Email reaching out to new India university

Sent from a Campus Ambassador

Note: be sure to replace the parts in [BRACKETS] with the appropriate information!]]

Dear Professor [NAME],

My name is [YOUR NAME]; [SOME INFORMATION ABOUT HOW YOU KNOW THE PROFESSOR - FOR EXAMPLE, SOMETHING LIKE "I WAS A STUDENT IN YOUR CLASS LAST SEMESTER." OR, IF YOU KNOW THE PROFESSOR VERY WELL, SEND PERSONAL GREETINGS.]. I have recently been selected as one of the very first Wikipedia Campus Ambassadors in Pune by the Wikimedia Foundation - the non-profit organization that operates Wikipedia.

This year, the Wikimedia Foundation plans to start an India Education Program. Our goal is to encourage professors and teachers in India to join a growing global community of educators who use Wikipedia as a teaching tool in their classes. Simply put, professors in the program assign their students to write Wikipedia articles as part of the class, supported by a team of Wikipedia experts - the Wikipedia Campus Ambassadors - in class. Professors at colleges and universities in the United States (including Harvard University, UC Berkeley, and Georgetown University) have already successfully participated in a similar program in the 2010-2011 academic terms. Our feedback from these professors has been outstanding. Therefore, we are now excited to expand our activities to other countries.

As a first step, we are launching the India Education Program at select universities and colleges in Pune. I would really encourage you to participate in this program because I think you and your class would be a very good fit for this!

You and your institution would be undertaking pioneering work in the Indian educational system and setting an example for other academicians and authorities all over India. Your students would benefit by learning their core subjects - but doing so while also building skills in research, critical thinking and writing. You and your teachers would be using an innovative, collaborative and engaging teaching model that has proven to be very successful in the United States (and that has attracted a lot of media/press attention).

Would you be interested in talking with Wikimedia about the India Education Program and ways we could work together? Representatives from the Wikimedia Foundation will be visiting Pune (from their headquarters in San Francisco) between June 1-7; at that time, they would greatly appreciate the opportunity to meet with you in person and speak further about a possible collaboration. They also request you to invite any interested colleagues to join this meeting.

Can I request you to reply back to this email anytime this week regarding a meeting date, time and location (between June 1–7) that is convenient for you and your colleagues? Also, feel free to let me know if you have any questions.

Respectfully,

[YOUR NAME]

Sent from Wikimedia staff

Note from Annie: for professors who were recommended by a Campus Ambassador applicant (as indicated on the Google Doc "Pune select schools"), I would highly recommend adding in something like this into the first paragraph of the email message, maybe after the opening sentence: "I am contacting you at the recommendation of one of your students, who suggested that you are interested in innovative teaching approaches." What we found in the U.S. is that mentioning any mutual acquaintance - even an unnamed one - significantly increases the likelihood that the email recipient will reply.

Dear Professor …,

My name is Frank Schulenburg; I am Head of the Global University Program for the Wikimedia Foundation - the non-profit organization that operates Wikipedia.

This year, our Foundation plans to start an India Education Program. Our goal is to encourage professors and teachers in India to join a growing global community of educators who use Wikipedia as a teaching tool in their classes. Simply put, professors in the program assign their students to write Wikipedia articles as part of the class, supported by a team of Wikipedia experts we provide to you in class. Professors at colleges and universities in the United States (including Harvard University, UC Berkeley, and Georgetown University) have already successfully participated in a similar program in the 2010-2011 academic terms. Our feedback from these professors has been outstanding. Therefore, we are now excited to expand our activities to other countries.

As a first step, we are launching the India Education Program at select universities and colleges in Pune. Considering your institution's academic reputation, we would be honored if you would participate.

Your institution (and you) would be undertaking pioneering work in the Indian educational system and setting an example for other academicians and authorities all over India. Your students would benefit by learning their core subjects - but doing so while also building skills in research, critical thinking and writing. You and your teachers would be using an innovative, collaborative and engaging teaching model that has proven to be very successful in the United States (and that has attracted a lot of media/press attention). Attached to this email is additional information about the details and benefits of the program.

Would you be interested in talking with us about the India Education Program and ways we could work together? I will be leading an advance team from our headquarters in San Francisco on a visit to Pune between June 1-7. At that time, we would greatly appreciate the opportunity to meet with you in person and speak further about a possible collaboration. I would also request you to invite any interested colleagues to join this meeting.

Can I request you to reply back to this email anytime before May 27th regarding a meeting date, time and location (between June 1–7) that is convenient for you and your colleagues. Also, feel free to let us know if you have any questions.

Respectfully,

Frank Schulenburg