Around the O is expanding to better serve the university community as well as its many supporters. UO Vice President for University Communication Kyle Henley describes the changes in the following email, which was sent to faculty and staff May 9:

Colleagues:

Since the creation of a standalone University Communications division last fall, our unit has been focused on one strategic goal—creating communications tools that enhance and strengthen the academic and research reputation of the University of Oregon.

Our next step in reaching this goal is underway with the launch of three new versions of the weekly Around the O e-mail:

• A "workplace" edition for the faculty and staff
• A "top stories" edition for the students, faculty and staff, and select external audiences
• A student edition

It’s the next evolutionary step for the Around the O news site, a powerful digital storytelling platform built to showcase research, academics, and the pursuit of excellence at the University of Oregon.

Our new e-mail strategy will dramatically expand the number of people with access to Around the O. We’ll share the amazing stories that are unfolding on the University of Oregon campus every day. It will also provide some of our most important stakeholders—specifically students and members of the faculty and staff—with information purposefully designed for them and their campus activities.  Here are the changes you can expect to see:

• Tuesdays: workplace edition—This edition of Around the O, designed for faculty, staff, and graduate teaching fellows, will reach more than 7,000 people per week. It will emphasize news from Human Resources, Academic Affairs, Equity and Inclusion, and other information that is essential for those working at the UO. Our goal is to reduce one-off e-mails and aggregate much of this information into one go-to source. The content is also available under the workplace section of AtO, and is curated by Jennifer Winters, senior director of internal and executive communication.
   
• Wednesdays: UO top stories edition—On Wednesdays, look for an e-mail that features the best stories, video, and photos from AtO, sent to faculty, staff, students, and a carefully selected “opt-in” group of donors, friends, and alumni. You’ll see stories about the university, its people, and the difference they make in Oregon and around the world. Content for this e-mail is curated by Tobin Klinger, senior director of public affairs communications, and Greg Bolt, AtO managing editor.
   
• Thursdays: student edition—We sent our first student edition of AtO last week, with stories and links informing more than 24,000 student at the UO about life on campus; whether it’s registration deadlines, commencement details, multicultural programs, or events on campus, this content will bring together a variety of information on a weekly basis. This content will also be available in the fall on the "Campus Life" guide in the "Be a Duck" app for mobile users and occasionally on student-facing social media channels such as Call Me a Duck. Some content will be posted as stories to the student section of AtO. If you wish to view the e-mails that were sent, you can do so on the Student Life e-news web page. This content is coordinated by Lauren Miller, director of strategic communications and marketing for the Division of Student Life.

University Communications is committed to working collaboratively with stakeholders throughout the campus community to inform the world about the great things that are happening at the University of Oregon. We need your help and welcome your input. If you have suggestions for ways we can improve the service we provide on Around the O or any of the new e-mails referenced above, please reach out to the respective staff members. You are also welcome to contact me at any time.

Thanks and Go Ducks!

Kyle Henley
Vice President for University Communication