CW's top stories last year – and looking ahead to 2020

2019. What a year it was.

UNCG was rated No. 1 in social mobility among all the state’s universities, by US News and World Report (see here). The new UNCG app was launched – and was selected by Modo Labs as one of the most innovative campus apps. (If you haven’t started using it yet, check it out here.) UNCG put a greater emphasis on food security. Men’s basketball set a record with its third straight year in post-season, and they got their first postseason win. The Emmylou Harris concert, set for Jan. 24, sold out in less than a week. A Gen Ed update plan was approved. The 1969 series “Exploring the Limits” ended with a big Grateful Dead/Deadheads symposium. UNCG had a record year for research grant funding ($38.9 million for fiscal year 2018-19, up from $36.6 million the year before). Ken Jeong spoke at May Commencement.

And what a year beckons. Just as we have for many years, Campus Weekly in 2020 will share previews and news that faculty/staff rely on, in an engaging way with great visuals. Surveys show that most CW readers consider the Wednesday enewsletter (not the CW site) to be their Campus Weekly – and that they rely on CW for news they won’t find elsewhere. We’re working to make the web posts “responsive” and more visually appealing, whether you’re looking on a computer or your phone. And we will continue to link to select posts at other sites around the University, to leverage excellent items and visuals. (More news about those enhancements to the web posts later this semester.) As for the CW enewsletter – which is sent mid-week to all faculty/staff as well as board members and retired faculty/staff – on any given week 47-52 percent of those receiving it open it and check it out. We thank you for opening it and spending a few minutes (or more) to stay in-the-know. Our intention is to present fresh news (no repetition) each week in a format that’s user-friendly. 

Wondering what were the most popular items last year? Here were the top 15 enewsletter items from 2019, judged by the most click-throughs:

1. Highlights from Chancellor town hall
2. Everything 50 cents, at UNCG’s annual rummage sale. This year, on a Tuesday
3. UNCG announces new record enrollment
4. UNCG campus construction updates as Fall 2019 begins
5. Search process for next provost and for business affairs VC
6. New projects will be cornerstones of Millennial Campus strategy
7. Tate Street Songbird: Roots music icon Emmylou Harris returns
8. Summer 2019 offerings for employee health and wellness
9. At 2019 Faculty Awards, celebrating ‘outstanding achievements’
10. Staff celebrated at 2019 Staff Awards event
11. Enjoy free lunch at Campus Kickoff August 13
12. Students’ perceptions of UNCG campus climate?
13. Play on! Spartans are No. 1 seed in NIT, advance to Round 2
14. UNCG free Professional Development Offerings, Fall 2019
15. Distinguished and excellence professors recently named

The CW enewsletter links to several sites, mostly the CW site and the UNCG Now site. The CW web site had 173,147 pageviews last year (Jan. 1 to Dec. 28, 2019). The top stories on the CW website (bolstered of course by social media and search engines) were:

1. 2019 Summer Camps at UNCG
2. Roots music icon Emmylou Harris returns to Tate St.
3. Meet Keisha Brown, new principal of the Middle College at UNCG
4. Everything 50 cents, at UNCG’s annual rummage sale. This year, on a Tuesday
5. In memoriam: Dr. Amy Williamsen
6. ‘OK Boomer.’ Two UNCG researchers give us the meme’s lowdown
7. Goodbye, Michael Parker. And thanks for all the books.
8. 42 honored at 2019 Promotion & Tenure ceremony
9. Summer camps at UNCG 2018
10. Prestigious Phi Beta Kappa welcomes 55 Spartan initiates
11. UNCG campus construction updates as Fall 2019 begins
12. Deborah Bell, ‘Falstaff,’ and the art of costume design
13. bruce d. mcclung will be dean of CVPA
14. Happy Halloween at UNCG
15. Stufken will be founding director of MS in Informatics and Analytics
16. Michael Eric Dyson speaks March 18
17. At 2019 Faculty Awards, celebrating ‘outstanding achievements’
18. Forney Student Success Commons: New name, new occupants and more students
19. Pay & retention, parking & traffic top topics at forum for faculty/staff
20. Dr. Tom Martinek, O. Max Gardner nominee, uses sports to aid underserved kids

Again, thanks for taking time to read your UNCG Campus Weekly. If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact the CW editor, Mike Harris, here.