Changes Coming for The Whistle

For decades, The Whistle has been a mainstay of connecting employees to the happenings at Georgia Tech. Before email, it was the primary way news was disseminated to faculty and staff members. It has captured the stories of presidential visits and mayoral inaugurations, the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, research breakthroughs, faculty and staff achievements, policy changes, and campus growth.

As email and digital communications became part of work life, The Whistle continued to serve an important role and stood out as a print publication in a world of digital noise. Well into the 2010s, faculty and staff members regularly replied to survey outreach, sharing their affection for a print channel, with stories of reading it on the Tech Trolley or being glad to find it in their mailbox every other week.

The Covid-19 pandemic changed many things in our lives, including how we work and how we receive information. Many employees now avail themselves of a hybrid work schedule, coming to campus fewer days per week. Others have moved to a new workspace where they don’t have a dedicated desk or office, but instead share space with others and sit somewhere different each day.

At the onset of the pandemic, The Whistle pivoted to a digital publication that has since been shared as a pdf in the Daily Digest every other week. After three years of operating in this format, The Whistle is relaunching as a biweekly email publication beginning Monday, April 24.

Though the format will change, the vision and content remain the same. The Whistle is designed to enhance the experience of working at Georgia Tech by sharing information employees can use to perform their jobs better and connect to the greater Georgia Tech community. It will continue to share important news updates, personal stories, upcoming events, classified ads, and other pertinent information that captures the operations and the spirit of the Institute. Stories and content will be prioritized based on what is relevant to the greatest number of employees and how it reflects or supports Georgia Tech’s strategic goals and values.

All faculty and staff members will receive The Whistle and may choose to opt out at any time. Others are also welcome to opt in or out at any time. It will continue to be published every other Monday, with a brief hiatus in December for winter break.

We hope finding The Whistle in your email inbox is as informative and delightful as it was finding it in your campus mailbox — if perhaps a bit less inky. We welcome feedback during this transition at editor@comm.gatech.edu.

Kristen Bailey
Editor-in-Chief, The Whistle
Director of Campus News
Institute Communications