The Arkansas Alumni Association announces the University of Arkansas Alumni: Today 2009 publication. Scheduled for release in October, this collector’s edition will be the most complete and up-to-date reference of more than 137,000 University of Arkansas alumni worldwide.
Working in partnership with Harris Connect, LLC, the leading alumni directory publisher, we have begun sending out questionnaires to all alumni to update and verify your profile for inclusion in the directory. To make networking easy with fellow alumni, we will include residence and business information, as well as e-mail addresses. You will also have the chance to vote on your favorite cover and submit a photo and essay about yourself.
When contacted, please take a few moments to verify that we have complete and accurate information. This new publication promises to be the most definitive, comprehensive reference guide available as a classic library-quality book or CD-Rom. After your response is received and your data is verified or updated, you will receive a postcard from Harris Connect giving you the opportunity to reserve a copy of the book.
Update (March 3, 2009):
Our first e-mail invitation to verify & update your information went out and several people are concerned over it being legit. The e-mails come from alumnibroadcasts@harrisconnect.com with the subject line “Verification of University of Arkansas Alumni Information”. We apologies for any inconvenience that this might have caused anyone and hope that you’ll take a minute to verify & update your information.
Update (April 6, 2009):
The phoning phase of the University of Arkansas Alumni: Today 2009 publication will begin on Monday, April 13, 2009. If you wish to phone in your record updates, please call Harris Connect toll free at 800-488-9148. The phone line will be activated on Friday, April 10, 2009.
Update (May 5, 2009):
On Monday, May 18, 2009, Harris Connect will start calling alumni as part of the second phoning phase of the alumni directory project. This brief telephone call will ensure your listing is accurate and up-to-date. If you wish to phone in your record updates, please call Harris Connect toll free at 800-488-9148.
Thank you in advance for your help and cooperation!
I can’t believe, especially in this day of identity theft, that you are violating your alumni’s privacy by publishing their private information in a directory without getting their permission or giving them a chance to opt-out. You need to figure out how to accomplish this, and quickly, because if you go ahead with this you are opening yourself to a HUGE liability and rightly so. Right in the middle of a huge and stressful ice storm, I received a postcard informing me that in spite of my notifying you not to call me, you’ve decided you are going to start calling me and disturbing me in my home again for marketing purposes. Now you are publishing my private information without my permission. What is WRONG with your people? This is no way to treat your valued alumni!
Marty, we apologize for the message being unclear, the reason we are sending this is to give everyone the chance to opt-out or update their information prior to the directories release. It is by no mean our intention to publish anyone’s information in the directory that does not wish to be listed. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused and will exclude you from the directory as per your request.
Everyone, if you would like to be excluded from the directory project please let us know by emailing records@arkansasalumni.org or contacting us at 1-888-275-2586.
I didn’t get the email.
Class of 1988. B.S. Child Development and Family Studies
Laurine, we didn’t have an email address on file for you, so that’s why you didn’t get the email. You will receive a print copy soon, or you can update your information online! Thanks for your support!
Get over it Marty. How much money do You donate to the University to consider yourself a valued alumnus?
Will these be available for purchase and will we be contacted when they are printed?
The directory is scheduled for release in October. Only graduates of the University of Arkansas and members of the Arkansas Alumni Association will be listed in the directory and be able to purchase the directory. We will update this post with instructions for ordering once it become available along with sending out email notifications for people with valid email address in our system.
The phoning phase of the University of Arkansas Alumni: Today 2009 publication will begin on Monday, April 13, 2009. If you wish to phone in your record updates, please call Harris Connect toll free at 800-488-9148. The phone line will be activated on Friday, April 10, 2009.
I’m looking forward to receiving my copy, placed my order today. Will the alumni association receive a portion of the proceeds? Hopefully so. Thanks.
The Arkansas Alumni Association does not benefit financially from this product. We have produced a directory every 5 years as a service to our alumni; but it also allows us to gain the most up to date information on the University of Arkansas Family.
On Monday, May 18, 2009, Harris Connect will start calling alumni as part of the second phoning phase of the alumni directory project. This brief telephone call will ensure your listing is accurate and up-to-date. If you wish to phone in your record updates, please call Harris Connect toll free at 800-488-9148.
I am a recent graduate. Where do I go to get my one year free membership? Thanks for your help.
Rachel, Our Graduation Gift for New Grads is One FREE Year of Membership (a $25 value free) in the Arkansas Alumni Association. Your membership is automatically activated upon graduation and clearance of your degree from the registrar’s office.
Can’t help but be nervous about this since I was called out of the blue today — at work no less. Since the caller had a lot of information on me already, I only added my home phone (hooked up to machine and easily ignored) and e-mail (not my primary box), but was still mentally kicking myself for giving even that, as the man started immediately to go into the hard sell, saying I couldn’t order the book later but had to commit now to over $60 for a softbound volume (forgot how much he said for hardbound) that I would likely just put on my shelf and forget. If this page on your website hadn’t been here, I would be reporting this as a scam.
John, we apologize for the call out of the blue and have talked with Harris about making sure that they are letting people know they are calling on behalf of the Arkansas Alumni Association. We’d love to get your preferred contact information so that former classmates and friends will be able to stay in touch with you and we can keep you connected to the University of Arkansas. If you would rather not have your information published or would like to make any changes to what you provided them please feel free to contact us at records@arkansasalumni.org or call 1-888-275-2586.
I would like to email all my information for the publication of University of Arkansas Alumni: Today.
Where can I do this or is it still available to do it?
Jacob, it is not too late. You can send your updated information to us at records@arkansasalumni.org or online at http://www.arkansasalumni.org/myprofile. We will make sure that your information gets updated for the University of Arkansas Alumni: Today publication.