Photo by Marjorie Cerejo

Dr. Staples welcomes the new Alumni Board to a growing UH-Clear Lake.

UHCL announces new Alumni Association Board
by Jeannie Aquino
UHCLIDIAN Staff

Capitalizing Capitalizing on their new slogan, "There has never been a better time," UH-Clear Lake recently announced its 2002-2003 Alumni Association Board of Directors.

Selected from a list of more than 140 nominations from UH-Clear Lake alumni, faculty, students and schools, the newly appointed board represents alumni of different ages and backgrounds, creating a new sense of diversity that some suggested previous boards have missed.

The new board consists of 14 UH-Clear Lake alumni and three student representatives who will work together to promote the university and encourage both former and current students to support the school and participate in the Alumni Association. Previously, the board was made up of 30 members.

Last April, UH-Clear Lake President Dr. William Staples suspended the entire Alumni Association Board of Directors in a controversial move after a small number of its members violated university regulations by bringing alcoholic beverages to the Chili Cook-off. Although the university had planned to select a new board in August 2001, the administration decided to delay a new selection so it could step back and evaluate current and future Alumni Association goals and events.

"We were going to get geared up, and one of the things that struck us was let's take this time and see where we are," said Resa Ott, director of alumni and community relations at UH-Clear Lake. "We wanted to plan what we want to accomplish in the future."

The new board will concentrate on university fundraising efforts, facilitating an increase of membership for the Alumni Association, reconnecting with alumni and enhancing the experiences of current students.

"This is a good time for UHCL," said Staples. "The new board is important for a number of reasons. We have about 32,000 alumni and graduated almost 1,900 students last year. In five years we'll have over 40,000 alumni from the university."

Ott said one way the university hopes to improve itself is by listening to and for the alumni.

Stressing the importance of the board's mission to connect with former students, the university plans to create an alumni directory, survey alumni for ideas and invite alumni involvement through a new forum called UHCL Story Participation, which will offer alumni the opportunity to express their experiences at the university.

"We forget that we're different," Ott said. "We need to remember how special we are and celebrate that."

Promotion of the university and its educational programs is another goal of the board Ott hopes will become successful.

"One of the things I really hope this board does is improve the perception of the quality of education," Ott said. "It's going to take everybody to achieve that goal. We have an incredible story that we need to tell to achieve that goal."

The Alumni Association, which recently initiated the new student alumni chapter of the association, is planning a first ever membership "blitz" to increase membership, as well as an Alumni Mentors group that will connect alumni with current students and each other.

"At UHCL, people connect on the program level, not the class level," Ott said. "Being able to put current students in contact with alumni who are already working in their field of study will be a wonderful opportunity for our students."

Requirements for participation on the UH-Clear Lake Alumni Association Board include holding a current alumni membership, accepting a term length of up to five years, and participating in most alumni activities. As part of the university, the Alumni Association Board of Directors' members are also required to follow all the policies and regulations established by the university.

Ott displayed her excitement over the new board and its members while speaking at a recent dinner honoring several of the new board members.

"At any other event that we have a board member, I'm going to make sure that the board member meets as many people as possible," Ott said. "Watch out for them."