CLICK on news November 2003, Volume 3, Number 3
WHAT'S NEW
*New name tags available
*Graduate degree info in Sioux City Nov. 17
UPDATES
*After penalty mail – envelopes and letterhead
*Continuing education needs assessment
*CECS Credit programs to use market research
*Life in Iowa summer 2004
*Spring semester tuition reimbursement
QUICK TIPS
*How to get ISU Extension news releases (including 4-H)What's old ... but still useful? Check the archive and index.
WHAT'S NEW
*New name tags available
If you haven’t already ordered your new red/white/gold name tag, go to the name badge Web site. Field staff will receive theirs in the transmittal packet. Campus staff will receive theirs by delivery from Extension Distribution Center (EDC).*Graduate degree info in Sioux City Nov. 17
Faculty and CECS staff will present information about ISU graduate programs available in the Tri-State area at an open house Monday, Nov. 17. The event is 4-7 p.m. at the Woodbury County Extension office, Central Professional Building, 4301 Sergeant Rd., Suite 213. The Tri-State Graduate Center in Sioux City is a cosponsor.Programs in education, public administration, community and regional planning, and family and consumer sciences will be discussed. For more information about the open house, contact Kris Phelps, 515-294-7329 or kphelps@iastate.edu.
UPDATES
*After penalty mail – envelopes and letterhead
In the no penalty mail world, you can order envelopes with your return address from ISU Printing or through local printers. You can download letterhead templates and add your address. Find out how on these Web pages: for envelopes; for letterhead.*Continuing education needs assessment
In June 2003, ISU Continuing Education and Communication Services (CECS) contracted with the Aslanian Group to conduct a continuing education needs assessment of large and medium-sized employers in greater Des Moines and Fort Dodge, and individual learners in greater Des Moines.The employer assessment explored current needs and preferred delivery formats for training. Employers indicated a strong desire to work with ISU to provide quality training for employees.
The student assessment studied reasons for continuing education, perceptions of several Iowa colleges, and how they select among education options. One major finding indicated that face-to-face instruction is still a popular delivery option, although there is a growing interest in Web-based instruction.
Findings showed that ISU has a strong reputation in the Ames and Fort Dodge areas. Also, both students and employers are looking for ways to access ISU courses without traveling to Ames; both credit and non-credit educational opportunities are in demand.
*CECS credit programs to use market research
CECS is learning how to better market its credit programs through market research and segmentation. With the assistance of consultants who specialize in continuing education, CECS surveyed its “best” customers, defined as those who have repeatedly registered for courses in recent terms. From the survey results, CECS identified credit programs with potential for expansion. In addition, customer information was analyzed to gain insight into the characteristics of best customers by program. This information will be used to develop a more targeted marketing approach by tailoring marketing messages to specific audiences.*Life in Iowa summer 2004
Robin Brekke from the CECS information technology unit is coordinating an expanded marketing effort for the Life in Iowa program. She is overseeing the new Life in Iowa call center (toll-free 877-400-5433) where students and staff are contacting Iowa nonprofit organizations to encourage them to participate in the program next summer. Extension staff are encouraged to call the call center with names of organizations they have contacted or to pass along names that Life in Iowa staff could contact.Community leaders and students involved in the first two years of the program say it brings productive young adults into communities, matches them with projects that have real impact on local communities, and provides a rich experience for both the students and their community mentors. Each county and area office received a CD of highlights of the past two years in a recent transmittal packet from campus.
For more information, visit the Life in Iowa Web site.
*Spring semester tuition reimbursement
Take a spring semester off-campus course, apply for tuition rembursement, and help increase enrollment in off-campus courses. Spring semester courses from ISU begin Jan. 12. Courses are offered online, by CD-ROM, DVD, and videotape, as well as on the Iowa Communications Network (ICN). Some courses also are offered onsite at Ankeny, Des Moines, and several other sites. Get more information about spring courses.Tuition grant applications for eligible ISU merit and professional and scientific (P&S) employees are due Dec. 15. Applications and information are available online. See the P&S form or the merit form.
QUICK TIPS
*How to get ISU Extension news releases (including 4-H)
Some of us forget these routes, some of us need the URLs to give to new staff, and some of us are new staff who have not received these URLs in training.
So here are the two routes, one to direct-to-media news releases, the other to fill-in-the-blank news releases (only for staff use; these haven’t gone directly to media).Here are the step-by-step routes:
Go to the ISU Extension homepage.
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/For direct-to-media articles, click on Current News from ISU Extension (under Get More News).
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/newsrel/. Check the current releases or select from the topic list at the left.
For fill-in-the-blank articles, go to For Staff.
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/ForStaff/homepage.html
Click on Newsletters & News Releases.
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/ForStaff/news.html
Click on Fill in the blank news releases.
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/newsrel/staff/You might want to make a Get News Releases folder and store this information in it. You also could bookmark these sites.
Also, each day that news releases are sent from our office, an e-mail goes to most staff from Extension Communications. The subject is Ext. Comm. news releases (date) media, staff. The last one or two words tells whether the releases have gone directly to media or if they are for staff use, or if both types of releases have been put on the web. The e-mail message contains the URLs to take you directly to the information.
Check the Continuing Education and Communication Services Web site. Also visit the ISU Extension Web site. Send your comments or questions about this newsletter to Barb Abbott (babbott@iastate.edu).
Nondiscrimination Statement and Information Disclosures
