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FAQs and Additional Information

Frequently asked questions and additional information about Northwest's Events Calendar. 

The University's online Events Calendar is for Northwest-sponsored events only. Events not sponsored by Northwest organizations or departments should not be placed on the calendar and are subject to removal.

Events Calendar Style Guide

Short, concise entries are recommended. Additional information, such as forms, should be referenced and linked to a webpage where the information resides.

Calendar entries must include the following:

  • Name of the event, including the sponsoring department, office or organization in the event title. Note, the event search box on the Events Calendar homepage searches event titles only, so including a department name improves searchability. For example, use "Career Services: Mock Interview Day" rather than "Mock Interview Day."
  • Date and time of the event. Example: 09/18/2008 03:00 PM
  • Location of the event. Several options for including a location are available. Campus buildings are provided in a dropdown filter menu. If the building is not available or to provide a specific room, use the "Specific Location" option to include room numbers, facilities or off-campus venues and addresses.
  • Calendar filters and categories selection(s): While every entry appears on the master calendar, users also may select other calendar options to maximize an audience. For example, for an alumni event, you may select the "Alumni," "Faculty" and "Staff" audience filters as well as the "Alumni Association" push-to filter. Do not, however, add calendar filters that clearly do not pertain to an area.

Other information should be added to the optional and description sections.

  • Contact: Whenever possible, include a sponsoring department, academic area or organization as well as the name, email and phone number for a person coordinating the event. Phone numbers should provided the complete 10-digit number, including the area code; Northwest-provided phone numbers and email addresses should be listed.
  • Purpose: Describe the event that is occurring, including program notes, speakers, food menus and other details.
  • Cost: Note whether the event is free or include ticket information, when applicable.

To assist with writing about your event, the University provides an editorial style guide.

Specify Location (optional section)

If the location of an event is not listed or additional location details are needed, click the checkbox for Specify Location.

After clicking the checkbox, the Specify Location entry fields will appear as shown below.

specify-location

Each field is optional, and you may enter the information as necessary. Enter room number or facility names only (e.g., "Room 105," "Ballroom," etc.) Do not include the campus building name or abbreviations. Campus building should be applied in the filters section.

Contact Details (optional section)

To include contact information for the event, click checkbox for Contact Details.

After clicking the checkbox the Contact Details entry fields will appear as shown below.

contact-details

Each field is optional, and you may enter the information as necessary.

Image (optional section)

To add a banner and/or thumbnail photo for your event, select the checkbox for Image.

After clicking the checkbox, the Image upload and entry fields will appear as shown below:

image-thumbails-banner

Select images for the event thumbnail and banner as uploaded.

For more information about adding images, visit our image guide section.

Custom Details (optional section)

To add custom details to your event, click the checkbox for Custom Details.

After clicking the checkbox, the Custom Details entry fields will appear as shown below.

custom-details

Adding custom details will provide an Icon and text that can also be clickable if a web link is provided. Once published, the information will show in the Details section in the sidebar of event webpage.

There are four types of icons users may add:

  • Map Marker
  • Dollar Sign
  • Ticket
  • Register

Note, users can click the green + on the top right corner to add additional custom details.

Featured Event

This is reserved for Events Calendar admins to apply. 

Event Search

The event search box on the Events Calendar homepage searches event titles only, and including a department or organization name improves searchability. For example, use "Career Services: Mock Interview Day" rather than "Mock Interview Day."

Frequently Asked Questions

Not seeing your question? Email webteam@dos5.net to ask and request an answer to be added here. 

What events are appropriate for the University Events Calendar?

Events on the University Events Calendar should be University-sponsored events only. Events that are sponsored by organizations not affiliated with Northwest or that promote programming unrelated to Northwest's mission should not be added to the University Events Calendar and are subject to removal.

The University Events Calendar is intended for Northwest events and activities that are:

  • open to the general public; or
  • open to interested members of the University community, including students, faculty, staff, alumni, or parents of students;
  • sponsored by a campus department, office or a University-recognized organization.

Invitation-only events should not be added to the University Events Calendar.

Office hours and course scheduling are not appropriate for the calendar.

Registration deadlines may be added to the calendar for the first day of a registration period and the last date of registration; please add one event for each day.

How do I post an event to the University events calendar?

To suggest an event be posted to the Northwest Events Calendar, send details about the event to one of the Events Calendar managers.

If your area is not represented by an Events Calendar manager, use our submission form to request the Web Team create an event.

If you frequently make edits or organize events and would like to be given access to the Events Calendar, email the webteam@dos5.net to request access and training. 

How do I edit an existing event?

  • In Cascade, navigate to the event file.
    • Event files should be located in a folder designating the month and year when they are scheduled. In cases when the file is misplaced, you may find it by searching for the event on the live Events Calendar website and using the URL to determine the folder placement and filename.
  • Click Edit in the action toolbar. 
  • Make the necessary edits and click Submit. 
  • Be sure to click Publish to make the edits live. The changes may take several minutes to appear, depending on the volume in the publish queue.

Why is the event I made (or edits to my event) not showing?

One of three scenarios are likely:

  1. It may take several minutes, depending on the volume in the publish queue. You can check the queue to see if that process is still taking place. 
    • Additionally, publishing an event will automatically update all the necessary related items (pages, feeds, etc.). Depending on the volume in the publish queue, it may take a few minutes to an hour.
    • Note, the event's individual page will update quicker than the Events Calendar homepage.
  2. The event or edits were not submitted. Check for a draft. If you have a draft, review the content, submit and publish. 
  3. The event or edits were submitted only and not published. A submitted event will show on the Events Calendar homepage preview in Cascade but not on the live site.

What if my event is listed on the Events homepage, but clicking on it leads to a broken link?

More than likely, the event needs to be published. 

To fix, navigate to the page and click publish. Be sure to leave all settings as they are and click publish again. The event should be live shortly. It may take several minutes, depending on the volume in the publish queue.

If the issue persists, contact the webteam@dos5.net

Cancel vs Delete - what do I do?

Cancel is recommended

In most cases it is recommended to mark an event as canceled rather than delete. This action informs the audience that the event is canceled and limits confusion.

To mark an event 'Canceled':

  • navigate to the event file in Cascade
  • click Edit
  • click Yes from the "Label this event as canceled" selection. 
  • Submit the event and publish. This will automatically update the event page and listing.

Note: After you publish, the event page itself will update fairly quickly, but the event homepage may take a few minutes longer to reflect the changes. 

To delete an event

If you need to delete an event (for example if an event was added twice):

  • navigate to the event file that needs to be deleted in Cascade
  • select More in the upper right corner
  • select Delete from the menu; leave all settings as they are and click the Delete button. 
  • The event will be removed when the publish process is completed. This may take several minutes to an hour.

Why were edits made to my page without my knowledge?

The Office of University Marketing and Communication monitors all content on the Northwest website. Edits may have been made for style and grammar or to eliminate redundancy, among other reasons. 

If edits were made that do not accurately promote the event, contact the webteam@dos5.net