Class Communication Chair

• Communication |
• Submissions |
• Deadlines |
• Editing |
• Sample Communications |
• Tips |
• Editorial Team |

Communication

Introduce yourself

Compose a message to your classmates introducing yourself as the new Class Communication Chair and explaining your role and the frequency with which they will hear from you. Sample introductory language is included in the "Samples" section.

How you'll communicate

You will contact your classmates via e-mail using an electronic distribution list that Fuqua maintains for each class (e.g., gemba2011alumni@fuqua.duke.edu). The list is dynamically updated as your classmates change their contact information in Fuqua's database, ensuring that you can e-mail your class without having to keep track of individual addresses.

To protect against spamming and excessive mailings, only authorized users (such as Class Communication Chairs and Fuqua staff) may send to the distribution e-mail address. You must always send messages to your class from the e-mail address that has been authorized. If you would like to change your authorized e-mail address, or add a second account, you must send your request to alumni-relations@fuqua.duke.edu.  All changes in our system are activated overnight, so if you make a change you will not be able to send your message from the new address until the following day.

To comply with federal law, please include the following footer on each of your e-mails to your class:

If you have received this message in error or no longer wish to receive e-mails of this type, please unsubscribe by following this link: http://www.it.dev.duke.edu/optout/?CC=FSB29. This e-mail was sent from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, 100 Fuqua Drive, Durham, NC 27708.

Vehicles for sharing class notes

Class notes that are submitted via Class Communication Chairs or directly to Fuqua's Alumni Relations team are published on the Fuqua alumni web site on class pages. Certain alumni stories may be used on the Fuqua web site or in another print publication.

Submissions

Text submissions

Class notes traditionally include job changes, promotions, weddings, babies, interesting trips, or any other updates alumni would like to share with the Fuqua community. Please edit the text you submit using the following guidelines:

Put alumni names in bold type. Do not put partners in bold type unless the partner is also an alumnus/alumna. Example:

Craig Jones and his wife, Suzette, celebrated the first birthday of their son, David Cole Jones, on Oct 23, 2006. Craig and family relocated to the Dallas area earlier this year after Craig joined Bank of Texas' Auto Finance Division as a vice president of business development. Craig and family are settling into Texas life and he is enjoying fatherhood.

Sanjaya and Bobbi Patel are doing great. They live in Northville, MI, and have three kids: Sven (13), Rachel (10), and Vinup (6). Sanjaya works for Georgia-Pacific Corporation as a Regional Manager. Bobbi continues to work for IBM and is now a Program Manager.

Include Fuqua program and class year if an alumnus/alumna is mentioned, but is not a member of your class. Example:

Susie McNair finished her second New York City Triathlon on July 16. To complete her crazy person certificate, she's slated to do a half-Ironman in October. Shown is a picture of Susie, Jen Franks (Daytime '04), and Lori Leister at their summer house in the Hamptons.

List any woman's maiden name in parentheses if she has changed her married name since she was a student, e.g., Jane (Doe) Smith.

Due to space constraints, engagements and pregnancies are not published in the printed version of class notes. These announcements can be published on the class web page.

Photo submissions

Pictures that illustrate alumni news are always welcome. Encourage classmates to send photos of family, friends, parties, Fuqua gatherings, etc. Photo submission guidelines:

Use the photo upload page to submit all photos. Do not e-mail photos unless there is an error with the photo upload page.

Photos should be at least 300 dpi (3" x 5") or 1200 x 1800 pixels to be of printable quality. Minimum resolution is 180 with the smallest edge of the photo being at least 2".

Name the photo file using the following format: [four-digit year][program][underscore][alumnus name]. (e.g., 2004ccmba_smith)

Please upload photos in JPEG, BMP or TIFF format. Do not embed them in your Word document.

Submission format and process

Class notes should be submitted as one Microsoft Word document with the document name "[CLASS YEAR] [PROGRAM] [ISSUE] Class Notes," e.g., "Daytime 2003 Fall 2009 Class Notes." The document should include a header indicating the program, class year, and issue.

