- A summary of results from the Ag Online survey from the past
summer
- A few thoughts on how we're thinking of putting the results
to work
- A "Marginalia" item
First, thanks again to all who responded to the survey. We've
just entered our third year of Ag Online, and your thoughts and
comments will be an excellent resource as we look at ways to improve
the newsletter.
The goals: Help College of Agriculture faculty and staff be well-informed
and effective in their jobs by providing news, information and
viewpoints about the college, agriculture, higher education, communications
and other topics related to the environment in which we work.
Avoid duplicating information available through other campus information
sources.
At the time of the survey there were 408 Ag Online subscribers
within and outside the College of Agriculture. There were 248
returned surveys, a 61 percent response rate. Of those 248, 193
were College of Agriculture faculty or staff. The breakdown of
survey respondents: 43 percent ag faculty; 22 percent ag P&S
staff; 13 percent ag merit staff; 19 percent other university
subscribers; 2 percent non-university subscribers; and 1 percent
student or "unknown."
Ninety-five percent said they prefer to receive Ag Online via
e-mail; 3 percent said the Web. Ninety-four percent said getting
Ag Online every other week was "just right."
Seventy-four percent read every Ag Online issue (71 percent said
they read every issue of their departmental newsletters; 47 percent
read every issue of Inside Iowa State). We asked subscribers to
rate the "usefulness" of the newsletter's five sections.
Sixty-four percent thought College News was always or often useful;
Communications Kiosk, 49 percent; Infograzing: 45 percent; External
Voices, 34; and Marginalia, 35 percent.
After reading Ag Online, 42 percent trash it and the rest either
save it, or save or copy parts of it. Fifty-two percent said they
sometimes or often forward portions of the newsletter to others.
Many respondents took the time to provide examples of how Ag Online
has been useful. Here's a summary of their responses: 46 percent
said updates on college news/activities were useful; 16 percent
said reminders of events and deadlines; 12 percent, news and viewpoints
on agriculture and education; 9 percent, "food for thought";
8 percent said it provides information not available elsewhere;
7 percent, source of information for other publications; and 4
percent, source of communication ideas and issues.
Respondents offered suggestions on other information they'd like
to see in Ag Online. Here's a summary of their responses: more
college news and information; reports on teaching, research and
extension; department or unit activities; general information
on agriculture, education and legislation; funding and award opportunities;
messages from college administrators; useful Internet/electronic
resources; information on personnel changes or faculty/staff profiles;
recognition of faculty, staff and students; and a calendar of
college events.
"This provides much information I would otherwise not receive."
"I get news on the college that I would never know."
"I like to stay up-to-date and this is a good reference."
"I've found out things about my own department..."
"I've been to several events that I've learned about reading Ag Online."
"Interesting snippets sometimes make me look at the world in just a little different way."
"I have followed up on several of the communications ideas and info."
"Impress the boss with knowledge of current communication issues."
"Ag statistics provide excellent context. Marginalia often makes me smile."
"I've used portions of the quotes in introductions to papers I've written."
"Enjoyed description of emotional intelligence last winter ... very timely."
"I often save parts of Ag Online, things relevant to my work, that strike me as interesting, or things I want to remind myself to remember."
"Nice to get on a Friday afternoon when you need something
to grab your attention!"
"Perhaps do a scoop on each department."
"An Ag Web Site of the Week (with the URL correctly typed in)."
"Personnel changes in the College of Agriculture."
"I would like to see more about international involvement."
"List research projects when funded."
"Success stories related to Extension and Outreach."
"More targeted information on effective teaching."
"A calendar of events."
"More legislative updates."
"More information on results, conclusions and decisions regarding plans, goals and objectives at the college level."
"It seems to me that so many things are happening within
the College of Ag that no one knows about . . . We are in information
overload, yet feel we don't take advantage of what is happening."
"Remove extraneous material (not directly related to ISU). I'm to the point where I don't even review some items that come to me as a member of a list; don't let that happen to Ag Online."
"Solicit news from subscribers..."
"Every once in a while it might be beneficial to ask for input from the departments -- we get busy and forget to contact you!"
"Be sure to make the articles concise and tell people where to go for more info."
"For some items, additional detail would be helpful."
We will try to continue to provide the things you've said are useful, important or interesting and in the format you've said you enjoy. Here's a few ideas culled from the survey we know we can act on soon:
- Regularly update the work of college committees
- Highlight activities of departments and units
- Report on useful or interesting Internet resources
- Include items on activities from other colleges of agriculture
- Post more in-depth information to college Web site when appropriate
Thanks again to all who returned a survey. And thanks to our "survey
advisers," Terry Besser and Andy Terry in the Department
of Sociology, who provided advice, analysis and "methodological
consultation."
When asked for suggestions on what they'd find useful in Ag Online,
one respondent wrote: "Need 3-D virtual reality interactive
log with stereo sound." Another suggested: "Movie reviews."
And another, probably after a particularly trying day, wrote:
"I've never had an original idea in my life!" And we
even received a suggestion about the next survey: "Please
change the rating scale for the next survey and let #5 be the
highest rating. Yours is in reverse of how we think. Also, it
is easier to tally and show the highest score."
Ag Online is a biweekly newsletter for ISU College of Agriculture
faculty and staff. To subscribe, send your name, e-mail address
and the message "Ag Online subscribe" to bmeyer@iastate.edu.
To unsubscribe: Send "Ag Online unsubscribe" to same
address. Comments? Contact editors Brian Meyer (bmeyer@iastate.edu)
and Ed Adcock (edadcock@iastate.edu), Agriculture Information
Services, 304 Curtiss Hall, Ames, IA 50011. Phone: 515-294-5616.
Fax: 515-294-8662.
Next issue: Sept. 20. Deadline: Sept. 16.
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