Communication Through Computer

The existence of the Internet has changed the way we do business in University Relations. Here are some examples: Electronic distribution of news releases

Many of the media outlets we deal with can now receive and send electronic mail. So we have begun transmitting news releases to them via e-mail. In the past, news release dissemination has been extremely paper-intensive. We hope that in the near future, all the media outlets on our list will be able to receive releases electronically, which will reduce our costs greatly.

Profnet      This is a service that was started at the State University of New York at Stonybrook but is now operated independently of the university. Profnet is a daily posting of media queries from all over the world that we subscribe to in University Relations.
     Reporters provide brief descriptions of stories they are developing, along with their deadline, phone and fax numbers, and e-mail addresses. We review these immediately, and if we know of an expert on campus who can comment on the subject matter, we inform the reporter.
     This service is ideal for universities our size, whose names would not otherwise come to reporters' minds as readily as larger "research" institutions. Profnet is one of the most effective ways we have found to get the university's name beyond the immediate region.
      Because of Profnet, faculty and staff from ETSU have been interviewed by the Hartford Courant; American Health magazine; "51 Percent," a program about women's issues produced by WAMC in Albany, New York, and distributed to 140 public radio stations; and others. A book dealing with career planning for college students and graduates will include quotations from Dan Emmel, ETSU Director of Career Development, as a result of a Profnet question posed by a freelance writer.
      A typical Profnet posting includes categories such as arts/culture, business, education, energy/environment, feature/general, government/politics, health/medicine, law/crime/justice, religion, research/fact-checking, and science/technology.
Profnet also features a member item section in which public relations people share ideas. For example, when we were beginning to think about redesigning our commencement program, we asked for samples from Profnet members. When James Madison University was planning a celebration to honor Dr. Ron Carrier (ETSU ‘55) for his 25 years as the university's President, the PR director asked for suggestions from his Profnet colleagues.
Computer-Assisted Reporting and Research      This is an electronic discussion group composed primarily of professional journalists. Often reporters who are having difficulty running down a fact or finding a source will post questions to the list. We monitor it and offer assistance if we have a campus expert.
World Wide Web

     This is an "electronic brochure" available through the Internet. With web browser software such as Netscape or Mosaic, Internet users can take a virtual tour of ETSU. The Office of University Relations maintains the ETSU home page and several of its links in cooperation with the Office of Computer Services. The World Wide Web allows users not only to read text but to view photographs and graphics, listen to sound recordings, and even see video clips.
      News releases are posted weekly on the ETSU home page, and the monthly calendar of events is available. Other features of our Web page include a message from the President, links to various academic departments at ETSU, a capsule history of the university, information on the Tri-Cities Tennessee/Virginia region, and more. At the bottom of our home page, users may click on an e-mail address and communicate directly with the Office of University Relations.
      Contacts made with ETSU through the World Wide Web are increasing daily. We often get requests for catalogs, admissions information, faculty addresses and regional data (from companies considering relocating to the area). The address for the ETSU home page is: http://www.etsu.edu

Guidelines for Information on the ETSU World Wide Web Home Page

Because the university's World Wide Web home page is an "electronic brochure" that has evolved into a major communication and recruitment tool, information available through the home page must represent the university well. It must be accurate, well-written, timely and aesthetically pleasing. It is the role of University Relations to assist the campus community in meeting those criteria.

Anyone wishing to place information on the home page or any of its links, or to add a link to the home page, must obtain approval from University Relations before the information is posted. For assistance, call Fred Sauceman at ext. 4317, Larry Smith at ext. 6137 or David Cortner at ext. 7433.

Discussion Lists Thousands of discussion lists exist on the Internet, and posting information on them can be an effective way of publicizing a university event to a targeted audience. For example, there are several lists that deal with Native American issues, Native-L, Natchat, NativeNet, and NatEdu. We chose to send them the news release announcing Wilma Mankiller's Presidential Lecture at ETSU. This resulted in inquiries from Cal State- Pomona, Oklahoma State University, Pembroke, North Carolina, and the University of Pennsylvania. One reader posted our announcement on the Genie USA East Roundtable.
Lists such as these can often have several hundred subscribers. They are ideal for announcing a conference, a new book or a lecture. Note: Make sure your e-mail "signature" lists your university affiliation and title, so that you and ETSU will be appropriately recognized when you post your messages.