The Butler Connection has transitioned onto a new site to give students their fill of campus updates. Photo courtesy of butler.edu.

ERIKA OLSEN | STAFF REPORTER | eolsen@butler.edu

The Butler Connection made its last appearance in students’ inboxes on Aug. 1. In its place is Butler Today, a newsletter emailed to students and faculty twice a week, and important announcements when needed. Students received the Butler Today on Sept. 11 for the first time. 

Rachel Stern, director of strategic communication, said in an email that the Butler Today is more visual and engaging. It has the latest campus news, announcements, events, Butler In the News placements and photos.

“We wanted a single, internal-only spot for news about the university, students, faculty, staff, grads and friends,” Stern said in an email.

Thomas Hermsen, a senior psychology and Spanish major, took a few days to notice the silent death of the Connection because he did not read the Connection frequently.

“I know it was very useful in my freshman year, but as an upperclassman, I find it much less of a necessity,” Hermsen said.

Alternatively, Sam Nakis, a sophomore computer science and software engineering major, said she read the Connection every day.

“I personally liked the daily emails because it would either remind me what was going on that day, or I would be able to find out something new,” Nakis said.

Since the site is secured, users are required to log in with their Butler credentials to access the site. 

“We have never had the ability to do that before,” Stern said in the email. “This is simply best practice.”

The site’s original purpose was to inform just faculty and staff, and students could get their news through the Butler App. Yet as the year progressed, they found it would be better for students to receive information from an emailed newsletter as well. Students can submit announcements and events to the site as they would for the Connection through the Butler Today website.