NEW E-NEWSLETTER LINKS ALUMNI TO UH

Today, the University of Houston will launch the next phase of its strategic plan to reach alumni with the distribution of a new electronic newsletter.

Titled “Cougar e-link,” the monthly newsletter will be sent to 60,000 alumni. The newsletter will include alumni, campus and athletics news, a listing of alumni and campus events, a Cougar profile and an interactive feature. The newsletter also will allow alumni to manage their own e-mail contacts and to subscribe to other UH e-newsletters or unsubscribe to specific messages.

“Following the debut of The University of Houston Magazine, this electronic newsletter is the second part of our increased outreach,” said Michael Rierson, vice president for university advancement. “We plan to continue expanding and improving our communication to alumni and other key constituents as we move them to become more engaged with the university.”

Cougar e-link is a joint effort of the Division of University Advancement and the Houston Alumni Organization.

“Cougar e-link is one way we’re communicating with alumni,” said Greg Holland, market research manager in the Office of University Marketing. “It is a unique opportunity for the university to provide information electronically to alumni.”

The newsletter is a result of communication research, which was conducted last fall. More than 14,000 alumni participated. Respondents indicated that they would like to hear from UH more often, according to Holland.

In response to the research, UH developed Cougar e-link and published the redesigned alumni publication, The University of Houston Magazine, earlier this semester. The magazine’s new sections include a question-and-answer article with an outstanding alumnus or alumna and a nostalgic look back in history with a comparison to campus life today. More than 175,000 alumni and friends will receive the magazine three times a year.

Feedback from the first edition of the magazine has been very positive, Rierson said, adding that the university will conduct “follow-up research to ensure that the next edition continues to meet the needs of our alumni and engages them more fully with the university.”

Francine Parker
fparker@uh.edu