SIG Focus: Alumni Representatives

From the July 13, 2016 NACAC Bulletin:

Co-Leaders of the Alumni Representatives Special Interest Group
Joshua Levy, Oberlin College (OH)
Andrew Carter, College of the Holy Cross (MA)

NACAC Special Interest Groups (SIGs) nurture the growing diversity in our association by providing “micro” communities where members can network and add value to their membership experience. These smaller subsets of members are formed for the purpose of knowledge sharing and discussion among members with similar interests whether they are specific subjects, issues or type of institution, or students they serve.

The goal of the Alumni Representatives SIG is to provide a forum for admission counselors who work with alumni volunteers to share their thoughts and experiences. Colleges and universities are increasingly relying on alumni volunteers to speak with students, whether at a college fair or an informal reception or an admission interview.

The Alumni Representatives SIG provides the opportunity for us to talk about best practices in working with alumni volunteers, to share ideas for new programs or methods of training alumni volunteers, or to speak about how to solve problems that might arise. Our hope is that by sharing information, we can help the volunteers and prospective students have a positive experience that enables students to have a solid understanding of our colleges and universities.

The Alumni Representatives SIG meets at the NACAC National Conference. The annual meeting is a wonderful opportunity to meet other admission professionals who are experiencing the same joys and frustrations and to speak candidly about how to overcome some of the obstacles that we find in our path. In addition to the meeting at the conference, there are several email listservs for counselors to post messages and ask questions, the NACAC Exchange Alumni Representatives SIG Group, nacac-alumnivolunteersgroup@oberlin.edu, and necaap@mit.edu.