In the age of Facebook and Twitter, will Penn’s graduates still be interested in providing information for (and maybe purchasing) a new directory of University alumni—even one that includes, in addition to a printed-and-bound volume, a searchable CD ROM that will supplement the book’s text, photos, and artwork?
Penn Alumni, the University’s alumni society, will find out the answer to that question soon. They’re launching an ambitious data-collection effort to update information on Penn’s 280,000 alumni for just such a project.
The directory will include alumni names, addresses, affiliations, businesses, networks, and special interests. The hard copy will have alphabetical listings by region and by school, while the CD will give users a variety of search options. Also included will be articles and full-page photos highlighting the University’s recent history and the Penn of today. Costs are expected to range from $79.99-$109, plus shipping and handling, depending on the edition.
While some of Penn’s schools have produced their own directories more recently, it’s been over a decade since the last University-wide compilation came out. The new one is scheduled to appear in June 2012, as the $3.5 billion Making History campaign nears its conclusion.
“As we look forward to celebrating the end of the campaign, this University-wide alumni directory will capture Penn as it is for this historic moment in time, allowing alumni to have the Penn community at their fingertips, with the most up-to-date information available,” says Hoopes Wampler, assistant vice president for alumni relations.
Starting in early January, alumni can expect to receive a series of postcards, emails, and then phone calls asking them to update their information via an online questionnaire. In the mean time, just go to www.alumni.upenn.edu/becounted if you would like more information.