The University of Connecticut\u2019s Board of Trustees\u00a0endorsed a plan today to align all of\u00a0UConn\u2019s\u00a0institutional advancement operations\u00a0\u2013\u00a0most notably the addition of responsibility for alumni relations \u2013 under the UConn Foundation\u2019s direction.<\/p>\n
Today\u2019s action\u00a0reflects\u00a0careful evaluation\u00a0over the past\u00a0few\u00a0years about how the University could vastly improve outreach to its more than 230,000 living alumni worldwide. Earlier this month, the board of directors of the Foundation \u2013 an independent 501(c)(3) organization \u2013 passed a similar measure accepting this new charge.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo truly great university can fully achieve its potential without a vast, supportive, and engaged alumni body, and with the full spirit of Husky Nation mobilized as one, there are no limits on what the future holds for UConn,\u201d President Susan Herbst\u00a0said. \u201cI\u2019m grateful to the Foundation and its leadership for taking on this worthwhile responsibility of better connecting \u2013 and, in many cases, reconnecting \u2013 our alumni with UConn.\u201d<\/p>\n
The University previously has coordinated alumni outreach activities through the UConn Alumni Association, also a non-profit 501(c)(3) entity independent of UConn.<\/p>\n
The Alumni Association’s operations have been supported by the University \u2013 more than $13 million over the past two decades \u2013 and by requiring alumni to pay dues to be members of the organization. This dues-based structure has yielded a membership base of approximately 10,000 alumni, which is less than 5 percent of UConn\u2019s total living alumni base.<\/p>\n
With the full spirit of Husky Nation mobilized as one, there are no limits on what the future holds for UConn. — President Susan Herbst<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Under the new model, the University expects the Foundation to substantially expand alumni outreach, including establishing a newly constituted alumni community that would no longer charge membership dues.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re excited about the potential of this expanded partnership,\u201d Foundation President Joshua R. Newton\u00a0said. \u201cUConn alumni have worked hard to get to where they are, and staying connected with the University shouldn\u2019t come at a cost. Integrating our outreach efforts without paying for membership means that it will be easier than ever before to show you\u2019re a proud member of the UConn family.\u201d<\/p>\n
The University and the Foundation believe that these changes to the alumni engagement structure should be seamless for UConn\u2019s alumni. Those who are connected to the University through one of its alumni chapters, UConn clubs, or the UConn Alumni Association will see no less connectivity with their alma mater. They will still have at least the same access to alumni events, programs, publications, and communications.<\/p>\n
In addition, the University is optimistic that the Alumni Association will make the Alumni House available to continue serving as a home on the Storrs campus for all alumni.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Alumni Association continues to work alongside the University and the UConn Foundation in transitioning to an alumni relations model that is in the best interest of our alumni, our students, and our alma mater,\u201d said Lori Riiska, president of the UConn Alumni Association. \u201cThe Alumni Association is committed to preserving its mission and building closer ties between our University and each of its stakeholders.\u00a0 I believe all alumni leaders and volunteers can rally behind this goal.\u201d<\/p>\n
What\u2019s more, by coordinating alumni relations activities with the UConn Foundation, operations will become more streamlined and cost effective. Currently duplicated services and some administrative functions can be eliminated, and the services can be provided in a more efficient manner.<\/p>\n
This will result in more resources available for coordinated and substantive outreach to alumni.<\/p>\n
\u201cGuiding alumni relations efforts from within the Foundation will result in streamlined operations for both organizations, making it the best return on investment for the University of Connecticut,\u201d Newton\u00a0added. \u201cThis change will lead to a more diverse and engaged alumni community, one that is free of barriers and open to all.\u201d<\/p>\n
The board action includes a three-month extension to the University\u2019s\u00a0memorandum of understanding with the Alumni Association for the specific purpose of effecting a transition of alumni relations activities by June 30. The University and the Foundation also entered into a three-month agreement covering this transition. During that time, the University and the Foundation will formalize a commitment on how to incorporate alumni outreach and engagement responsibilities into the scope of services it provides UConn in addition to generating private support.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The plan, endorsed by the Board of Trustees, is intended to vastly improve outreach to the University’s more than 230,000 living alumni worldwide.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":58,"featured_media":59189,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_crdt_document":"","wds_primary_category":0,"wds_primary_series":0,"wds_primary_attribution":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[147,1],"tags":[],"magazine-issues":[],"coauthors":[117],"class_list":["post-101178","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni","category-uncategorized"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"publish","acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-23 21:26:03","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101178","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/users\/58"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=101178"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101178\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":101183,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101178\/revisions\/101183"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media\/59189"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=101178"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=101178"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=101178"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/magazine-issues?post=101178"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=101178"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}