Students rarely consider what their relationship with Elon will be like after graduation. From freshmen to seniors, the thought is often pushed to the back of the mind.
"Think to a friendship in life where something happened that caused you to put less time and energy into the relationship, and so it drifted apart," said Sallie Hutton, director of alumni engagement and an Elon University graduate. "We do not want your relationship with Elon to be like that."
This is why the Alumni Association at Elon is building a new Vibrant Alumni Network, with the goal of increasing the number of volunteer Elon Alumni from 250 to 750 by 2014. This plan was approved by the Board of Alumni in early May 2011.
Amy Carraux Price graduated from Elon in 2007 and sees the new network as "a spring board for continual alumni engagement."
As the plan for the Vibrant Alumni Network states, there are three components to being an engaged alumni: being an informed and involved partner, being an advocate of Elon and investing in the institution through annual gifts.
Alumni will receive a Menu of Alumni Volunteer Opportunities, which provides reference to various ways they can get involved. Some of the opportunities on the Menu include providing internships to current students, being a guest speaker on campus and assisting with affinity group fundraising.
"I think alumni will be excited to see the expanded opportunities that they will have to be involved with the Alumni Volunteer Network," said 2007 graduate John Gardner. Gardner currently serves as the alumni adviser for Lambda Chi Alpha.
The network will allow alumni to connect with other Elon graduates through local chapters and affinity groups. The chapters hold events that inform them on the changes and happenings at Elon.
The Vibrant Alumni Network also seeks to increase the number of awards given to alumni from seven to 30 by 2014. They hope these awards will be given by the various schools on campus.
The Alumni Association and current alumni both agree that Elon students gain from the Vibrant Alumni Network with more internship, career and mentoring opportunities that are specifically geared toward students in the Elon Career Network, which provides a database of Elon alumni and where they are currently working.
"One thing we can provide is a glimpse of what you might experience when you leave the Elon bubble," said Michael Bumbry, president of the Young Alumni Council.