We asked. And more than 200 of you—from Texas to Minnesota, Massachusetts to California, and Florida to Washington—responded.

Here are a few of the results from the readership survey we mailed last fall to a randomly selected group of UTA Magazine readers. For a complete summary, visit https://www.uta.edu/utamagazine/survey2005/.

• We asked how interested you are in 13 subjects on a scale of 1 (very interested) to 5 (not at all interested). The following received ratings of 1 or 2 from the largest percentage of respondents: University news/events (79.4 percent), academic programs (74.9 percent), research (68.9 percent), alumni profiles (67.7 percent).
  
  
• The following sections are the most read. Figures indicate the percentage of respondents who say they read the section: feature stories 92.9 percent, Yesteryear (University history) 81.7 percent, Campus Buzz (University news) 79.4 percent, Alum News (Alumni Association news and events) 73.9 percent.
  
  
• Of those who receive magazines from other universities, 84 percent say UTA Magazine is good, very good or excellent in comparison. About 13 percent answered “don’t know.”
  
  
• Nearly 66 percent read most or all of the magazine.
  
  
• More than 75 percent spend at least 30 minutes reading the magazine.
  
  
• Approximately 95 percent rate the writing, photography, content and overall design/format as good, very good or excellent.
  
  
• Perhaps most significant, 99 percent of respondents who attended UT Arlington rate the quality of their education as good, very good or excellent.
  

A heartfelt “thank you” to those who completed the survey. Many of you even took the time to answer our open-ended question: What do you think would improve the magazine?

Comments ranged from more stories about history, community involvement, research and successful alumni to more pages, more humor, more controversy and more funding. One note, in particular, caught my attention.

“This survey will make me read the magazine closer from now on,” wrote one reader. “I did not realize I valued it so much until I received this questionnaire.”

We are proud to produce a publication that our readers value. A large percentage of you indicated that the magazine strengthens your connection to UT Arlington and makes you proud of your association with the University.

Alumni magazine guru Tom Griffin, editor of Columns at the University of Washington, compiled a list of 10 common mistakes when sending a readership survey. Among them: ignoring the results.

We won’t.

We will use your feedback to make UTA Magazine an even more engaging and effective communication tool—one that represents the University’s commitment to excellence in research, teaching and public service.

— Mark Permenter