Falcon Stories is a 12-month CUW Alumni Association oral history project that will be launched in December 2025 and will collect thousands of alumni oral histories, archiving them in a digital archive. Many of the stories will also be printed in a commemorative book. We would appreciate the participation of so many alumni in this project. With the commemorative book and the digital archive, your memories will live on for Falcons to come.
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The Falcon Stories project
Every Falcon has a story, and the CUW Alumni Association wants to hear yours. However, with over 40,000 living alumni, it would take many years to meet with each of you individually. That’s why we’ve decided to embark on a new project called Falcon Stories to collect the stories of alumni like you in your own words.
These stories will be preserved in a book that celebrates the impact Concordia University Wisconsin has had on your lives and who you are today. Every year we don’t capture and preserve these stories feels like another opportunity lost, so we’re excited to get started today!
Your story
So, what story will you tell?
- Did a special faculty or staff member have a profound impact on your life?
- Did you find your Falcon sweetheart at CUW?
- Can you trace your career path back to a defining moment at our alma mater?
- Have connections you made on campus turned into lifelong friendships?
- Were you on campus during a historical moment?
- Are you a Falcon legacy?
As part of this project, we are also taking this opportunity to help make it easier for you to stay connected to CUW. PCI will help us collect updated contact information from those of you who may have moved and inadvertently lost touch with your alma mater.
What’s Next?
Soon you will be receiving email and postcard communications from the PCI team with instructions on how to participate. We’d like to invite you to share one of your stories with us and take part in this first of its kind project to honor the experiences and voices of our alumni. The PCI team will collect stories until June 2026. After that, they will enter a post-production phase editing the data. We hope to have the book distributed in late spring 2027.
We look forward to hearing from each and every one of you regarding your memories of this very special place!
Partnership
With our limited resources, we’d never be able to tackle a project like this. By partnering with PCI (Publishing Concepts), we’re able to access their trained staff of real, live human beings who are excited to listen to what you have to share. PCI will also help collect and assemble the stories into the Falcon Stories book that we can share with all Falcons. Please note, we have only shared your contact information with PCI in conjunction with this project. We have not sold your contact information, or otherwise used it for outside marketing purposes.
What to look for
Below is an example of a postcard you will receive in the mail. This is an official postcard from the CUW Alumni Association, distributed by our partner PCI. Once you receive the postcard, please follow the instructions to update your information and set up an interview time to share your Falcon Stories.
Here is an example of an email you will receive in your inbox. Once you receive the email, please follow the instructions to update your information and set up an interview time to share your Falcon Stories. If you do not receive it, please take this opportunity to call PCI at 1-800-982-1590 and update your contact information so we can stay connected.
Frequently asked questions
No. This project is being done at no cost to the CUW. The project is completely funded by the alumni who choose to purchase the Falcon Stories book that will be produced at the end of the project. Various book packages will be offered. PCI will also offer you the option to purchase other CUW branded merchandise such as a blanket and pullover, and others. You are welcome to purchase these items, but you are not required to do so to participate in the project or order the Falcon Stories book. Again, we’d never be able to embark on a project like this without the support of our amazing alumni and the partnership with PCI. We sincerely thank every person that participates and chooses to purchase the book.
We have partnered with PCI (also known as Publishing Concepts) to produce an Oral History Publication for the CUW Alumni Association. PCI is a company located in Dallas, TX that publishes directories for educational institutions, fraternities, sororities and military organizations across the nation. This project allows other CUW Alumni to hear about your personal experiences and explain how it and CUW has helped shape your lives.
Yes, in a few different ways:
- Legacy – Preserves the oral history of our school.
- Updated Information – Allows us to effectively communicate with and engage alumni.
- Revenue – Generates membership revenue for alumni programs.
- Pride – Wearing apparel shows support and love for our school.
The CUW Alumni Association has a contractual agreement with PCI that states:
The names, addresses and information provided to PCI by the CUW Alumni Association for the publication of the Oral History Publication will be held confidential by PCI, except to the extent that they are utilized in, or in the preparation of, the Oral History Publication and except as required by court order or law.
The Oral History Publication will be made available only to alumni of CUW. Upon completion of the project, PCI will return to the CUW any and all electronic files that have been supplied by the CUW Alumni or produced by PCI in connection with the production of the Oral History Publication (Falcon Stories).
If you have received a postcard or an email with a telephone number, you may call the number to speak with a dedicated representative for the Oral History Publication. The representative will verify all the information we have on file for you, make any updates where needed, then ask you to share your story about your time at CUW. Your story will be recorded, and the sound clip provided to the CUW Alumni Association at the conclusion of the project.
If you have received an email with an embedded link, you may go to the online site to review your information and submit a story. If you have questions, you may call PCI’s customer service desk at 1-800-982-1590.
You can call back at any time to share your story or schedule a call back with an agent.
You will receive an email with a link to upload up to two photos plus captions.
If you have also purchased a book but do not have an email address on file, you will be sent a photo mailer to send physical photos in to be printed (note: photos will be returned if you include a self-addressed, stamped envelope).
You will receive an email prior to publication with a link to review your transcribed story and make any edits.
You may share as little or as much as you’d like. Some people only want to share a story, others only want to share a photo and caption.
A Concordia University Wisconsin Alumni Oral History Project book is available for sale only to Concordia University Wisconsin alumni.
When you call to update your information, you can tell the representative what information you prefer to have excluded. You may also communicate this information to the PCI customer service desk at 1-800-982-1590 or to the CUW Office of Alumni & Parent Relations at alumni@cuw.edu.
Call the PCI customer service help desk at 1-800-982-1590 and they will take care of this for you.
Contact information
If you have any other questions regarding the project, please reach out to PCI customer service desk at 1-800-982-1590 or the CUW Office of Alumni & Parent Relations at alumni@cuw.edu.