Alumni Board - Survey Says...

The results are in from the fall 1999 readership survey. What an interesting bunch the 295 people who answered are and what good information we’ve gleaned from their responses! We recognize that this is not a representative, scientifically acceptable sample size, but they cared enough to answer, and we will respond. Profile of Survey Responders: 60 percent are members of the IU Alumni Association 57 percent are female; 43 percent are male 93 percent read The College magazine To define magazine content we asked what kinds of articles interest readers: 76 percent want alumni profiles 61 percent want faculty profiles 36 percent want student profiles 37 percent want profiles on emeriti professors 70 percent want social/political/cultural issues with an IU focus 66 percent want updates on research done by faculty and students 70 percent want campus historical perspectives Comments and suggestions for stories are even more revealing: Updates on university construction Department profiles (number of majors, current faculty, etc.) Honors received by IU faculty Students and faculty abroad Short articles are better- better graphics and photos News about the arts Sports in moderation Articles on new research centers Graduates in nontraditional jobs Organize the magazine like this: Yesterday/History, Today/Current News, Tomorrow/Future Projects Questions about preferences concerning department newsletters and/or The College magazine were also interesting: 77 percent read their department newsletter 17 percent would prefer to have an expanded departmental newsletter and not The College magazine 92 percent answered that department newsletters, The College Magazine, and the Indiana Alumni magazine keep them connected to IU Comments include many positive statements plus: I would read my department newsletter if I ever received one. I don’t get a newsletter I seldom get a departmental newsletter I do not receive a newsletter Drop me from your mailing list We do not have a newsletter How about some e-mail news? I’m not sure I receive departmental newsletters on any regular schedule Scrap The College so that Indiana Alumni and department newsletters get more support [Editor’s comment: In 1999, all but seven departments published at least one issue of their newsletter. Random publishing of departmental newletters is a fact; perhaps we can standardize it.] The final group of questions were event-oriented: 36 percent favored events that focused on the College of Arts and Sciences graduates only 51 percent would come to on-campus activities that interest them 71 percent would come to faculty presentations in their area that interest them Suggested topics include: The role of communications in today’s global market Career advancement, networking, opportunities with fellow grads The practical relationship of the College and public education to business and industry The Alumni Board and College magazine staff will respond to your comments through programming and publications. In this issue, planned before survey results were in—so you can see we have done some things right—you’ll find statistics on College departments and majors, an article on an alumna abroad, an update on campus construction, and an alumnus profile. Thank you again for helping to keep us on track. We’ll keep trying to serve you. It’s in all our interests. —Bruce Gingles President, College Alumni Board

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Last Updated: December 15, 2000
Comments: asalumni@indiana.edu
Copyright 2000, The Trustees of Indiana University