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Information for UM Program Managers:
Submission Guidelines

Introduction
Types of Programs Included
How to Submit a Program
How the Directory is Maintained

Program Entry Form

Introduction

The Community Assistance Directory is an online resource created and maintained by the State Outreach group of UM's Office of the Vice President for Government Relations. Though available on the World Wide Web, it is a public service designed specifically to meet the needs of Michigan residents.

UM administrators, faculty and staff are often asked by the media, legislators and others to illustrate the University's value to the state and its residents. The Community Assistance Directory will be of help since it will be a "clearinghouse" for information on all UM state outreach efforts. External relations staff, alumni and others advocating on behalf of the University will be able to create county-by-county profiles of UM outreach efforts using a variety of simple searching or browsing tools as well as accessing information on individual outreach activities. (As this project grows, it will also reduce the need for repeated contacts of program managers for similar information.)

The most important aspect is the opportunity for program managers to link their online information directly to our search mechanisms thereby allowing external users the option to not only view program descriptions, but also to "click on" and jump directly to specific UM program web sites, online registration forms, databases, etc.

Types of Programs Included

Professional outreach efforts that are ongoing (as opposed to one-time-only events) and conducted primarily in Michigan by UM faculty and staff who manage, and/or are actively engaged in, such efforts on behalf of the University will be accepted for inclusion in the Community Assistance Directory. (Note: While volunteer efforts conducted during the personal time of UM staff are laudable, we are unable to enter these in this database at this time.)

Each entry is a current (i.e., this fiscal year -- July through June) UM Program offering varied degrees of information and assistance, and falls under one or more of the major subject areas of:

Architecture & Urban/Regional Planning
The Arts
Business & Industry
Communications
Community Assistance
Culture (American & International)
Education (Early Childhood to Grade 12, Higher Ed, and Continuing & Community)
Engineering
Environment
Health & Health Care
Information Technology
Law & Public Policy
Mental Health
Science & Research
Social Services

Examples of programs that are included are:

1. Consulting services for business and government (e.g., economic development, domestic and/or international marketing, information technology, public policy development, etc.);

2. Healthy lifestyle promotion (e.g., youth fitness) and the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of specific diseases (including research programs when these programs involve one or more of these components);

3. Legal assistance for individuals and/or groups;

4. Consumer information (e.g., automobile purchases, transportation safety research information, etc.);

5. Early childhood through grade 12 education (e.g., K-12 in-school activities, minority student college preparations and/or recruiting, lesson plans and ideas on the Internet, distance learning, etc.);

6. Community/continuing education for professionals or the general public (all disciplines);

7. Library services; and

8. Social services.

How to Submit a Program

Filling Out a Program Entry Form

The Community Assistance Directory is easily searchable by major subject areas, specific Michigan counties, and/or search terms, as specified by the user. You will be using a Web-based Program Entry Form to provide us with all of the relevant information about your program(s) that is necessary to make these searches possible.

We understand that the form is lengthy, but the extra effort and care you put into the initial completion of your form(s) will significantly improve the searchers' ability to access your program(s) in the directory. We greatly appreciate your cooperation in completing a separate form for each of your programs (and in filling out every item on each program's form). UM program managers may submit forms at any time throughout the July to June fiscal year.

In order for the database's search mechanisms to function properly, there are several key sections which must be completed. (Please note that your form will be sent back if this data is missing. Also note that each text box has automatic text wrap.)

1. Complete either the Program Manager (#1) or Public Contact Person (#2) section in its entirety.

2. A sponsoring department (#4) must be listed.

3. The program's title (#8) must be listed.

4. A beginning date AND an ending date must be included under the Effective Dates (#10) section. (Please enter your program's data using one of the two date formats shown on the program entry form.)

5. Under Subject Headings (#11), Physical Location of Program (#12), and Specific County/Counties Impacted (#13), please check ALL that apply.   The Physical Location field was added in October of 2006 because of a need to identify programs that are physically located in any particular city. This allows us to search a city, such as Belleville, and see that The World Around Us is physically in that city. It does not mean that Belleville is the only city The World Around Us is located in. We estimate it will take up to six months to complete this field for all existing programs. After that time, you will be able to search a specific city to see a list of programs operating in that city.

6. All data requested at the bottom of the form for the person entering this information must be completed.

When you have completely filled out the form and are satisfied with it, press the "Submit Form" button at the bottom of the form. Once submitted, your form will be received and reviewed by the directory manager for completeness and appropriateness to the Community Assistance Directory's purpose and scope. The directory manager may add a few index terms to enable searchers to find your particular program more easily. (For example, they may add the index term "eye" to an "Ophthalmology Clinic" entry.) If major changes are necessary, the directory manager will contact the person who submitted your form to discuss the revisions needed. You can expect to find your entry in the Community Assistance Directory within one to two weeks (allowing time for the transmission and processing of your information).

If you'd like to enter more than one program, submit your first program, and then go "back" to the Program Entry Form. To enter a program which repeats some of the data from your previous entry (i.e., the same program manager's name, etc.), make the changes for the new program and "re-submit" the form. For an entirely new entry, select "Reset", and complete the form in its entirety. Both options will produce separate entries for your new programs (provided you have selected the "Submit" button after you have completed each program's form).

Note: The following select items from the program entry form will be displayed to the general public via the web site:

Program Title
Program Description
Subject Area(s) Covered
Counties Impacted
Major Cities Impacted
Sponsoring UM Department
Other UM Units Involved

Contact Person Name
Contact Address
Contact E-mail (if e-mail contact accepted)
Contact Phone (if phone contact accepted)
Phone Contact Hours (if applicable)

URL for Program's Web Page (if available and applicable)

The rest of the information on the program entry form is for the directory manager's administrative use and will not be made available to the general public.

If you are a UM program manager with a state outreach program you'd like included in this directory, but neither you nor anyone within your unit wishes to receive outside contact, the Office of State Outreach would be happy to serve as your contact point. If this is your case, please contact the State Outreach Office at (734) 764-9256, or michigan.outreach@umich.edu.

How the Directory is Maintained

Because the focus of this directory is on currently active state outreach programs, we want to do the best we can to ensure that the information in it is accurate and up-to-date. We appreciate your cooperation in helping us to maintain accurate information about your programs.

Updates to Existing Entries

We want to make it as easy as possible for you as program managers to keep your programs' directory information current. We will send you annual e-mail reminder to update your entry(ies). These reminders will include information about how to retrieve, edit, and re-submit your current program entry form(s).   If your program has ended and should be archived, please notify the State Outreach group at michigan.outreach@umich.edu.

If, during the course of the year, you need to update any of the information in your programs' entries in the directory, please contact the State Outreach group at (734) 764-9256, or michigan.outreach@umich.edu.

Thank you for reading these Submission Guidelines. You're ready to submit a program for inclusion in the Community Assistance Directory.