For more archives, go to the Advance Archive/Search Page.
New Online Events Calendar To Debut This Summer
A new online events calendar for the University will make its debut this summer.
The comprehensive calendar, which will be updated daily, will include for the first time information about events happening at all UConn locations including Storrs, the Health Center, the regional campuses, the schools of law and social work, and the extension centers.
It will allow students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents, and interested members of the public to search a database by type of event, date, or location.
"A comprehensive up-to-date events calendar will be a more centralized and efficient way of promoting the many activities UConn sponsors and informing the entire University community about where and when events are occurring," says Scott Brohinsky, director of university relations.
The objective is to make it as easy as possible to submit an event and to access the Events Calendar to find activities of interest, he says.
"It is convenient one-stop event shopping," says Jim Walter, associate vice-president for communications at the Health Center. "It will be a welcome addition for the entire University."
After filling out an online form, users will be able to submit events directly into a dozen or more different sections of the calendar, covering specific areas such as arts and entertainment, athletic events, meetings, lectures, and conferences. Editors from throughout the University will review the submissions promptly, before posting them to the Events Calendar. To post an event, it must either be held at a UConn location or be a UConn-sponsored activity.
If users wish, they will be able to subscribe to specific calendars of interest, and will automatically receive e-mail notification when an event is added to that calendar.
"It's a great feature because you won't have to go into that particular calendar every day to see what events have been added," says Meg Malmborg, director of the Lodewick Visitors Center and one of the calendar's editors.
The new system is run by software called WebEvent that specializes in online calendars.
Events may be entered up to three years in advance.
"It may also be valuable to anyone planning an event because you can check to see if other events are already scheduled on that day," Malmborg says. "It should help to avoid conflicts."
The Advance will continue to publish a Calendar section each week. When the online Events Calendar is operational, however, event organizers need only submit their events to the online calendar, and items for the Advance Calendar will be downloaded from the database.
The committee that has been working on the Events Calendar included representatives of the Provost's Office, the Health Center, Athletics, Fine Arts, Student Affairs, UITS, University Communications, University Events, and the Alumni Association.
Malmborg says the committee worked hard to make the calendar inclusive and intuitive. "We expect to have the program operational during the summer, to allow us time to make needed adjustments before the start of the fall semester," she says.
"Once we are up and running, we'll welcome feedback," Malmborg adds. "It's a new initiative, and we want to do our best to ensure that it meets the needs of the entire University community."
