External Volunteer Leadership for Academic Program Posted on October 9th, 2009 by Barb Larson Taylor

Recommendation from the Community Engagement Task Force:

Create volunteer leadership councils of alumni, parents and friends for interested academic major or interdisciplinary program.

Additional explanation:

Support academic excellence by broadening the experiences for students and faculty outside of the classroom by involving volunteers in meaningful and mutually beneficial engagement. The council could provide faculty/staff with information on emerging industry or professional trends; assist students with internships or career exploration; provide guest lectures; mentor individual students; engage in online discussions; and assist in the admission effort. Volunteers can provide a link from the classroom to the professional world; help students to see the practical application for disciplinary knowledge; and help them understand the social, political, ethical context in which knowledge is connected to action.

This recommendation was placed in the Lifelong Engagement Strategic Framework Substantive Category using the language:

Substantially increase alumni engagement by reinventing the alumni class leadership structure, creating volunteer management of social networking sites, and establishing formal programs connecting alumni with academic departments and alumni-driven shared interest groups.

This recommendation was placed is Tier 1 and is being monitored by the Vice President for Institutional Advancement.