Partnerships and Priorities

The independent UBC Alumni Association entered into a formal relationship with UBC in February of 2004, leading to the establishment of the jointly operated Alumni Affairs unit; the hiring an Associate Vice President, Alumni; the commission of a survey of UBC alumni; and the articulation of a joint strategic plan.  Priorities that emerged included:

1. Improve UBC’s knowledge of its alumni to better serve and more fully engage alumni in the life of the University;
2. Leverage the power of communications, in part, to position alumni to be advocates for the institution;
3. Engage current students so that they will readily and enthusiastically transition to becoming actively involved alumni;
4. Establish an alumni centre on the UBC Vancouver campus to provide a home base for the over 100,000 annual alumni visitors, signifying that they are welcome and valued stakeholders;
5. Manage with a rigorous consideration of return on investment, honoring the institution’s increased support for alumni.

Alumni Affairs is a “central” unit of UBC; however, alumni connect with the institution in a variety of ways. These connections are made through their residences, their departments or faculties, their athletic teams or student clubs, etc.—and many of these groups reach out to alumni as well.  Our vision of UBC alumni as lifelong members of a shared community, contributing to and benefiting from the university’s achievements and ambitions, can only be realized through partnerships all across our two campuses and with alumni themselves. Collaboration is absolutely central to our efforts.