Brand Standards

All users of Emma, the preferred email platform for the university, must adhere to and uphold the SJSU Brand in writing and visual style. The guidelines below are informed by and, in many cases, required by federal, state and California State University statutes as well as industry best practices and digital accessibility standards. All Emma users at SJSU must conform to these brand standards when crafting and sending email campaigns.

Accessibility on Emma

On this page

• Editorial Style
• What to Keep in Mind When Starting an Email
  • Types of emails
  • When to send an email vs. not
  • Email best practices
• Visual Style
  • Banners
  • A Quick Note on Accessibility
  • A Note on PDFs
  • Photographs, Images and Graphics
    
    • Dimensions
    • Sourcing photographs
    • A note on the use of flyers
    • Photo credit and art attribution
    • Alternative text
    • Backgrounds
  • Buttons and Calls to Action
  • Subject Lines and Preheaders
  • Sender Identification and Signatures

Editorial Brand Standards

Following SJSU Editorial Style guidelines will help all university colleges, divisions and auxiliaries speak with one voice. Our guide borrows heavily from the Associated Press Stylebook, which is used for print and digital platforms such as SJSU NewsCenter, “SJSU Magazine,” presidential communications, college and department newsletters and other materials targeting a general audience. Email campaigns are digital text-based content that shall also align with the Editorial Style.

Send us your questions and comments about SJSU Editorial Style and this guide.

What to Consider Before Building an Email Campaign 

Types of Emails

There are two primary types of emails that go out from SJSU units. The use of particular templates are guided by these categories.

Institutional Standard 
Ideal for information and/or formal messaging purposes. Examples:

• Institutional leader communications: messages from the President, provost, division leader, standalone University Personnel notices and emails
• Policy changes: from the President; from the Academic Senate; from University Personnel; on behalf of the CSU
• Leadership announcements: new university leaders, deans, etc.
• Compliance messaging: from the CSU; Information Technology; University Registrar; University Police Department; Financial Aid; etc.
• Cultural, heritage or seasonal programming directed at the entire campus community

This template is defined by simple layouts, plain banners and clear display of information like prominent call-to-action-buttons. This is all to emphasize the importance of the text block of written content.

Casual Messaging
Ideal for promotions, events, and/or social messaging purposes. Examples: 

• Email messaging from colleges to students for non-academic information and content (e.g. recruitment, social events, networking opportunities, internships)
• Email messaging from affinity organizations to students and/or employees, social content for employees
• Cultural, heritage or seasonal programming directed at students, alumni or the general public
• Calls for volunteers for events and signature event promotion (e.g., Homecoming, Commencement)
• New university services, tools, applications for students, employees, or both
• Changes or openings of services, amenities, programs, events or facilities (e.g., relocation of student services, dining hours, pop-up event, short-term parking impacts)

This template is defined by modularity, customized banners (provided in the templates by UMC) and more prominent use of imagery and space for graphics.

When to Send an Email or Not

General Best Practices

Short, digestible content

• Emails should be brief and scannable
• They should not function as long letters or essays

Reduce scrolling by avoiding:

• Excessive images
• Long paragraphs and walls of text or excessively-long, uninterrupted sections of text
• Oversized graphics that go beyond the established SJSU Emma templates

Move long-form content to webpages

For news and content that must be delivered in its entirety, consider:

• SJSU blogs (blogs.sjsu.edu)
• Localist event listings (events.sjsu.edu)
• Accessible department webpages

Every email campaign serves as a gateway to longer-form content and it is not the destination. This includes emails that are communications from colleges or divisions. Consider what the ultimate action or end-result you want your audience to achieve (apply to your college, donate to your program, sign up for your event). Long emails detract from your audience's ability to act on your information.

Visual Style

University Marketing and Communications (UMC) oversees the San José State brand identity and, as such, governs the use of brand elements like marks, colors, design templates, and the use of creative assets on university tools and platforms.

For Emma, UMC will create university brand-aligned templates for email campaigns for all users.

Email Banners

Only select divisions, colleges and designated departments, programs or units are entitled the use of a specialized banner atop all emails. All departments and units will only use the headers embedded in their assigned templates which may be either the standard “San José State University” wordmark or that of their respective college or division.

What determines which departments get their own banner? To use a specific department-level banner in an email campaign, a department must meet all of the following qualifications. All other departments are to use the banner associated with their parent college or division.

• Department is a major entity with broad student and/or employee-impact
  • examples: Parking Services; Employee Relations (formerly University Personnel); Registrar; University Police Department
• Department conducts a high-volume of required and/or necessary communications (regulatory, compliance, required for regular campus operations and processes, in nature) throughout the year either to the entire campus or large constituencies of our community
  • examples: student recruitment emails to prospective applicants from Enrollment Management; utility disruption information to university leaders from Facilities Development and Operations
• Use of the department’s parent college or division banner would not make it readily apparent for the email audience the nature or content of the email and its importance or relevance to them
  • example: a University Housing Services email to students or their parents about housing deadlines would use its own banner instead of the main Student Affairs banner

These units will use the standard San José State University banner

• All departments and units
• Affinity organizations (both student and employee)
• Student-serving programs
• Departments of the Division of Administration and Finance that issue a number of campus-wide communications throughout the year that are primarily institutional or compliance-based in nature: University Police Department; Finance and Business Services; Parking Services; etc.

