children used in AOSA publications and on-line posts. The AOSA Photo Release Form can be found on the Writing for Reverberations page.