Mission and Purpose
What is the purpose of the Alumni Association?
The SCSU Alumni Association’s purpose is to develop and maintain a mutually beneficial relationship between Southern Connecticut State University and its alumni, serving in the capacity are liaisons and ambassadors that support the goals, vision, and needs of the institution.
The Board is comprised of a diverse array of individuals that adequately reflect the current student and alumni body in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, major, and professional experience.
What does the Alumni Association do for alumni and students?
Fosters a welcoming atmosphere for future and existing alumni through in-person and online/virtual events (homecoming, spring week, networking events/happy hours, career and professional development, lifelong learning/educational, family-oriented, and mentorship opportunities such as Alumni Professionals’ Day).
Raising awareness through philanthropy and fundraising (supporting scholarships for students, as well as emergency funds such as the AAA Fund, the SOS Fund, and the Imagine Scholarship).
Collaborating with campus partners to provide support for student and alumni programs (admissions, schools and colleges, career and professional development office, student activities and leadership development, athletics).
Supporting alumni affinity groups, such as Football Alumni Network, Authors Network, Beta Mu Sigma, and Black Student Union alumni, with resources for events, marketing, and engagement.
Why do the Alumni Association board members volunteer, and what is the value of donating their time, talent, and/or financial resources to their alma mater?
Everyone has their own reasons for why they wanted to become involved as volunteer leaders, so each board members answer will vary.
History of the Alumni Association
Founded in 1925, the Alumni Association endeavors to provide programs and engagement opportunities for the roughly 100,000 alumni of Southern Connecticut State University.
The purpose of the Alumni Association is to support the development and overall mission of the University.
We support a spirit of loyalty among a diverse body of former and current students, parents, faculty, staff, and friends.
This is accomplished through our ongoing efforts with programs, such as our Alumni Professionals Day, participation in alumni networks (both affinity and region-based), Homecoming Weekend, active involvement/volunteerism, and opportunities for professional, social, and intellectual growth, resulting in an increased connection with campus and the community.
The Alumni Association, in collaboration with the SCSU Foundation, created and raised funds for hundreds of scholarships for Southern students, in addition to emergency funds specifically created for students in need. We are thankful and honor former board members, such as Charlene Hill Riccardi, Albert Cullum, Dorothy Martino (emeriti), Don Mitchell, Tony Verlezza, Lillian Gerhardt, Carolyn Vanacore (emeriti), Pat Miller (emeriti), and countless others, who helped build the Association into what it is today.
The board also created distinguished and outstanding alumni awards, which are selected in recognition of their exemplary achievements and significant contributions to local, state, and national issues.
Lastly, the Southern Alumni Magazine and digital e-newsletter, sent to alumni and friends of Southern Connecticut State University throughout the year, reflect the progressive and dynamic nature of the University, its alumni, faculty, and students.
Recent Initiatives
In recent years, the board has endeavored to align with the University’s moniker of social justice through programming, education, and representation. Some of those ways are as follows:
Community Engagement
Zumba, sip and paint, sponsorship and support of New Haven and Hamden Chambers, participation in local parades and vendor events.
School and College Engagement
Virtual and in-person lifelong learning programs focusing on a wide range of topics, such as mental health, the power of laughter, and divergent learning, in addition to guiding campus partners with executing engagement events and volunteer opportunities for their alumni.
Student Engagement
Senior donor receptions, 1st generation panels, staffing admission events, volunteering at job and internship fairs.
Affinity Engagement
Greek organizations, including homecoming tailgate, affinity groups such as BSU-A, the Football Alumni Network, the Crescent Players, the Authors Network, and most recently, the LGBTQ+ Alumni Community.
Alumni Engagement
Networking receptions with alumni representation spanning 6 decades. Alumni Family Day, W.O.W. (Words of Wisdom) Wednesday, was created to highlight some of our amazing alumni doing tremendous things in their personal and professional lives. In addition to highlighting our alumni, a key component of this program is connecting them with faculty or staff members who impacted them while they were students, or have shared similar challenges and triumphs along their respective journeys.
Board Engagement
With the success of the recruitment and education campaign to further diversify the board over the past few years, alumni from diverse backgrounds, ages, and careers have shown increasing interest. Our board increased in members from diverse ethnic backgrounds since 2019, representing a more diverse array of majors and careers than ever, further demonstrating the growth of SCSU’s academic offerings, leading to more expansive professional opportunities for our students.
