Personal tools
You are here: Home → Editors → Institutions

Institutions

How to Write an Institutional Entry

A good institutional entry provides basic factual information, with highlights of major events in the institution’s life. For GAMEO the style of writing should be direct, factual and succinct. For questions on style contact an editor or see the GAMEO Style Sheet for Authors.

The length for an institutional entry should normally not exceed 1000 words.

Elements to be considered for an institutional entry

1. Name and Purpose:

a.    Current name

b.    Previous names

c.     Popular names

d.    The purpose of the institution

2. Chronology:

a.    Year of organization

b.    Year operations commenced

c.    Any disruptions in operations

d.    Last year if operations have ceased

3. Governance and ownership:

a.    Founding context and organizers, both institutional and individual

b.    Founding mission statement

c.    Changes in governance or ownership

d.    Changes in mission

e.    Sources of funding, fund-raising history, financial history

f.     Budget developments (5 – 10 year pictures)

4. Delivery of programs/products (these elements vary by type):

A. Educational Institutions:

i.      Type of educational institution

ii.     Curriculum

iii.    Degrees, certificates

iv.    Language of instruction

v.    Definition of academic year

vi.    Academic load for students and instructors

vii.   Residential component

viii.  Cachement area and student demographics

ix.    Enrolment numbers

x.    Numbers of graduates

xi.    Vocation of graduates

xii.   Alumni activities

xiii.  Contributions of graduates to church, etc.

xiv.  Contributions of faculty

B. Health & Social Care Institutions (Hospitals, Seniors Homes, Special Needs Care Facilities):

i.      Type of institution

ii.     Nature of care provided

iii.    Nature of clientele or patients

C. Missions and Ministry (Denominational Conferences, Missions & Services Organizations, Camps, Media):

i.     Type of institution

ii.    Description of activities and programs

D. Businesses (Private enterprises, financial institutions, cooperatives, insurance companies, trusts and foundations, utilities):

i.    Benchmarks – financial, revenue, sales, disbursements, assets,

E. Societies and Associations (Benevolent, Music, Literary, Historical, Burial):

i.     Type of institution

ii.    Composition of membership

iii.   Activities

5. Personalities:

a.    Names of administrators

b.    Key employees

i.    Names should be full names on first use, with years of birth and death if applicable.

ii.    Option: table of all administrators and/or employees with years of service and position.

6. Location and physical plants:

a.    History of location

b.    Significant building projects/ reconstruction

c.    Description of property

7. Institutional Publications

a.    Title of publication(s)

b.    Editorial personnel

8. Significant institutional developments

9. Objective analysis of controversies

10. Interesting anecdotes

11. Role of the Institution Within the larger Mennonite Church/Constituency/ Community

12. Role of the Institution beyond the Mennonite Community

13. Pictures: one of buildings, one of significant individual(s)

14. Current contact information / website

15. Location/s (if known) where institutional documents are held

Structure of the Entry

The institution's name should be used in most paragraphs.

The paragraphs should generally follow the sequence of 1-12, though this can be altered as seems best. Section 4 will vary considerably depending on the nature of the institution.

The last paragraph contains current basic factual information on address and phone number and leadership.

Pictures should be submitted as separate files and not included in the body of the document.

Elements 14-15 should be in a separate section titled "Bibliography" and placed after the last paragraph.

If you have questions, please contact any member of the Encyclopedia's Editorial Board.

All submissions are subject to the editorial process of the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online Editorial Board

Draft approved 22 January 2010

Example

To be added

Editorial Committee

The Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online (GAMEO). is published by the Mennonite Historical Society of Canada, Mennonite Brethren Historical Commission, Mennonite Church USA Historical Committee, Mennonite World Conference, Mennonite Central Committee, and Institute for the Study of Global Anabaptism.

Document Actions