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For more information contact mark.a.kinders@uwrf.edu or brenda.k.bredahl@uwrf.edu.

Campus Newsletter Receives National Recognition

APRIL 14, 2006--Falcon Daily, the UW-RF faculty and staff electronic newsletter, has received a national Award of Distinction by the Communicators Awards.

A collaborative effort to streamline and consolidate electronic communications across campus, Falcon Daily offers general university information and announcements to faculty and staff.

It was the product of extensive collaboration among the Dean of Students Office, Student Leadership Center, Information Technology Services, Publications, Public Affairs and the Chancellor's Office.

The newsletter is published through Public Affairs, with Deb Toftness serving as editor.

Falcon Daily competed against other entries submitted in such areas as advertising, public relations, corporate communications, graphic design and web sites. The entry was submitted by Public Affairs Director Mark Kinders, who noted that UW-RF's newsletter was submitted in an "other" category under web sites because a specific category for electronic internal newsletters did not exist.

The Communicator Awards is coordinated by communications professionals across the globe.
UW-RF's award is the second highest; the highest is an Award of Excellence. "Those receiving the Award of Distinction receive a plaque and certificate,” Kinders noted, while the winners of the Award of Excellence are published on the organization’s Web site. “It is pretty substantial competition."

Among the winners: AARP, American Medical Association, Archdiocese of Detroit, Ceridian, Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, George Washington University Hospital, Honeywell, Los Alamos National Laboratory, MasterCard International, The Public Relations Society of America, Public Radio International--Minneapolis, The PGA of America, Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., U.S. Army War College, U.S. Postal Service, University of Illinois, University of Iowa, Visit Milwaukee and Wyeth.

"Considering that Falcon Daily was a labor of intellectual enterprise and creativity rather than an investment of substantial resources, we did pretty well,” Kinders noted. “We are still an emerging communications tool on campus. It's particularly noteworthy that we received this national recognition when we were publishing only for the final two months of the two-year entry window."

Kinders cited the work of Toftness, photographer Jens Gunelson, web designer Mike Woolsey and IT staff members Gary Knigge and Marlys Nelson with resolving complicated technology and design/delivery issues, as well as providing top-notch editing and photography to make Falcon Daily an award-winning publication.

“I am pleased to see that your collective efforts have been recognized from outside the institution,” said Chancellor Don Betz, who initiated the concept of a daily electronic newsletter, of the team effort. “I love the notion that we broke new ground and that it was worthy of recognition.”

In 2004 the University shared in another Award of Distinction for a media kit promoting winter tourism for the St. Croix Valley Regional Tourism Alliance.

Community members and UW-RF alumni can subscribe for electronic daily delivery of Falcon Daily by entering their email address at: https://lists.uwrf.edu/mailman/listinfo/falcondaily

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Last updated: Wednesday, 26-Apr-2006 10:50:20 CDT