Medical College of Georgia
Beeper Index	A-Z Index \| MCG Home \| Site Search

	Dr. Ellison Dies at 89
	Wanted: Outstanding faculty
	Nominations accepted for Governor's Teaching Fellows Program
	State of the university system is strong
	Legislation could aid education construction
	Employee council updates just a click away
	MCG commemorative plates now available
	Chinese New Year celebration coming soon
	Singing Valentines put song in your heart
	Sertoma hosts Valentine Dance
	No lazy days for these retirees
	Self-serve PeopleSoft coming soon
	Local artists color Greenblatt Library
	MCG faculty contribute to ASU Lecture Series
	Grant will improve psychological care for MS patients
	Pediatrician explores mind-body healing with fellowship
	Research Roundup
	Reaching out to help
	Beeper Survey: You spoke, we listened

Featured Health Information:
Metronome beat may improve brain function

*Photos*:
Welcome, aboard!
Joining hands and voices

*Regular Features:*
Bits'n Bytes GroupWise Instant Messaging
Swell Award Cynthia McKie is Swell
Milestones
Pet Gazette

Additional Information

MCG Tomorrow Magazine

Science/Medical News

Ongoing MCG Studies

Beeper Survey: You spoke, we listened

The 2005 Beeper Survey was a success!

A special thank you goes to the 369 of you who took the time to voice your opinion about your campus newspaper.

Eighty-seven respondents took the time to write in comments, to which we found a common theme that needs to be addressed – printing costs. Several comments suggested we print fewer Beepers per department, or only distribute Beepers via newsstands to reduce printing costs and delivery manpower. As editor, I would like to reiterate to readers that no MCG dollars have been spent on Beeper printing costs since 1990, when MCG partnered with Graphic Advertising. This vendor sells advertisements to cover printing costs and MCG receives a “free” periodical to communicate with its employees, faculty and students. (MCG pays non-profit rate mailing costs to send the Beeper to retirees and corporate partners.)

MCG Mail Services man-hours have been halved due to our pre-sorted mailing list. The Human Resources Divisions of both MCG and MCG Health, Inc. deliver mailing lists that are pre-sorted by department code. The printing vendor bundles newspapers by this code and delivers them to the MCG Mailroom. MCG retirees are pre-sorted by zip code and mailed bulk to reduce mailing costs.

We hope readers and MCG supporters see that every effort has been made to print and deliver the Beeper at minimal cost to the institution.

Furthermore, as the institution’s official print communication vehicle, the Beeper is delivered by name to employees of MCG and MCG Health, Inc. Both institutions feel it is important that every full-time employee receive notice of key events, programs, policies and institutional achievements.

Effective communication is a two-way street. Institutional publications need input from all members of the MCG community to optimize their effectiveness. The Division of University Advancement encourages your submission of feature story ideas, news and events for publication in the Beeper, the MyMCG Web portal, as well as MCG Today, MCG’s quarterly magazine. A schedule of Beeper deadlines is available at www.mcg.edu/news/beeper/deadlines. Submissions should be sent to me, at ejones@mcg.edu. MyMCG announcements should be sent to NEEDTOKNOW@mcg.edu. Story ideas for MCG Today should be sent to Christine Deriso at cderiso@mcg.edu.

Thank you again for the tremendous response to the Beeper survey. We look forward to your continued support.

Sincerely,

Ellen Gladden Jones
Beeper Editor

2005 Beeper survey results

A detailed analysis of the survey responses is under way and will be used to continue improvements to the content and format of the Beeper. A basic breakdown of the responses follows:

Who participated?

76.5 percent female.
37 percent students; 33 percent campus staff; 21 percent MCGHI staff; 6 percent faculty; 2 percent retirees.
42 percent age 21-30; 27 percent age 41-50; 19 percent age 31-40; 9 percent age 51-60
69 percent white; 19 percent African-American; 6 percent Asian; 2 percent Hispanic
Campus participants were 80 percent of respondents (School of Allied Health Sciences 12 percent; School of Dentistry 11 percent; School of Graduate Studies 6 percent; School of Medicine 27 percent; School of Nursing 7 percent; Administration 7 percent; Finance 4 percent; Provost 9 percent; other campus 4 percent).
MCGHI and PPG employees comprised 20 percent of responses.

How do respondents get and read the Beeper?

58 percent receive print version in campus mail (2 percent receive via U.S. mail, i.e. retirees)
35 percent pick up a copy from the Beeper newsstands.
50 percent have never read the online version.
19 percent of print readers report they read the Beeper “cover to cover.” 62 percent of respondents report they “read some, scan some.”

What do respondents read regularly?

Newsbriefs 53 percent; Campus Beat 48 percent; Hidden Name contest 40 percent; Milestones 39 percent; Bits & Bytes 37 percent; MCG Marketplace 34 percent; SWELL Award 31 percent; Pet Gazette 26 percent; Buzzles 24 percent. (Total includes percentage of responses marked “read regularly” as opposed to “read occasionally,” “read rarely,” or “never read.”)

How is the Beeper’s coverage of MCG topics?

Greater than 60 percent of respondents felt there is adequate coverage of campus events, faculty achievements and public safety news
Greater than 50 percent of respondents felt there is adequate coverage of academic programs; School of Dentistry news; fundraising efforts; School of Medicine news; research; student achievements and student activities.
Approximately 5 percent of respondents felt the Beeper had inadequate coverage of University System of Georgia policies, MCG policies and procedures, diversity initiatives and human resources news
Respondents felt there was “somewhat inadequate” coverage of strategic planning (15 percent); legislative issues (20 percent) and facilities planning (14 percent).

Other facts:

In the last 12 months, 55 percent of respondents report they have patronized a business that advertises in the Beeper 1 to 3 times.
In the last 12 months, 25 percent of respondents report they have responded to a classified advertisement in the Beeper 1 to 3 times.

Special thanks to Health Center Credit Union for a $50 donation for the survey participant drawing.

Medical College of Georgia
Please email comments, suggestions or questions to:
Sharron Walls,

January 19, 2006