Dear Colleagues,

In this age of information overload, we are interested in identifying effective modes of communication regarding events on campus. We have been evaluating past practices and listening to faculty and staff regarding their preferences for sharing and receiving information. As I mentioned at the faculty meeting, I’m pleased to announce we are in the process of developing a communications portal, with the assistance of our colleagues in the Bates Communications and Marketing Office and Information and Library Services, that we are calling Bates Now. This initiative builds on the success of the Bates Today daily email and website geared for communicating information and events to students.

What we envision under the new Bates Now system is one email delivered to your inbox each morning resulting in a clear, easy to peruse digest of announcements, events, deadlines, and news pertinent to faculty and staff. It will be a one-stop information hub, and one that we hope reduces daily email load. An associated Bates Now webpage will also be available to view the information contained in the daily email. The website will contain information on posting to the system, guidelines, and more.

We have consulted with the Academic Administrative Assistants who have, for years, had to manage three different methods to post information from their departments and programs. The Bates Now interface allows posting to be as simple as checking a box(s) to indicate which channel(s) the information should be posted to.

We would appreciate your feedback on this idea and invite you to attend a demonstration and feedback sessions this month at the following times and places:

September 16, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. in Commons 226

September 18, 4:15 – 5:00 p.m. in Commons 226 

September 26, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. in Commons 226

September 26, 4:15 – 5:00 p.m. in Commons 226

We are planning that with the introduction of this new communication service, we will “relaunch” the unmoderated factalk@groups.bates.edu. For new members of the community, the factalk listserv is meant to be a place where faculty share ideas and to allow collegial discussions on topics of faculty interest. The moderated listservs (faculty@groups.bates.edu and staff@groups.bates.edu) offer an official channel for institutional communications as well as emergency information. We hope and anticipate that traffic on the faculty and staff lists will decrease as we transition to communicating events through Bates Now. As we start the new year with so many new colleagues, we plan to sign all eligible members on to the factalk listserv. New to factalk will be an easy method to unsubscribe at any time via a link at the bottom of each email.

Again, please join us at one of the open meetings in September to see Bates Now for yourself and help us create an effective new communication tool for Bates faculty and staff. We will also create a mechanism for review of, and feedback on, Bates Now for those who cannot attend one of the forums. There are some technical issues with access that we are working out, but hope to find a solution to  those issues in the next week.

In the meantime, I hope the academic year is off to a great start.All the best,

Malcom Hill