Guidelines for inclusive marketing

Skidmore’s communications should reflect the full humanity, complexity, and contributions of the people who make up our community.

Inclusive marketing helps ensure that Skidmore’s stories, images, campaigns, and public-facing materials are accurate, respectful, accessible, audience-centered, and consistent with the College’s commitment to fostering a welcoming community for all people and all points of view.

These guidelines apply to official College communications, including websites, news stories, social media, admissions and advancement materials, advertising, photography, video, publications, and event promotion.

Guiding principles

Inclusive marketing is about communicating with care, accuracy, and respect. Language also changes over time, and preferences vary. When possible, ask people how they would like to be identified.

When developing communications, ask:

• Is this detail relevant to the story, audience, or message?
• Are we describing people as whole individuals rather than examples of a category?
• Are we avoiding assumptions about identity, background, ability, family structure, gender, religion, nationality, or lived experience?
• Are our words and images accurate, respectful, and specific?
• Have we consulted the person or group being represented when appropriate?

Avoid deficit-minded language

Avoid language that defines people primarily by what they lack, what barriers they face, or how an institution helps them. Deficit-minded language can unintentionally portray people as problems to be solved rather than as students, scholars, artists, leaders, colleagues, and community members with agency and strengths. When possible, name the barrier rather than defining the person by the barrier.

Use care with phrases such as:

• at-risk students
• disadvantaged students
• underprivileged students
• vulnerable populations
• needy students
• low-performing students
• nontraditional students
• minority students

Consider more specific alternatives, such as:

• students from low-income backgrounds
• first-generation college students
• students navigating financial barriers
• students historically underrepresented in higher education
• students seeking additional academic support
• students with limited access to transportation, technology, housing, or other resources

Write inclusively

Use language that is clear, specific, and respectful. Avoid unnecessary references to race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexuality, disability, age, religion, socioeconomic status, or family structure unless they are relevant to the story. Avoid generalizations, stereotypes, unexplained acronyms, institutional shorthand, and language that suggests one person’s experience represents an entire community. When writing about people, lead with what they do, create, study, teach, research, lead, contribute, or value.

Names, pronouns, and identity

Use the name and pronouns a person uses for themself. Do not assume pronouns based on appearance, name, voice, role, or gender expression. When possible, confirm names, pronouns, titles, and identity language directly with the person being featured. Do not describe pronouns as “preferred”; simply use “pronouns.” The singular “they” is acceptable when it reflects a person’s pronouns or when gender is unknown or irrelevant. If a person’s identity is relevant to the story, describe it accurately and respectfully. If it is not relevant, leave it out.

Avoid gendered language when it is not needed. For example, use:

• “students” instead of “men and women”
• “chair” instead of “chairman”
• “first-year student” instead of “freshman”
• “spokesperson” instead of “spokesman”
• “parents and families” instead of assuming all students have the same family structure

Stories about access, support, and opportunity

When telling stories about scholarships, access programs, student success, mentoring, belonging, or community support, avoid framing Skidmore as rescuing or transforming people. Instead, show partnership, opportunity, effort, preparation, creativity, and achievement.

• Avoid: “Skidmore gave her a chance to succeed.”
  Consider: “With support from scholarships and faculty mentors, she pursued research that connected her interests in public health and policy.”
• Avoid: “He overcame his background.”
  Consider: “He drew on his experiences, academic interests, and campus support networks to shape his path at Skidmore.”

Digital accessibility

Inclusive marketing also means creating digital content that people can access, understand, and use. Public-facing web, email, social media, video, graphics, documents, and forms should follow Skidmore’s Web Accessibility Policy and applicable WCAG guidance. Accessibility standards apply beyond Skidmore.edu. Social media posts, digital ads, videos, email graphics, PDFs, forms, and other public-facing digital materials should be created with accessibility in mind from the start.

When creating digital communications:

• Use clear, descriptive link text.
• Add alt text or image descriptions for meaningful images.
• Caption videos and provide transcripts when appropriate.
• Avoid using images of text as the only way to share important information.
• Make sure graphics have sufficient color contrast and readable type.
• Do not rely on color alone to communicate meaning.
• Use plain language, headings, and logical content order.
• Write hashtags in camel case when possible, such as #CreativeThoughtMatters.
• Use emojis sparingly and avoid replacing words with emojis.
• Make sure event graphics, social media posts, and captions include essential details such as date, time, location, registration information, and contact information.

When writing alternative text: 

• Describe the action, setting, and purpose of the image.
• Name people when they are identified in the surrounding content.
• Avoid assuming gender or identity from appearance.
• Avoid mentioning race, disability, body type, or other traits only for some people.
• Avoid using identity descriptors to make an image appear more representative than the story or context supports.
• Do not begin with “image of” or “photo of” unless the medium itself is important.
• Keep decorative images empty or omit descriptive alt text when the image does not add meaning.
• If identity is relevant to the story and appropriately confirmed, it may be included with context: “Members of the Asian Cultural Awareness Club perform at a campus celebration.”

Photography, video, and visual storytelling

Images and video should reflect the real breadth and character of the Skidmore community. Visual storytelling should be accurate, respectful, and connected to the story being told. Representation is strongest when people are shown with context, voice, agency, and purpose.

Avoid tokenism. Do not use a person’s image primarily to signal representation or to imply a level of diversity, belonging, or experience that is not supported by the story, program, event, or setting.

When selecting photography or video:

• Show people as active participants, leaders, creators, researchers, athletes, artists, scholars, mentors, and community members.
• Avoid repeatedly using the same individuals to represent an entire group or identity.
• Avoid isolating people visually in ways that make them appear symbolic rather than fully part of the community.
• Consider who is centered, who is in the background, who is shown leading, and who is shown receiving help.
• Make sure captions and surrounding copy do not reduce people to identity alone.