When life hands you a lemon...
School has resumed, though different from any of us had experienced in our lifetimes. In the next issue of this newsletter, I will have some concrete data to share on how COVID-19 has impacted enrollment and various other changes in place as we move forward.
The old adage, “when life hands you a lemon… you make lemonade” couldn’t have proven to be truer than in our alumni engagement efforts. So many plans for events (that we traditionally held in person), had to be reconsidered. Some postponed. Some cancelled. Some seen as new opportunities to use technology to connect. We stuck to our mission and retooled our efforts.
Over the past few months, we’ve been reconceptualizing our efforts and have significantly increased our alumni engagement efforts through new vehicles. Some educational, some fun, some as quick institutional snap shots and updates. Unlike traditional events that draw participation from alumni located at a specific place (i.e. Cleveland, Phoenix, Ft. Myers), these virtual initiatives have attracted alumni from across the country, and across the world.
Eventually, we hope life returns to a version of “normal,” and we can enjoy the company of one another in-person. Through this pandemic, however, we discovered that we can reach more hearts and minds. Future alumni events should be a mix of both live and virtual. We may not have the exact road-map at this point, but we’re willing to take the journey as we navigate today’s reality and the times ahead.
Check out our events calendar on the website, www.csualumni.com to learn more about our offerings. I’m pleased to announce that our Women’s Leadership Symposium will change this year to be a virtual lunch series. More information is included in this issue of Viking Pride and on our website. Join us to learn more, live better, hopefully laugh a bit more, and connect with Vikings spanning the generations.
