Q&A with UC Alumni Association Leader

UC Alumni Association Executive Director David Macejko (pronounced ma-SAY-ko) answers some of the questions most commonly asked about the organization:

Q:  What is the purpose of the UC Alumni Association?
A:  Our mission is to represent, serve and inspire current and future alumni in support of the University of Cincinnati in all of its endeavors. By creating and strengthening meaningful connections between the institution and its alumni, and by reflecting and leveraging their commitment to each other, we help enable UC to be a true leader in the social and academic communities. As more and more of our 210,000-plus alumni see clear opportunities to get involved, only good things can happen.

Q:  Why is it important that UC alums be involved in the university and become dues-paying members of the UC Alumni Association?
A:  Some people select a university, spend the most critical years of their personal and professional development there, share life-changing experiences with that unique place and the people they meet — and then, after graduation, cast it all aside as simply “a part of their past.” This is particularly true in an urban setting such as UC’s, with co-operative education thrown in for good measure.

Putting UC “behind you” like that diminishes the value of the alum’s learning experience and the university overall for those who follow. We have found that as graduates realize this, they naturally look to remain involved with their alma mater no matter where they live. Perhaps the most fundamental way is through membership in the university’s alumni association.  It’s an alum’s declaration that he or she truly cares about UC, wants to preserve that pathway between the two, and recognizes the mutual benefit from that ongoing involvement.

Q:  What surprises people about the UC Alumni Association?
A:  Because the word “alumni” is in our name, many people don’t realize how much we focus on enriching the lives of current students — who are, after all, our future alumni. When students enjoy their experience and gain more value from being at UC, the school benefits, the individual benefits, and there is greater desire to remain connected after graduation.

The UCAA sponsors, in whole or in part, many student-focused initiatives that recruit students to the university, help them better capitalize on their academic and career opportunities, and enjoy the campus experience through student organizations, college-specific activities, events like Homecoming and commencement, and so on.

Q:  Are alumni playing a role in the university’s new Comprehensive Academic Planning Process?
A:  You couldn’t have a credible initiative to articulate the university’s vision and chart a course to a greater future without the active involvement of its alumni. UC alums are participating with great enthusiasm because they’re so excited about the idea of taking UC to a new level of service to its students, community and other constituent groups.

Collectively, there is no one who cares more about the institution than alumni do. It will always be a part of them, and vice versa. Their engagement can only help the process as targeted initiatives are identified and pursued. As the process extends throughout the community and across the nation, alumni are already there — obvious ambassadors who are ready to influence, uniquely positioned and motivated to help.

Q:  What are the UC Alumni Association’s highest priorities for the next year?
A:  First and always, we must increase our level of engagement with alumni.  While many alumni are very connected to the university and always will be, there are many more who are ambivalent about what is happening at UC, and how that impacts them as alumni. They don’t recognize their opportunities to re-engage, or understand the value of doing so. For example, they may take for granted UC’s economic impact. Local alumni might ask themselves, “Would I be driving to my place of employment today, or enjoy my standard of living, if my alma mater ceased to exist or declined in scope?” Distant alumni (as well as those nearby) might consider the value of their education in the eyes of their employers and peers, and how things might be different if UC was a lesser institution.

That rolls right into the issue of communication … We must communicate more frequently and effectively with alumni. The only way someone could not feel good about what’s happening at UC these days is if they don’t know about it. We are determined to be the voice of all UC alumni by sharing the news and extending our hand to all grads.

Finally, the development of the university’s new vision as part of the Comprehensive Academic Planning Process makes this a pivotal year. The UC Alumni Association will be collaborating with other organizations within the university community to uncover new ways to add value as well as strengthen what we do already, all within the context of understanding and filling our unique role in UC’s evolution.

Q:  Where do you see the Alumni Association in five years?
A:  UCAA membership has enjoyed robust growth in the last half year. Through outstanding delivery of member services, heightened on-campus collaboration, enhanced use of technology, and smart communication and solicitation methods, we can sustain this growth for the foreseeable future. Alumni will increasingly see the Alumni Association as the most fundamental way of staying connected, engaged and supportive of the university.

We’ll be more frequently and effectively involved in key aspects of university life, offering all alumni greater opportunities to be meaningfully involved.

We’ll have a vibrant communications culture in all its forms, so that alumni everywhere can better understand and appreciate what the university is doing, and see the many ways to become a part of it.

We’ll have much larger crowds for signature events like Homecoming, Sibs Weekend, chapter visits and activities, and the UC Day Banquet — events that truly celebrate our great institution and its great people.

And overall, the Alumni Association will be recognized more fully, both on campus and off, as a full partner in institutional advancement. To borrow an old phrase, we’ll be “a different kind of alumni association.” Considering the future of the University of Cincinnati, that’s an exciting prospect.