In a perfect world, current and thought-provoking news about the University would be available to you regularly, at your convenience, and free of charge. This information source would offer something to really sink your teeth into: articles on research breakthroughs, Gopher sports reports, public policy updates, plus explanations about academic, legislative, and other initiatives at the University. And you wouldn’t have to go looking for it; it would all be delivered directly to you.

Welcome to a perfect world. Last fall the University launched E-News, its biweekly electronic newsletter. E-News, prepared by the Office of University Relations, is not meant to replace Minnesota, or any other University publication, but is a complementary—and complimentary—forward-thinking vehicle for keeping you connected to your alma mater. More than 60,000 alumni and friends of the University have already subscribed to E-News.

For our many graduates living in the Twin Cities, E-News provides the University’s perspective on the reams of commentary printed about it each year by the local media. You’ve seen what the local broadcasters and daily newspapers say about the University. Now you can get your information directly from the news makers themselves.

For alumni and friends living outside of Minnesota, news about the University —if it appears in local media at all—might be limited to sports scores. E-News gives subscribers what they’ve been missing from other media outlets and is a gateway to other University resources, including the alumni association’s Web site and the University News Service. Dozens of subscribers have let us know that E-News is a hit. "I very much enjoy receiving E-News! Staying in touch with the U otherwise would have been rather difficult," writes Peter Daae (M.B.A., ’70), of Oslo, Norway. Subscribers receive E-News every other Wednesday, and new subscribers can catch up on University happenings by browsing back issues posted on the E-News home page.

Sports fans will cheer the breadth and depth of information about games, athletes, and coaches available through E-News. Lifetime learners will enjoy the latest pieces about research advancements, links to faculty experts, and comments on current events affecting us all. Arts and entertainment lovers can plan their calendars around the multitude of activities listed in each issue of E-News. History buffs can find links to stories about school traditions and the founding of the University.

Visitors can link to Web cameras or virtual tours of campus, see the progress of the many construction projects under way, and watch how those beloved places are changing shape for the next generation of students and researchers. And they can discover the best way to return to campus, linking to other University sites that offer maps, directions, and parking information.

Parents who are connected to the University because a child or grandchild is a current student can find out for themselves what great things are happening at the U, as well as what opportunities are available to their students. Michele Westlund wrote to tell us what subscribing to E-News means to her: "As the busy parent of a sophomore attending the Carlson School of Management, I do not have a lot of time to read many articles about the University. E-News allows me the opportunity to pick and choose which articles I find interesting with just a few clicks!"

There are a thousand reasons to subscribe to E-News, but in my mind they all point to one central reason. Like me, you have a special bond with the University of Minnesota, and that will never change. The value of your degree, however, can change. It is a kind of currency. To help shape the future of the U, and ensure that the value of that currency remains high, you need to be informed about what’s happening at the University. Do it by reading Minnesota and E-News. Do it by giving back through Campaign Minnesota, by sending your child to the University, by recommending the U to a neighbor’s child who is applying to colleges, and by speaking up on behalf of post-secondary education to your state legislators.

Informed alumni and friends of the University make the best advocates, recruiters, and donors. Subscribe to the E-News service today, read your alumni magazine from cover to cover, and do your part to ensure that the value of a University of Minnesota degree is always measured in maroon and gold.