Ohio State’s Department of Parent and Family Relations launches a new, customizable system of information and news for the parents of Ohio State students, replacing former newsletters. Credit: Kyle Quinlan | Lantern Reporter
Ohio State’s Department of Parent and Family Relations launched a new communication tool, Buckeye Family Connection, a customizable system of personalized news and information for parents of Ohio State students.
Implemented in January, Buckeye Family Connection replaced the previous informational e-newsletters, such as the “Buckeye Family” monthly newsletter and “Buck-I-Briefs,” which served as the main source of news and announcements for Ohio State parents.
Through a partnership with CampusESP — a technology company that connects colleges with families through advanced communication methods in over 350 universities — Buckeye Family Connection uses a survey-based registration process that filters the information members will receive, according to Adam Specht, assistant director of parent and family relations.
“We really value keeping parents and family members updated on important university news and public safety information,” Specht said. “This system allows us to create communication more tailored to each individual student and their family.”
Although it is not required to create a Buckeye Family Connection account, the short survey included in the registration process allows CampusESP to place parents or family members in virtual communities of similar interests and informational desires at Ohio State. Survey questions, such as organizations a student is interested in or the college a student is enrolled in, are a few of the categorical groupings used to make each member’s experience unique.
In addition to the personalized content, the announcement frequency is also customizable, such as weekly, biweekly or monthly intervals, according to the Parent and Family Relations website. Those without accounts will still receive emails from the university, but they will not be personalized.
“In the previous newsletter system, stories we’d receive had to be held onto until the next newsletter goes out, which could be a full month later. This is where the Buckeye Family Connection comes in,” Specht said.
Kami Imes, the mother of Luke Imes, a third-year in business at Ohio State, said she feels there can be an overwhelming amount of information being shared from Ohio State at times — as well as the different institutions her two other sons attend — that she simply doesn’t have enough time to sift through each announcement.
“Although there is general news about the university that I am definitely interested in, I am typically more focused on things that directly impact my son or me,” Kami Imes said.
Kami Imes said one of her other son’s universities has a customizable newsletter system, and it was very helpful for her to sort through information that pertained to her family.
“This will be much more efficient for me, as I sometimes don’t have the time to page through all the information that comes across,” Kami Imes said. “I think this will be a welcomed change for parents and I’m glad OSU is moving into this system.”
