The WesternU Alumni Association and the Office of Alumni Relations support our future alumni and work to enhance the student experience outside the classroom in the following ways:
Welcome Week
During Welcome Week, Alumni Relations staff members speak to each college's incoming class on campus to introduce themselves and share information about the ways the Alumni Office and Alumni Association support current students. At these brief talks, the staff presents each student with a welcome gift: a travel mug which displays the Alumni Association logo and can be used throughout the students' years at WesternU to purchase discounted drinks at Outtakes Café. COMP-Northwest students receive a visit from alumni staff in late September, and those students also receive travel mugs which can be used for discounted coffee at Garden Grounds.
Convocation
At the University's Convocation Ceremony held at the beginning of each academic year, the Alumni Office arranges for an alumni representative to speak to the incoming students. In addition to welcoming the new students to the University on behalf of all alumni, the speaker usually provides some words of wisdom or an inspirational story or two based on their experiences as a WesternU student.
Support for Clubs and Classes
The Alumni Association provides financial support to student activities that 1) enhance the student experience outside the classroom, 2) build a sense of community among students and/or 3) facilitate student-alumni interaction. Officially recognized clubs and classes can request up to a few hundred dollars to support their activities that achieve one or more of these goals. The Alumni Funds Request Form is available online and must be submitted at least two weeks prior to the activity date. (Clubs and classes that are approved for funding will receive their money as a reimbursement after turning in a completed Reimbursement Form at the conclusion of their actviity.) Some examples of past club and class activities include socials, banquets, barbecues, bake sales, and guest lectures. An endowment has been created to insure that such funding remains in perpetuity. Further, the Alumni Office can help clubs and classes reach out to alumni to do such things as request their participation in surveys or encourage their attendance at events.
SGA Alumni Representatives
The Office of Alumni Relations hosts occasional lunch meetings each year for the SGA Alumni Representatives from each on-campus class. The purpose of these meetings is to allow the students to discuss the roles and responsibilities of alumni representatives as well as to brainstorm and share programming ideas with one another. Alumni staff members also periodically solicit feedback from these students on ways both to build awareness of the Alumni Association and to increase affinity for the University among current students.
WesternU Alumni Association Scholarship
The WesternU Alumni Association Scholarship is awarded annually to two humanistic, caring, and dependable Western University of Health Sciences students who both excel academically and exemplify the qualities of an engaged alumnus or alumna through their extracurricular involvement. Applicants must be enrolled full-time in a degree or certificate program at WesternU, be in good academic and professional standing with their program, and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0. The 2013 scholarship recipients have already been selected, and they will be recognized as part of their respective college's Honors Day ceremony in April with a plaque and $1,000. Applications for the 2014 scholarships will be available in the fall of 2013 both here and on the Financial Aid Office's online scholarship database.
WesternU Alumni Connection
Students receive the WesternU Alumni Connection, a bi-monthly alumni e-newsletter that aims to keep the WesternU community informed with such information as news highlights, upcoming events, and alumni, faculty and student accomplishments.
Rotation Lunches
The Alumni Association hosts a simple lunch for those classes that come back to campus from extended participation in off campus clinical rotations. Such events provide those students with an opportunity to reconnect with one another and further their engagement with the Alumni Association.
Sudden Snack
The Alumni Office surprises students a few times each year with "Sudden Snack." This simply involves Alumni Office staff distributing a random snack item (ice cream bars, popcorn, etc.) to several hundred students on campus. Typically students will receive an email just an hour or two ahead of time to tell them what the snack is, as well as when and where to get it. The day of the week, time of day, and campus location varies for each event.
Job Postings
The Office of Alumni Relations maintains online job postings to assist alumni and soon-to-be-alumni in finding the best jobs. Hundreds of jobs are posted online each year and the listings are sorted by profession. Occasionally, the postings include opportunities to purchase existing practices/businesses from retiring practitioners.
Commencement
During the University's Commencement ceremonies each year, alumni representatives welcome the graduates into the alumni family and present each graduate with a special lapel pin. More than just a gift from the Alumni Association, each pin is a diploma the graduates can wear. The pins' designs are based upon the University seal and bear the degree that each graduate has earned. Additionally, the Director of Alumni Relations includes a letter in the graduates' diploma envelopes that they receive upon their formal graduation. This letter offers congratulations to the new alumni, as well as information on how they can be informed, connected and involved after graduating.
Alumni Networking Database (in development)
The Alumni Office is developing an online networking database that would enable students to contact alumni for the purposes of professional networking. Students will be able to search for alumni based on such criteria as their degree, location and specialty to help them determine where they may want to practice after graduation or what specialty they might wish to pursue, for example. (Alumni will also be able to utilize this database to contact other alumni.)
For more information on any of these student services, please contact the Office of Alumni Relations at (909) 469-ALUM or alumni@westernu.edu.