News

Alumni Association: Building a Foundation

The College of Business now has its own Alumni Association to replace the University sponsored Office of Alumni Relations. Rather than being discipline based, the current program allows alumni to communi-cate geographically. This can create problems when students try to contact peers in similar careers. The new organization will fix these flaws.

The Association aims to foster relations between former students, their professors, and current students with the goal of skill-set development for the business program.

“We want everyone to know what’s going on at the college and with the students,” said Nate Clapper, Assistant to the Dean of the College of Business for Development at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Clapper is one of the biggest proponents responsible for the program.

“Response [for the Alumni Association] is overwhelmingly positive,” he continues.

Educational and career goals are the driving factor for introducing the Association. The College of Business hopes that current students will benefit from mentorship programs, co-ops, and internships that arise from better alumni communication. Likewise, alumni will be able to recruit students as potential employees and help to modify the business program in such a way that graduating students meet current workforce needs.

“Everybody likes the idea,” Clapper said, “They get to reconnect with people they graduated with and professors they liked.

“It gives [alumni] a way to pick up the phone, call and ask for answers with a problem—they can have those relationships that make business move more efficiently.”

The College of Business hopes that the Alumni Association will provide an effective foundation for members to help support the College mission of education. We hope members will foster relationships with the College and engage in University sponsored activities.