These units will use the banner images of their associated college, not their own individual banners

• Campus Centers and Institutes
• Student Success Centers and other advising units
• Schools or departments that provide or host a significant number of public services or events (e.g., the School of Music in the College of Humanities and the Arts; occupational therapy clinics in the College of Health and Human Sciences)
• Schools or departments that are co-branded or sponsored (e.g., the Valley Foundation School of Nursing in the College of Health and Human Sciences)

These units will use the banner images of their associated division or the standard SJSU banner, not their own custom banners

• Departments and programs with a significant amount of student or employee services would use their division banner, e.g., University Personnel; units of Information Technology; Center for Faculty Excellence and Teaching Innovation
• Student-serving programs, e.g., Student Involvement, Student Union, UROP, TRIO, Student Conduct and Behavioral Intervention would use the Student Affairs or SJSU banner; Financial Aid and Scholarships Office, Bursar, Registrar would use the Academic Affairs or SJSU banner

These units may use either the standard institutional banner or their own assigned customized banner

• Associated Students
• Division of Intercollegiate Athletics
• University Library/Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library
• Hammer Theater Center
• SpartanEats and SpartanShops
• Student Wellness Center and associated entitites/campaigns (i.e., Well-being @ SJSU)

Only the CSU Chancellor, SJSU President and Provost are permitted customized banners with their names and/or image. All other college, division or department leaders are to use their college or division banner. No custom banners (e.g., “From the Desk of…”; “A message from Vice President/Dean…”) banners are permitted.

Why can’t my department, program or unit get its own customized header? Digital communications to the campus community should be considered in the context of all other forms of outreach to students, faculty and staff. The tone, voice and material of emails should support our institution’s unity. While departments should not customize the banners, all are invited to add header images or fetaured images in row components while building emails for personalization.

A Brief Note on Accessibility

All email messages and any content shared through email must be accessible to people using screen readers, magnifiers, or other assistive technology. (Section 508; WCAG 2.1; ADA Title II; SJSU Digital Content Guidelines)

All Emma users must review, acknowledge and adhere to all accessibility requirements.

Accessibility on Emma

Color, Contrast and Readability

• Use accessible foreground/background color combinations that are in line with SJSU Brand standards
• Ensure text contrast meets readability standards
• Do not rely on color alone to convey meaning (WCAG 2.1)

A Note on PDFs and Other Document Type Restrictions

No embedding or linking to PDFs, Google Docs, Word Files
Emails are primarily text-based communication that either serve as communications vehicles for your audience to get more information elsewhere or be the end destination for your users. As such, email content should not not rely on portable document formats (PDFs) but rather have the information, news or promotion in the email itself or on a website that the email will provide a link to.

Some documents, such as legally-required annual reports, must be shared in their entirety as files. As such, it is reccomended that they be fully screened for accessibility using tools provided by IT and the Center for Faculty Excellence and Teaching Innovation and then posted to your division, college or department website. That link may then be shared in the body of an email, if an email campaign is absolutely necessary.

Do not embed, attach, or link to PDFs in email campaigns.
SJSU is required to uphold digital accessibility standards, but UMC and IT cannot provide comprehensive review of each and every single PDF produced across colleges, divisions, and departments. Because inaccessible PDFs create institutional compliance risk and are often unreadable by screen readers, sharing PDFs in email campaigns is discouraged.

UMC urges all senders to:

• First, check accessibility compliance of necessary documents using tools provided by through the Digital Content Remediation resource hub, then
• Move digital content onto accessible webpages, then link to those webpages from email campaigns; OR
• Tailor the emails to host the information that your PDF contains in a succinct, compelling format.

This approach supports accessibility, up-to-date content, and easier user engagement. Note, emails should be succinct, actionable and compelling. Do not simply take long form documents, letters or memoranda and paste into email form, unless required by law or CSU regulations.

Exceptions
A PDF may be used only in rare circumstances and only if the sender ensures it is fully accessible before sending. This is reserved for communications from the California State University, President, Provost and members of the President’s Cabinet.

Photographs, Images and Graphics

Dimensions
Images must be at least 640 px wide and 200–250 px tall, but must not be oversized. Oversized images harm email accessibility and performance because:

• They increase scrolling, especially on mobile devices
• They inflate the email file size, which can slow loading times; cause clipping or truncation in recipients' email platforms like Gmail and Outlook; increase the likelihood of being flagged as spam; create barriers for users with limited internet bandwidth and slow downloading speeds to view your content
• They reduce readability and make key content harder to reach

Approved Photography
UMC highly encourages the use of photos from the university’s official photo library (Canto), where licensing and model consent have been vetted.

