University launches new website, internal communications

BLACKSBURG, Va., Sept. 27, 2004 – Staying informed of the wide range of Virginia Tech news stories, campus notices and university events has just become much easier.

Beginning Monday, University Relations will introduce "Virginia Tech News," a daily, multi-media news and information service that will keep all members of the university community informed with up to the minute campus news and notices.

The core of this service is the new Virginia Tech News website, located off the Virginia Tech News homepage. Complementing the website will be the "Virginia Tech News Daily" e-mail, a brief, daily morning information service that highlights each day’s major headlines and announcements. Approximately one to three news stories and one to three campus notices will be featured in each daily (Monday through Friday) e-mail that will be sent early each morning to those who subscribe to the service.

"We’re very pleased to offer this service to the Virginia Tech community because it will enable us to deliver in depth information to faculty, staff, students, and others much quicker than before," says Larry Hincker, associate vice president for university relations. "The daily e-mail will identify the important news of the day, and direct the reader to the website where more information will be available."

The Virginia Tech News website will feature news stories, photographs, campus notices and the university calendar in one easy to access location. Information will be added to the website daily or as needs warrant. News stories will focus on major administrative initiatives, educational programs, research projects and the many accomplishments of faculty, staff and students. Campus notices will include a wide range of campus-specific information, such as parking notices, Personnel Services announcements, event reminders and various administrative policies or updates. The university community is encouraged to submit notices for inclusion in campus notices. All Virginia Tech affiliated organization may post calendar items to the university calendar.

The site will also have links to other sources of campus and community information. News stories will be archived for future reference and campus notices and university calendar listings will be posted until the information or event has expired.

The daily e-mail will be available to anyone on a subscription basis. Messages will be delivered overnight and be on your computer first thing every Monday through Friday morning. To subscribe to the service, send an e-mail to listserv@listserv.vt.edu and write in the body of the message, "subscribe VTnews firstname lastname" (‘firstname lastname’ is the name of the person subscribing to the service). Information how to unsubscribe is posted on the bottom of each daily message.

The university will continue to send emergency "broadcast" e-mail and voicemail messages in the event that an urgent message needs to be conveyed to students, faculty and staff, or the entire university community.

"Historically, our campus newsletter, Spectrum, has been the primary way in which we have communicated university information to faculty and staff," says Hincker. "Because Spectrum is published once every two weeks, and has limited space, we are not able to be as timely and as in depth with news and information as we would like. The Virginia Tech News website and Virginia Tech News Daily e-mail will enable us to inform the community as news happens, and in greater depth. We plan discontinue Spectrum at the end of the year."

Hincker added that a printed weekly summary of information posted on the Virginia Tech News website will be produced for Virginia Tech employees who do not have daily access to e-mail. University departments with large populations of employees without computer access will be asked to post the daily e-mail on public bulletin boards for all employees to read.

"We now live in a world where news and information is distributed continuously around the clock," says Hincker. "Our new Virginia Tech News service will enable us to provide the university community with information quickly and direct it to those who want and need to have it."

University Relations will maintain the website and distribute the daily e-mail. Questions and comments may be sent to VTnews@vt.edu.