Alumni Networking Initiative Growing and Going Strong in 2008

The Jepson School provides an intense and personal learning experience and most graduates say they leave campus bound closely to their classmates, faculty, staff — and to the institution itself. "We want to keep those connections strong and we believe in taking a collaborative approach to developing programming to serve alumni," says Sue Robinson, Director of Community Programs. "We act only in response to alumni ideas and priorities."

Alumni say their main interests are improving communications with each other, mentoring students, engaging in educational opportunities and becoming more connected to the life of the School. 

"Our smallness, as an institution and as an alumni network, is a real strength," Robinson says. With fewer than 1,000 alumni — many clustered in metro Richmond, the Washington corridor and major East Coast population centers — the Jepson network is accessible. "It's possible for every alumni who wants to be involved on some level to actually do so." 

The Jepson Alumni Networking Committee advises the dean's staff on alumni matters. The committee, formed in 2007, meets twice a year. Members represent their class years and serve for two years before rotating off to make room for new members. The Committee, at its spring semester meeting (meeting minutes), indentified these immediate actions: 
 
Create a Service Opportunity Tied to the 15th Anniversary of the School
Attendees embraced this idea as a way to “reconnect” to the school as well as service as as a public relations strategy to showcase the solidarity of what Jepson alumni value, to tell the Jepson story and to show the regional impact of alumni groups. Greg Efthimiou and Jonathan Zur agreed to lead a committee to further develop this idea.  
 
Create Enrichment and Educational Programming for Alumni
Alumni have open invitations to all Jepson lectures and programs. A discussion about how to create a learning experience with far-flung, busy alumni reaped ideas ranging from a leadership film festival to a book discussion club. Reagan Williams Morris and Kate Materna agreed to work further on this idea.
 
Create a Mentoring Program for Current Students
The consensus was that creating opportunities for alumni to network with students is always a win-win.  Creating a formal “mentoring” program is more complicated. These should be seen as separate functions. Likely a formal mentoring program — where people are “matched” will be more effective because some structure will encourage the mentor/mentee to communicate and connect. The group acknowledges that “matching” mentors will never be 100 percent effective and any program developed should accept that reality. Mark Hickman and Eric Loepp agreed to further develop this idea.

Create an Action Plan for Financial Support of the School and University
The committee recommended that the dean explore how to increase UR annual fund participation among Jepson graduates and how to designate gifts for Jepson's use. Stefanie Mathew, Sam Kaufman and Jeremiah Winters agreed to further explore this idea.

Alumni who wish to volunteer to help develop any of these initiatives or join the committee or share ideas should contact Robinson at 804-287-6627 or by email at jepson@richmond.edu.