ASUnited (Arizona State University WeBlog)

An ASU Alumni Association update from Dr. Christine K. Wilkinson,
President, ASU Alumni Association
Senior Vice President and Secretary of the University

The ASU Alumni Association continued to strengthen the Sun Devil community in 2011, as our organization evolved to meet the needs of our members. We were able to enhance the alumni experience successfully, advance the university and honor Sun Devil traditions, and as a result our membership has grown to more than 27,000 members strong. We’re especially encouraged by membership growth in the Student Alumni Association, which increased 181 percent for a total of more than 6,800 members.

Our members enjoyed great benefits thanks to our corporate partners, which include Verizon, Liberty Mutual, Atlasta Catering, Dell, Hensley & Co. Phoenix, Sun Devil Campus Stores, az magazine, and the hotels listed on our ASU Travel Website. On-campus partners such as the Lyric Opera Theatre and the School of Music provided prizes for contests and tickets for member thank-you events.

Alumni Career Resources, our career-focused alumni initiative that was launched late last year, blossomed during 2011. The program provides career coaching, our popular networking mixers, and educational seminars, which in 2011 included sessions on executive recruiting tips, making the most of career transitions, and work/life balance.

Alumni Career Resources is one part of a comprehensive outreach strategy. Other Alumni Association programs active during 2011 included:

• Arizona State Young Alumni spun off affiliate groups for Sun Devils under age 35 in Houston, New York City, San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago and Washington, D.C.
• Sun Devil Generations, the Alumni Association’s group for ASU families, held child-centered events that included Storytime with Sparky, Fingerpaint the “A,” and Arts & Crafts Day.
• Our members-only travel program, Sun Devil Destinations, sponsored trips to Israel, Ireland, Spain, the islands of Greece and many other exciting locations.

Another opportunity to serve Sun Devil alumni comes when ASU alumni gather for special events, and the Alumni Association hosted plenty right here in the Valley of the Sun and from coast to coast. One in particular set an all-time high for attendance when more than 1,200 people attended our Legends Luncheon that honored legendary Coach Frank Kush and his football players during Homecoming Week. It was a highlight to gather more than 200 Sun Devils who played on the gridiron and pay tribute to the extraordinary successes of the ASU football program.

Our ability to serve Sun Devils who live out of state continues to expand, thanks to our thriving network of alumni chapters, clubs and connection groups. The Alumni Association now has 90 such groups, including 21 international chapters. We launched a chapter this year for ASU alumni veterans, a one-of-a-kind program that advances veterans initiatives for current students as well as alumni who have served in the military. Chapters sponsor a broad mix of programming that includes networking mixers and game-watching tailgates, as well as community service events.

In addition to the services we provide for our alumni, the ASU Alumni Association also sponsors a number of student initiatives. In 2011, the Alumni Association’s Legacy Scholarship entered its second year, with scholarships awarded to 13 students who were relatives of a dues-paying ASUAA member. The Medallion scholarship program, which is funded by the ASU collegiate (“Sparky”) license plate, served 103 scholars, including a cohort of 23 who will graduate in May. A new all-gold “Sparky” plate design, introduced last year, has proven to be a hit – 14,000 plates were on Arizona’s roads at the end of June 2011.

As we look forward to 2012, I’d like to thank all who joined or upgraded their membership this year. You can become a dues-paying member of the Alumni Association by using our secure online site or by calling 1-800-ALUMNUS.

If you’d like to hear more highlights from the Alumni Association’s activities and programs in 2011, tune into this month’s episode of The Alumni Experience podcast.

For a broader picture of what’s going on at ASU, visit the university’s recently released annual report for the fiscal year 2011, which ended on June 30. It’s filled with interesting information about the groundbreaking research and scholarship that makes ASU an exemplar of the New American University. There’s a section of the annual report dedicated to showcasing the Alumni Association’s alumni engagement efforts.

Best wishes to you and Happy New Year!

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