If using existing college or division-owned and managed photos, ensure all individuals pictured have provided consent and necessary release forms have been submitted and are stored on record.

Do not use AI-altered photographs or videos of real people. Whenever using artificial intelligence-generated content or photographs manipulated by AI, ensure compliance with CSU and SJSU AI requirements.

The Use of Flyers and Materials Designed for Print in Emma
Flyers, including text-heavy event flyers, may not be uploaded to Emma templates or email campaigns. They are inaccessible and difficult to update and flyers are for use as print media, not digital assets or replacements for graphics. Moreover, no QR codes may be used in email campaigns.

Graphics used in Emma must:

• Be created for specifically for email use: sized appropriately, serve as email banners or section breaks and generally as stylistic options, not required to convey critical information to your audience
• Include minimal or no text (with the exception of event or program names and SJSU identity marks)
• Follow accessibility requirements (contrast, readability, alt text on the back-end)

What cannot be on graphics:

• Date, time and location information: put this information in the body of the email. As event details can change and the visual clutter of that information in graphics contributes to difficulties with readability, logistical information should be displayed outside of the graphic(s)
• RSVP links and accessibility notices must appear in the email text fields, not inside images
• Calls to action: place clickable buttons in the text of emails to avoid confusing your audience
• QR codes: QR codes or other methods of interactivity for end users are designed for use in print media and on presentation slides for in-person interaction. They are not for use in emails or social media. Use call to action buttons or hyperlinked text instead.

Attribution and Credit

Photographs taken by university employees or by vendors under contract by the university or any of its subsidiary departments do not necessarily require photo credits in email campaigns. As long as metadata includes this information, photo credits or attributions are optional provided the images remain under approved and licensed used by the university for official communications or marketing purposes.

The use of student-generated material from photographs to graphics and artwork must always have credit or attribution in some place of the email campaign. This may be immediately adjacent to the graphic or image, in the body, at the end of the email body, or in the footer.

Alt Text is Always Required
All images and graphics require alternative text embedded into their metadata. (Section 508; WCAG 2.1) Review SJSU accessibility guidelines for alt text.

Email Body Backgrounds

Avoid backgrounds or design elements that interfere with readability or assistive technology. Colored backgrounds are not permitted. Use only the provided backgrounds for your assigned template(s). Custom colors and textured or image backgrounds are not permitted beyond what is provided in your assigned template.

Buttons and Calls to Action

Buttons must use approved university button styles to meet accessibility and readability requirements.

Button text should be brief and action-oriented, such as:

• Register to attend
• Apply now
• Submit your nomination
• Donate to SJSU
• Explore the event
• Sign up to volunteer

Avoid generic or vague calls to action in buttons and hyperlinked text

• Learn more
• Read more
• Click here

Links must appear as hyperlinked text or buttons, not embedded in images or QR codes.

Subject Lines and Preheaders

Subject Lines

Effective subject lines and preheaders help readers quickly understand the purpose of the email and encourage engagement. They should be clear, direct, and accessible.

Strong subject lines are:

• Brief (80 characters or fewer) for mobile device visibility
• Clear and jargon-free, avoiding acronyms or internal terms unfamiliar to general audiences
  • NO: EOY Deadlines
  • Acceptable: End of Year Actions for Faculty
• Action-oriented, highlighting what the reader can do, e.g., "You're Invited to Our Open House! Register by Jan. 30."
• Timely and relevant, including dates, deadlines, requirements, or benefits when appropriate

Preheaders (optional)

Preheaders, a short preview text that follows the subject line in inbox previews, can enhance clarity and increase engagement, but they are optional.

Departments may choose one of three approaches:

1. Write a unique preheader for each email. When used, a strong preheader should:
   • Add helpful context not included in the subject line
   • Avoid repeating the subject line
   • Clarify value for the audience or next steps
   • Remain short enough for mobile screens (40–90 characters recommended)
2. Use a standardized preheader for all departmental emails the remains static for most, if not all, email campaigns
   • Departments may choose to keep the same preheader across all their campaigns for consistency and branding.
   • Example: “Updates and opportunities from the College of Engineering.”
3. Omit the preheader entirely
   • If a department chooses not to use a preheader, most platforms will automatically pull text from the top of the email body. In these cases, the email’s first sentence should be clear and helpful, as it may display in inbox previews.

Sender Identification and Signature Standards

The “From” field must identify the sender, typically the highest-ranking leader of the division or college (dean or vice president).

• Include their name and title, such as:
  • Sammy Spartan, Vice President for Student Affairs
  • Sammy Spartan, Jr., Associate Vice President for Strategic Spirit Services
• With limited exception, principals ranked below Vice President but not below Senior Director may be senders of emails listed in the from field.

Signature blocks should include:

• Bolded principal’s name
• Their title
• Their college or division

Optional handwritten signature image
Deans and vice presidents may include an image of their handwritten signature above the text version of their name and title. This is reserved only for these rank of individuals; all other senders may only have text forms of signatures.

The signature image must include alt text in the image metadata such as: “Signature of [Name], [title]”.