The Southern University AlumniFederation, in conjunction with University College, currently has plansunderway to launch a new student alumni association.
The alumni federation isimplementing this program as a means to better connect students with alumni andthe university as a whole. Theyhope it will also promote good citizenship and help to enhance the graduationrate at SU through encouraging students to do their best.
‘We hope that this will helpstudents to get an early start on fostering a strong bond with the alumni aswell as the university and also to serve as a way to encourage students,’ saidCedric Upshaw, executive director of alumni affairs. ‘Most of our alum”s thinkthey have to go off and be highly successful before they can come back to the universityand give back and we want to get rid of that feeling by starting students withgiving back now.’
The program will also serve as a networking tool for studentsto network with alumni that may be able to help them to find jobs in theirfields of study.
‘Networking is being done now,but this will be more of a formal networking tool for students,’ Upshaw said.
Rita Hill, faculty advisorycommittee chairperson, is confident that the new association will serve as alink between undergraduates and alumni.
‘This organization willdefinitely provide a positive link between students and alumni,’ Hill said. ‘Itwill also make participants more cognizant of the surrounding community and therelationships they can foster with various businesses and individuals.’
According to Upshaw, discussionsabout beginning a new student alumni association have been circulating forquite sometime.
‘It has been part of ourdiscussions for a while now, and now we are getting into making it happen,’Upshaw said.
While the alumni federation doesintend to spread the influence of its new project onto the other campuseswithin the system, it plans to start first with the Southern University atBaton Rouge campus, as it houses its national headquarters.
‘We hope to get things startedhere on the Baton Rouge campus first since this is our national headquarters,and then let it grow into our other campuses,’ Upshaw said.
Any registered SU student ingood academic standing with the university is eligible for membership.Interested students should contact Rita Hill at 771.4460 for more information.The program”s motto is ‘Empowering students to promote the legacy of SouthernUniversity,’ and it will hold its first meeting on Thursday, March 31 at 2:00p.m. in Lawless Auditorium located inside Stewart Hall.
