communications............communications

....................Service Task Force Final ReportService Task Force Final Report

President’s Emerging LeadersPresident’s Emerging Leaders

Electronic Communications with Electronic Communications with Students Team (PEL ECS)Students Team (PEL ECS)

Renee Fawcett

Web Developer, Project Management Office

Beth Koepke

Project Analyst, Enterprise Financial System

Heather Powell

Application Systems Manager, U Card Office

Bob Utke

Clinical Experiences Coordinator,

College of Education and Human Development

Maria Vuldjeva

Program Coordinator,

International Education Office UMD

communications............communications

....................Current ChallengeCurrent Challenge

• Determine the extent of the Determine the extent of the perceived problem of students perceived problem of students not reading emails sent by the not reading emails sent by the UniversityUniversity

• Examine the potential of Examine the potential of developing the University’s developing the University’s portal(s) as either a secondary or portal(s) as either a secondary or possible primary mode of possible primary mode of communication with studentscommunication with students

communications............communications

....................InterviewsInterviews

• Perception that students do not Perception that students do not read or act upon critical emails read or act upon critical emails from the Universityfrom the University

• Perception that portal strategy Perception that portal strategy duplicates One Stop onlineduplicates One Stop online

• Great deal of effort to solidify Great deal of effort to solidify student portal strategystudent portal strategy

communications............communications

....................SurveysSurveys

• Pilot survey, 37 studentsPilot survey, 37 students

• Formal survey, 100 studentsFormal survey, 100 students– 35 Freshman35 Freshman– 20 Sophomore20 Sophomore– 20 Junior20 Junior– 15 Senior15 Senior– 7 Graduate Students7 Graduate Students– 42 majors42 majors

communications............communications

....................Survey ResultsSurvey Results

• 70% described their University email account 70% described their University email account as their primary email accountas their primary email account

• 90% access their University email account 90% access their University email account every dayevery day

• 70% receive “just the right amount” of email 70% receive “just the right amount” of email from the University, 24% receive “too many” from the University, 24% receive “too many” emailsemails

• Nearly 80% delete some University emails Nearly 80% delete some University emails without reading themwithout reading them– 58% delete emails because the subject line is irrelevant 58% delete emails because the subject line is irrelevant

to themto them– 37% delete messages they believe to be impersonal or 37% delete messages they believe to be impersonal or

broadcastbroadcast– 14% hit delete because they don’t recognize the sender 14% hit delete because they don’t recognize the sender

name/addressname/address

communications............communications

....................Email Usage DataEmail Usage Data

• Between May 1 and May 3, 2006Between May 1 and May 3, 2006– 37,094 students accessed their 37,094 students accessed their

University email account (approx. University email account (approx. 77%)77%)

– Only 14% forward their University Only 14% forward their University emailemail

communications............communications

....................Literature SearchesLiterature Searches

• University email policy better defined University email policy better defined than most other schoolsthan most other schools

• University would be best served University would be best served creating their own effective writing creating their own effective writing best practices for emailbest practices for email

• Portal best practice documents cited Portal best practice documents cited in report, in report, Portal Development for Portal Development for Undergraduate Students at the Undergraduate Students at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities: University of Minnesota Twin Cities: Fostering Capacity and Assuring Fostering Capacity and Assuring SustainabilitySustainability

communications............communications

....................Technology Changing Across CampusTechnology Changing Across Campus

• Difficult to formulate recommendations on a Difficult to formulate recommendations on a moving targetmoving target– Webmail was updated not once, but twice during Webmail was updated not once, but twice during

the course of our reportthe course of our report– University Counseling and Consulting Services University Counseling and Consulting Services

announced a Podcast that offered students tips on announced a Podcast that offered students tips on avoiding procrastination and managing stressavoiding procrastination and managing stress

– University Libraries offers UThink, the largest University Libraries offers UThink, the largest academically affiliated weblog service in North academically affiliated weblog service in North America, and hosts 2,523 blogsAmerica, and hosts 2,523 blogs

– Academic and Distributed Computing Services Academic and Distributed Computing Services (ADCS) has developed the “University of (ADCS) has developed the “University of Minnesota’s Community wiki” with 69 wikis to dateMinnesota’s Community wiki” with 69 wikis to date

• Strategic implementation of enterprise-wide Strategic implementation of enterprise-wide technology initiatives will ensure cost technology initiatives will ensure cost savings and eliminate duplicated effortssavings and eliminate duplicated efforts

communications............communications

....................RecommendationsRecommendations

• Students rely on email to receive information, Students rely on email to receive information, but may delete what they perceive to be but may delete what they perceive to be irrelevant or too long and may perceive they irrelevant or too long and may perceive they receive too many messagesreceive too many messages– Reassert current University policy for Reassert current University policy for

communicating with studentscommunicating with students– Develop and communicate tips to assist members Develop and communicate tips to assist members

of the University community with creating email of the University community with creating email messages that are more likely to be read and acted messages that are more likely to be read and acted upon by studentsupon by students

– Create and enforce one way for University Create and enforce one way for University community members to obtain addresses and community members to obtain addresses and permission for group or mass emailspermission for group or mass emails

communications............communications

....................RecommendationsRecommendations

• Technology implementations can be done at Technology implementations can be done at the department or college level, therefore, it the department or college level, therefore, it is difficult to know what is availableis difficult to know what is available– Create and maintain an enterprise-wide Create and maintain an enterprise-wide

communications matrix of available technologiescommunications matrix of available technologies– Create a department for communication Create a department for communication

technology development and implementationtechnology development and implementation– Integrate existing technologies as much as Integrate existing technologies as much as

possible to avoid the need to duplicate messagespossible to avoid the need to duplicate messages– Use the University report Use the University report Portal Development for Portal Development for

Undergraduate Students at the University of Undergraduate Students at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities: Fostering Capacity and Minnesota Twin Cities: Fostering Capacity and Assuring Sustainability Assuring Sustainability as the basis for further as the basis for further portal developmentportal development