Working with the Alumni Association, ITD mailed out a survey last summer to alumni living in Michigan. The responses, which were not surprising, indicated that some alumni did indeed want to retain many of the computing services they had as students. The ability to easily contact faculty for references and professional advice can be a big help when job hunting. Alumni are very enthusiastic about being in touch with other alumni around the country. New members can complete an easy online form with information such as the years they attended the University, degrees earned, current profession, places lived while on campus, classes taken, and clubs joined.
Members choose which and how much information to include.
The resulting searchable information makes it easier for old friends to find each other. The U-M Online User Guide, sent to all new members, contains information on how to connect to the Internet and how to use the World Wide Web. Bookmarks to the University's Gateway page and many other places of interest are already in place when you first open Netscape Navigator. U-M Online members can also create their own personal Web pages. Academic Information U-M Online is significantly different from commercial online service providers in that it provides academic information that is specifically related to the University of Michigan.