Photos should be indicated in the note for which they are relevant. Review the "Samples" section for an example.

Deadlines

Editing

How the editorial team edits your class notes

Team Fuqua is edited for all 17,000 alumni. We realize that some of the strongest relationships between alumni are within each class; however, the text is edited so that all alumni across years and programs may read any of the updates and learn more about the Fuqua community.

Geographical references may be added to clarify the information.

Sample Communications

Sample welcome letter for Class Communication Chairs

Hello, classmates! 

I have volunteered to be our Class Communication Chair and am delighted to represent the [INSERT CLASS YEAR}.

As your Class Communication Chair, I will be a liaison between our classmates and the Alumni Relations team at Fuqua. A few of my responsibilities will include gathering and editing the class notes to be published online four times a year, and sending you news from Fuqua.

Please keep in touch with me so I can share what’s happening with our class. I will send you an e-mail every few months asking for updates. Please tell me what’s new in your life – job changes, promotions, family updates, stories from your travels, details from events. I’ll submit our class notes to be published on our class web page and in print. Feel free to send digital pictures of at least 1200 x 1800 pixels (a minimum resolution of 180 dpi with the smallest edge of the photo being at least 2") and please identify everyone in the photo.

Because 95 percent of the correspondence sent out by Fuqua comes through e-mail, I also encourage you to keep your contact information updated in Fuqua’s online alumni directory. You can do this by going to www.fuqua.duke.edu/alumni and clicking on the “My Profile” link. If you can’t remember your user name and password, click on the “Forgot Your Password” link and someone will send you your log-in info within a couple of days.

If you have suggestions about how my role can be of service to you or our class, please let me know. I look forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely,

Sample updates request

Hello, classmates!

I hope this message finds you well. As the Class Communication Chair for [INSERT CLASS YEAR], I am writing to solicit an update from you. Please send me news of job changes, promotions, weddings, travels, new babies – anything you'd like the Fuqua community to know. Please also send along photos that are at least 300 dpi (3” x 5”) or 1200 x 1800 pixels and please identify everyone in the photo. Remember that due to space constraints, engagements and pregnancies will not be printed in Team Fuqua magazine, but will be available online on our class web page [INSERT LINK TO PAGE].

Please send me your updates and photos by [DEADLINE]. Your submission will be available on our class web page by [INSERT DATE].

Thanks in advance for your submissions, and I look forward to hearing from you!

Best regards,
[NAME]

Sample submission document

Daytime 2003 Fall 2009 Class Notes

Joe Shue has joined IBM as a director and is looking forward to the new role. Joe will continue to live in his home in Berkley, CA, but will postpone teaching for one year.

Suzanne and Justin Case welcomed their second child, Wayne Fuqua Case, on May 1, 2009. Sister Susie turns three in June. The Case family lives in Durham, NC, where Justin is the Managing Director of LocoPops. [PHOTO: 2009daytime_case]

Michael Bluth and family have been in Connecticut for two years. Michael is still working for JP Morgan Chase and enjoys spending free time with his wife, Ann, and two daughters, Caitlin (6) and Marie (3).

Zach Morris was promoted to Senior Product Manager at Microsoft and will be moving to Washington in August 2009. He welcomes the chance to meet up with Fuqua alumni in the Seattle area!

Tips to get more people to respond

• Include your personal update in your solicitation e-mail. Hearing your news may motivate your classmates to share their own stories.
• Appeal to nostalgia: remind your classmates of the fun, unique experiences you shared while in your Fuqua program. If you have pictures from your school days that may be fun for everyone to see, you also could include one/some in your email.
• Reference Fuqua and your class year in your subject line to help identify to your classmates that messages from you are not spam (e.g., Daytime 2003 -- submit your Fuqua class notes!)

Editorial Team

Erin Bartels
erin.bartels@duke.edu
+1.919.660.7709

Stacy Dalton 
stacy.dalton@duke.edu
+1.919.660.2915

Erin Gasch
erin.gasch@duke.edu
+1.919.660.1971