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ALUMNI CORNER

Getting More Involved

By Brian Krisberg ’81
First Vice President, Columbia College Alumni Association

I recently attended a dinner on campus for a student organization. About 50 alumni and students attended, and the speaker and the food were quite good. Everyone enjoyed the evening.

I sat next to a College alumnus who graduated about 20 years ago, earned a J.D./M.B.A. and is a partner at a major law firm. This person, who had been an extremely active undergraduate outside the classroom, told me that he was looking for ways to “get more involved” with the College.

His remark struck a chord and got me thinking. If this person, who had a positive experience as an undergraduate and is a loyal Columbian, was searching for ways to get more involved at the College 20 years out, how many other College alumni are there throughout the country (and the world, in fact) thinking the same thing?

There is no model for getting more involved with the College community, no single way to do it. Each of us connects with the College in a way that is both singular and personal, based upon individual experiences, and simultaneously universal and collective, based upon a desire to perpetuate the excellence and shared values (such as the Core Curriculum and need-blind admissions) of an institution that played a vital role in shaping our lives.

There are at least five different ways of getting more involved.

Now, cynics among us will contend that getting more involved is merely a smokescreen for raising more money from alumni. There is no denying the fact, nor is there any shame in acknowledging, that Columbia needs to broaden the participation rate of alumni donors and to grow the College’s Annual Fund in absolute dollars. Great private institutions rely on voluntary support for their existence. Progress has been made in both these areas in recent years. College alumni have exceeded Annual Fund targets each year as our participation rate also increases.

Getting more involved defines the vitality and strength of one of the finest undergraduate colleges in one of the greatest universities in the United States. It demonstrates our alumni’s desire to continue their relationship with a special institution, in appreciation of their positive experience at Columbia. Finally, it shows our belief that by sharing with today’s students how we used a College education to enrich our personal and professional lives, the College will be an even better place tomorrow.

It is easier than ever to become more involved. The College administration has created a user-friendly environment where alumni can efficiently and effectively connect with Columbia’s many events, offices and organizations. All alumni need do is respond to one of the many mailings and e-mails we receive (Hint: If the College does not have your or a friend’s correct mailing or e-mail address, get it to the Alumni Office by calling toll-free 1-866-CCALUMNI or e-mailing ccalumni@columbia.edu), join the rapidly growing Columbia E-Community for alumni (https://alumni.college.columbia.edu/ecom) or call or write to the College office or organization that interests you.

Maybe this is all still too amorphous or nebulous, and a brief description of how we as alumni can engage would help. In broad terms, there are at least five different ways of getting more involved. First, there are alumni relations programs such as the Alexander Hamilton Medal or John Jay Award dinners, reunion event planning and attendance, Homecoming, Dean’s Day in New York or College Days around the country and local Columbia Club events, among others. The College Fund enlists alumni as Class Agents, and Columbia College Today’s class correspondents help classmates stay in touch with one another as well as with the College.

Second are campus events. Be it an intercollegiate athletic event, the Varsity Show, a performance by one of the many campus arts groups or Community Day, the Columbia community benefits when alumni support students and their activities.

Third is the Alumni Representative Committee. It’s not humanly possible for the College Admissions staff to interview more than 15,000 applicants each year, so alumni are called on to help in this important role. Interviewing high school seniors, and getting the word out in communities about how well the College is doing, are important services that alumni provide. It also is rewarding to meet and get to know potential members of the next class of Columbians.

Fourth is career services. Alumni can help students get the most from Columbia’s Center for Career Education. Offering internships, summer positions, permanent jobs and career advice to College students and young alumni will generate dedicated active alumni for years to come.

Fifth is student interaction. Providing insights to undergraduates about alumni experiences after our years on campus through Student/Alumni programs, including the family meals program and “grandfather class” events, shows how a College education provides the foundation for a fruitful life.

This brief discourse demonstrates the breadth and depth of ways we can participate in and contribute to the life of the College as we wind our way through the adventure called adulthood. Speaking from personal experience, my efforts to get involved in the College’s life have been some of the most satisfying experiences of my life. The College is an exciting place to be these days, and it is receptive to alumni involvement from all generations.

A post-script: In future columns, we’ll be writing about a variety of issues of concern to alumni, including the issues the College Alumni Association Board of Directors is working on. A new slate of directors, led by President Bob Berne ’60, has taken office through spring 2006, and we’re eager to hear from you. Please don’t hesitate to contact us; you can reach me at bkrisberg@sidley.com.

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