Drexel University’s Goodwin College of Professional Studies recently announced its own online magazine, Goodwin Live, to offer a forum where current and past members of the Goodwin community can interact with each other. Although some articles have been up since August, the website was officially launched Sept. 6.
“Goodwin Live is an interactive communication tool that I encourage all members of the Goodwin community to visit often,” William F. Lynch, dean of Goodwin College, said. “It’s a go-to resource for students, faculty, alumni and staff, and also provides an opportunity for them to connect. It features content on all things Goodwin, from academic programming to community outreach.”
Anyone related to the Goodwin community can submit story ideas using an online form found on the website. Proposed examples of submissions include personal or critical essays, news articles, memoirs and other written pieces, in addition to photos or videos.
One example of an article on the website is one about Goodwin alumnus Tom McCusker, the owner of the Tex-Mex food truck Honest Tom’s Taco Shop, usually seen on the corner of 33rd and Arch streets. Other pieces on Goodwin Live include the success stories of other alumni as well as new updates on programs within Goodwin College.
“We are looking to feature anything and everything of note that relates to Goodwin College,” Kristen Hampton, the editor of Goodwin Live, wrote in an email. “This blog is really the place for students to use their voices. With alumni submissions, current students can get a snapshot of what life is like after graduation, the challenges and rewards of starting and building a career, and what types of experiences graduates have had in the professional world. We welcome submissions from faculty and staff as well.”
Hampton reported that so far the “blogazine” has received submissions from students both in Philadelphia and at Drexel’s Center for Graduate Studies in Sacramento, Calif. Lynch has also used the blog to post an introductory message welcoming Goodwin members to the site, and he has plans to use Goodwin Live in the future to further communicate with students and faculty.
“My hope is that members of the Goodwin community will visit the site often, spark new connections with individuals they may not have met in their own programs, and find it useful. Goodwin students, faculty, staff and alumni are doing such extraordinary things, and we want to tell everyone about it,” Hampton stated.
The idea to create an online publication forum for Goodwin was first dreamed up in the spring of 2011, when the marketing department at Goodwin, which also collaborates with Goodwin Live, was searching for a way to communicate with the College.
“What we ultimately wanted to develop was a site where students could connect with their peers and learn a little bit more about their peers and faculty members in other programs. We knew we wanted all members of the Goodwin community (students, alumni, faculty and staff) to be able to participate, too,” Hampton explained. “Finally, we realized we needed a College-specific tool to communicate news and events occurring around the College to the entire community.”
Goodwin Live does not have its own Twitter account or Facebook page, but it is using the social media accounts for Goodwin College to put out its own information. However, visitors to the site can sign up to receive text message notifications about new posts or updates from the blog.