Supporting Through Service

We dedicate this issue of The Ella Nash Society newsletter to the thousands of volunteers who work tirelessly to advance the College’s mission, and we invite you to learn about the myriad ways that you may be more actively involved in your Allegheny community.

Keri Fadden was named the College’s first director of alumni engagement in 2013. (Many of you will recall Keri from her days in the Office of Student Involvement and the Learning Commons.) Under her direction, our Volunteers in Support of Allegheny (VISA) program is expanding and now includes many opportunities for service, largely in conjunction with the Admissions and Career Education offices.

One of Keri’s charges was to oversee the development of an online community to connect alumni with students and one another, and rally thousands of volunteers in service to Allegheny—all in one place. We were delighted to launch Gator Connect in January 2017.

In 2015–16,
3,000
alumni volunteered for Allegheny.

Gator Connect features descriptions of current, typically short-term, volunteer opportunities (some are seasonal) and the means to sign up for them—from writing letters to prospective students to helping mentor current students to planning reunion activities. Gator Connect also includes information on volunteer opportunities with various academic programs in the classroom and other settings.

In addition, some of the College’s academic programs convene advisory committees and host short residencies for alumni professionals in their fields. The Center for Business & Economics (CBE), for example, has a 24-member advisory Board of Visitors that meets annually on campus. The CBE also hosts executives-in-residence who come to campus for one or two days to speak to classes, meet to provide career guidance to students and present a public lecture.


“See the “Gator Connect” page for key volunteer activities and details on signing up.”


In addition to volunteerism directed toward students and recent graduates, Allegheny relies upon alumni, parents and friends who devote extended time and energy on behalf of the College as a whole. At right are key leadership posts.

This newsletter showcases many of the most common volunteer activities, but Alleghenians serve the College in many other ways. Volunteers advise Greek and other student organizations, support athletics, help first-year students to move into residence halls, entertain us with their choral singing, document and share our history, and lend a hand when asked.

Allegheny is 200-plus years strong and growing because so many individuals like you care—and we could not be more grateful.

Gator Connect