Last chance to tell us what you think of UToday

Editor's note: The survey is now closed. Thank you to everyone who participated!

Over to you, UToday readers. If you want a say in helping shape the future of the UToday news channel, the deadline is almost here.

As UToday prepares to join the campus-wide revamp of the University of Calgary website, we invite your input in a reader survey — along with a chance to win one of three gift packs of UCalgary merchandise. 

The university’s move to a new and better web platform will mean a greatly improved user experience for students, faculty, and staff: easier to read on your smartphone or tablet, more intuitive ways to find related content, and simpler navigation of the large university website.

Just as important, UToday has an expanding role to play as a channel of engagement between all kinds of digital audiences and the university itself. “In the ever-evolving digital space, we have a great opportunity to move beyond simply pushing out content,” says Betty Rice, director of strategic storytelling, Strategic Communications. “As a university, we can say: Here are our stories. Experience us. Engage with us. Make a difference in the world.”

Audience reach is both local and global

UToday debuted on Sept. 8, 2008 as an online communication tool to inform the campus community about top news, research discoveries, and key events. We support our Eyes High goal to be recognized as one of Canada’s top five research universities.

Today, in collaboration with 14 faculties and various departments and units, UToday reaches an audience way beyond the physical borders of the campus. The delivery of the daily newsletter to all staff each morning is just the beginning of the content cycle. As the audience has grown, many UToday articles garner national and even international readership.

About 65 per cent of UToday’s traffic comes from off-campus, driven largely by search engines, social media sharing, and the email newsletter. “Our content has become a virtual catalogue of storytelling that demonstrates our expertise and our thought leadership to a global audience,” says Philippe Reicher, associate vice-president of strategic communications, University Relations.

Pictured above are recent campus news moments, clockwise from top left: In a study involving the University of Calgary, a patient was the first person in Canada to receive a direct intravenous injection gene replacement to treat urea cycle disorder; President Ed McCauley speaks at a campus meet-and-greet with students, faculty and staff; His Highness the Aga Khan receives an honorary degree; progress made on the MacKimmie Complex and Professional Faculties Building Redevelopment Project; students in the Schulich School of Engineering’s new master’s degree in software engineering.

Channel amplifies valuable, research-based storytelling

“Discoveries and perspectives informed by research have great meaning in the digital sphere,” adds Reicher. “When a topic addresses matters of broad interest to society, the University of Calgary makes a valuable, distinct contribution to the digital conversation.”   

As we plan the redesign of UToday, we’re reaching out to UToday readers to discover more about what you’re looking for and how we can better meet your needs. How are we doing? What type of content and which digital formats do you prefer? If you could change anything, what would it be? Here’s your chance to help shape the future of the university’s primary news channel.

Complete the survey for a chance to win

The survey, with 12 questions, is open until April 5, 2019. After you complete the survey, submit your contact information for a chance to win one of three gift packs. We will do a random draw for the winners on April 10, 2019.