Our office has both an e-mail and web version of our weekly newsletter.
Both replaced our paper version back in September.  Since then, I have not
received one complaint about the switch.  No one seems to miss the paper
version, and I have received many complements from faculty regarding the
electronic versions.

You can see examples of our web-based newsletter here:
http://www.uams.edu/ora/rnotes.htm.  If you (or anyone else) would like for
me to send you an example of the e-mail version, please let me know.  The
e-mailed newsletter is simply a plain text version (not an attachment) of
what you see on our website.

_____________________________________________
H. Keith Hamilton
Research Information Analyst
UAMS Office of Research Administration
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
4301 W. Markham Street, Slot 636
Little Rock, AR  72205-7199
Phone: (501) 686-5502
Fax: (501) 686-8359
E-mail: xxxxxx@exchange.uams.edu
WWW: http://www.uams.edu/ora/
_____________________________________________

> -----Original Message-----
> From: William Campbell [SMTP:xxxxxx@UWRF.EDU]
> Sent: Tuesday, April 27, 1999 10:51 AM
> To:   xxxxxx@hrinet.org
> Subject:      query
>
> RESADM-ers--
>
> I need some advice.  For many years, the Grants Office at University of
> Wisconsin-River Falls (5,000 FTE, regional comprehensive, primarily
> undergraduate) has campus-mailed paper newsletters to all faculty and
> staff
> every 3-4 weeks.  It includes a brief lead highlighting an especially
> attractive opportunity, lists of campus proposers and grantees, and
> selected
> funding opportunities.   The newsletter serves several purposes:
>
> --keeps the grants office visible on campus.
> --reminds folks that we provide a variety of services.
> --encourages folks to write proposals (peer pressure is amazingly
> powerful.
> Many times I've heard faculty say, 'why if that bozo can get a grant, I
> certainly can!')
> --informs potential applicants of the specifics of funding opportunities.
>
> Some years ago, we supplemented the paper version with an electronic copy
> (viewable at http://www.uwrf.edu/grants/newslet.htm, if you're curious);
> it
> contains the same text, plus www links to funding sources.
>
> We think it's time to scrap the paper version and go completely (or maybe
> just
> mostly) electronic.  We haven't received a single inquiry this year from
> the
> paper newsletter, which tells us either that no one is paying any
> attention at
> all (I refuse to believe it) or that they are relying on the webpage or
> something else for whatever info they get from our newsletter.
>
> Further relevant information: we subscribe both to COS and SPIN,
> accessible to
> everyone on campus.
>
> Here's my question: what's the best way to replace the paper version with
> a web
> version?  I want to place something before faculty/staff eyes periodically
> just
> to remind them that we are here, prod them about deadlines, brag on
> successes,
> etc.  We've thought about sending emails once/twice per week--short,
> snappy,
> with a pointer to more information on the web.  Should we also send around
> a
> paper summary once in a while, for the few who never look at their email?
> We'll ask our faculty/staff in both the paper version and by email within
> the
> next week, but I'm also curious what RESADM-ers think.
>
> Is there anything else to worry about?  Are there wonderful models out
> there in
> research admin land that we aren't aware of?  Please email me or the list,
> your
> choice.  If I get private responses, I'll post a summary in a week or so.
>
> Thanks and regards, Bill Campbell
> Director, Grants & Research
> University of Wisconsin-River Falls
>
>
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