New Western students from around the world are asking all kinds of questions about life on campus.
Do I need a parka? Should I buy a laptop? How many hangers do I need?
These are the types of queries they ask young alumni during Off to Western events, run by Alumni Western, which are meant to help new students get advice from former students who are from the same hometowns.
The program runs all over the world, from Ottawa and Vancouver to Hong Kong. Every year it attracts about 200 volunteers and 340 attendees, says Christina Fox, student and young alumni outreach officer at Alumni Relations.
For young alumni, it’s a really good opportunity to give back to Western for the first time, she says.
And the program is just one of many also meant to help new students feel like part of the Western community from early on, and so they can learn about and take advantage of a variety of student and alumni programs.
“We want to make sure they feel they’re part of the family from the get-go, not just at graduation,” Fox says. “Sometimes it’s too late for (upper-year students) when there was this huge opportunity. There are 235,000 graduates in the world that can help them tap into opportunities.”
It’s one of Alumni Western’s priorities to engage young alumni, and that means making each event as fun and interesting as possible.
“If there isn’t food and fun, the event’s going to tank,” Fox says.
One of the most popular outreach programs is Six Degrees. Based on the theory that there are six degrees of separation, the program aims to connect young alumni through smaller events, such as salsa dancing, speed networking, a comedy and cocktails event and a summer surf camp. These events happen internationally, such as in Toronto and New York City.
A flagship program for student outreach is Backpack 2 Briefcase, a national award-winning event series designed to ease students’ transitions from Western to life as a young professional. It spans all years and faculties while still maintaining the level of alumni involvement and student participation. Some events that have been repeated over the years due to popularity include Dining Etiquette, Wine Tasting and Social Networking.
Dining Etiquette, in particular, has received good reviews from attendees, Fox says, because many people found it “hilarious, fun. It was an amazing time and (they) did learn a lot because it was a relaxed environment.”
Alumni Western also helps run Homecoming, la number of lecture series, and Discover the World, which sends mainly Western alumni on educational trips around the world. Some of the past locations include Nepal, South Africa, the Amazon River, Alaska, Tahiti and Egypt.
An aspect of choosing which alumni events and programs to run is based on the hot topic interests of young alumni.
For example, Andrew Willis, a Globe and Mail journalist and Western graduate, spoke about the economic meltdown at a sold-out Backpack 2 Briefcase event in March.
Older alumni are also interested in many of these events, mainly to be able to speak with young alumni about what the Western experience is like today, Fox says.
They often want to know what residence life is like now and what media is being used during lectures, she says. Often young alumni show an interest in tapping into the network of older alumni, so it’s a valuable relationship for both sides.
Alumni Western also organizes Last Lecture, an elegant cocktail event for the graduating class (both undergraduate and graduate).
It was one of young alumna Lindsay Cunliffe’s favourite events during her time at Western.
“It is a source of confirmation for the Western community that even though you are graduating, your relationship with Western will continue on, just in a new and exciting way,” she says.
Alumni Western sponsors events for the Society of Graduate Students to increase engagement of graduate students. It has proven to be a mutually beneficial relationship that is expected to grow.
Two magazines are also regularly published and sent to alumni – Western Alumni Gazette and Young Alumni Magazine that’s sent to the graduating class.
For more information on Alumni Western,
visit alumni.uwo.ca.
Links to information on specific programs are as follows: