The Ohio State University ASC Intranet

Alumni Communications

Alumni Communications

Below, you'll find a set of alumni communication options designed to help academic departments strengthen and sustain their connections with alumni. 

Once you have selected your preferred cadence for communicating with alumni, please submit a project inquiry form so that our team can begin preparing for your project. In the meantime, please feel free to reach out to Marketing and Communications with any questions or if you need assistance determining which option is best for your department.

Project Inquiry Form

Alumni Communication Options

1. Online Newsletters 

We recommend that departments publish future newsletters online using the newsletter feature on their website in the cadence of once or twice a year. This approach provides an accessible, centralized home for newsletter content and makes it easy for alumni and other audiences to find and revisit updates over time. 

  • Online Newsletter Preview Postcard and/or Email
    To help promote your online department alumni newsletter, Marketing and Communications can create a mailed postcard and/or a direct email for department alumni. The communication will highlight a compelling story, accomplishment, or other feature from the newsletter and include a link directing alumni to the full issue online.

    Recommended Delivery Months: November, December, April, May, June, July
     

2. Department Alumni Email Communications 

We recognize that an online newsletter may not be the right fit for every department. For departments that prefer to communicate with alumni directly by email, Marketing and Communications offers two options designed to provide regular, engaging updates while keeping the process simple and sustainable.

  • Annual Department Alumni Email: Marketing and Communications will create one dedicated email each year featuring 3–5 of the department’s most engaging stories, accomplishments, news, or opportunities. Each email can include links to additional content and resources online, providing alumni with an easy way to stay connected to the people and work that make the department distinctive.

    Recommended Delivery Months: November, December, April, May, June, July

  • Twice-Yearly Alumni Emails: For departments looking to connect with alumni more frequently, Marketing and Communications will create two dedicated emails each year, such as fall and spring editions. Each email will feature 3–5 of the department’s most engaging recent stories, accomplishments, news, or opportunities, giving alumni regular opportunities to stay informed and connected to the department.

    Recommended Delivery Months: October, November, December, April, May, June

Potential content could include:

  • Faculty research and expertise
  • Alumni profiles and Q&As
  • Student accomplishments and success stories
  • Department awards, rankings and milestones
  • Upcoming events and opportunities to engage
  • Volunteer, mentoring or giving opportunities
  • A brief message from the department chair highlighting the top things they are excited about
     

3. Print Postcards as an Alternative to Email

For departments that prefer a print-based approach, Marketing and Communications offers an option to send up to three postcards to alumni each year. Each postcard will feature a compelling story, accomplishment, news, or other highlight from the department and direct alumni to additional content and resources online, providing a simple way to maintain regular connections with alumni.

Recommended Delivery Months: October, November, April, May, June, July, August

Potential themes include:

  • Faculty research or expertise
  • Student success
  • An alumnus making an impact
  • A significant department milestone or accomplishment

Planning and Timeline

To help us plan production and ensure departments have adequate time to develop content, we ask each department to select its preferred communication option and timing. Below, you’ll find the available newsletter delivery months and the corresponding deadlines for submitting a request to ASC MarComm.

For annual email newsletters, departments may select one of the following delivery months:

  • November thru December 11: Wednesday, October 28
  • April: Friday, February 26
  • May: Friday, March 26

For twice-yearly emails, available delivery months include: 

  • November thru December 11: Wednesday, October 28
  • April: Friday, February 26
  • May: Friday, March 26
  • June: Friday, April 20 

Once MarComm receives your preferred timing, we will work with you to develop a more detailed production and delivery timeline. You do not need to have all your content ready when you select your month. We encourage departments to begin developing and identifying potential stories in the background, and our team will help you determine what content will work best for the final communication.

We also understand that priorities and schedules can change. If your department is unable to meet a planned timeline, please contact MarComm as soon as possible. We will work with you to adjust the schedule and find an approach that works for your department.

Our goal is to make these communications as useful and sustainable as possible while giving departments a stronger way to showcase the people and stories that matter most to their alumni.

Alumni Lists

Arts and Sciences Marketing and Communications can request an alumni list on your department’s behalf for any of the alumni communications options outlined above. If you are interested in engaging alumni specifically around giving or fundraising, please contact Amber Diglaw, diglaw.1@osu.edu, in Arts and Sciences Advancement, who can assist with those requests.