Vol. 19, No. 7Oct. 14, 1999

Web site premieres for 1999 United Way drive on campus

The University's 1999 United Way campaign kicked off Wednesday, Oct. 13, with the announcement by Nancy Wallace, Human Resources, that UD employees will be able to complete their pledge forms on the World Wide Web for the first time.

"As an institution known for its groundbreaking use of technology, it's only fitting that we have enlisted some of that technology in support of our campaign," Wallace said at the kickoff celebration in the Bob Carpenter Center. "With the help of Management Information Services/Information Technologies, our employees who choose to do so will now be able to complete their pledging information on the World Wide Web using a secure electronic form."

The electronic pledge form is part of a new campaign web site-located at <www.udel.edu/ unitedway> and from a special link on the University's home page-also unveiled at the kickoff event, which was attended by more than 130 solicitors from all segments of the campus.

"With U There's A Better Way" is the theme for the 1999 United Way campaign, which runs through Oct. 29. Vice President for Administration Maxine Colm opened the celebration and announced that this year's UD campaign goal is $210,000, noting that the campus more than exceeded last year's goal of $200,000.

"Our University colleagues have been generous contributors of their funds and their time, recognizing the importance and value of the United Way's work in our community,"Colm said. "At the same time, many of us either have benefited directly from the work of a United Way agency or know someone who has.

"In fact, our relationship with United Way is a special tradition that is an important part of campus life at the University of Delaware. It's a tradition that helps define the sense of community that we so value at UD," she said.

University President David P. Roselle told the solicitors, "Your willingness to play an active and important role in UD's fund drive demonstrates the fundamental sense of community that we enjoy here at UD: People care about one another, and they respond when they know others are in need.

"That's what the United Way is all about. We support-through our gifts of money or our gifts of time, or both-the many agencies providing important services to all segments of the greater community," he said.

The annual kickoff reception, which was shared via an electronic link with Southern Delaware solicitors in Lewes, also featured the premiere of this year's campaign video, produced by Media Services.

"We're excited about our two new endeavors: the electronic pledge form and web site," Joyce Dennis Henderson, recruitment and employment and chairperson of the University's United Way campaign. "We think the electronic pledge form will be very popular with our many employees who are already using the web for many of their routine transactions, and for those who prefer the traditional method we will still have paper forms. Plus, there's a special incentive for those who use the electronic pledge form: A chance to win a two-night hotel stay for two at Baltimore's Inner Harbor, including two round-trip Amtrak train tickets, donated by UniGlobe-Campbell Travel.

"Our web site, which was developed by the Office of Public Relations and Media Services/Visual Media Design, gives us the ability to make the campaign video widely available," she said. "Essentially, anyone with web access can look at it whenever they want. And, the web site also features a variety of useful information on the campaign, from an online version of our solicitors' guide to a complete list of our campaign incentives, as well as campaign news."

1999 Campaign Incentives

Again this year, an incentive program is being offered for employees who donate to the campaign. To be eligible, employees must give