UVaClubs QN3: July 7, 2009

A Letter from the Director of Regional Engagement

Dear UVaClub Leaders,

As the University's fiscal year draws to an end and we begin the process of submitting our annual reports, I cannot help but think to myself what a remarkable alumni network the Class of 2009 was welcomed to on May 17. The following is a sampling of the impact you made in your communities, for the University and for fellow alumni, current students and their parents between July 2008 and June 2009.

153,654 - the number of e-mails alumni and parents opened from UVaClubs
3,600 - the number of telephone calls that were placed by alumni volunteers to accepted students
1,365 - the number of alumni and parents who attended a UVaClub event with President Casteen
1,024 - the number of events held by UVaClubs around the world
595 - the number of alumni who volunteered their time as leaders of UVaClubs
232 - the number of Jefferson Book Awards presented to high school juniors
72 - the number of Student Send-off Parties held last summer to welcome the Class of 2012
71 - the number of faculty and alumni who spoke at UVaClub events
68 - the number of Cavaliers Care projects you planned in honor of Thomas Jefferson?s birthday

For all you do for your UVaClub and the University of Virginia, I am grateful.

Sincerely,
Sarah Brown
Director of Regional Engagement

July is Annual Report Month

UVaClubs hosted 1,024 events, programs and projects last fiscal year (FY09, which ran from July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2009). Please fill out the one-page report at http://uvaclubs.virginia.edu/annualreportform and click submit by August 15 so that you may celebrate your volunteers' achievements and begin to set goals for this fiscal year. Your REO can supply you with your UVaClub's FY09 list of events, as well as its FY08 Annual Report for reference.

Welcome to the City Events

Welcome to the City events are a great way to get brand new (or returning) city inhabitants involved with your UVaClub. These events can take the form of anything from a Happy Hour or softball game to a tour of your city/area. September is the ideal month for these gatherings, giving new graduates a chance to get settled. We're working with Class Trustees to get these events listed in class emails that will be going out in mid-July and early August. In the style of our recent student send-off invitations, these communications will list all Welcome to the City events in all cities. Due to the timeline of these mailings, it is essential that your club plan its Welcome to the City gatherings over the coming weeks. To brainstorm ideas, ask questions, and discuss the funding available to support these events through the Office of Engagement, contact your REO.

Student Send-offs

It is the season to welcome the new 'Hoos. Over 80 parties are being planned around the globe. Thank you! Print invitations for Student Send-offs—listing all send-off events taking place in the US—were mailed first-class from Charlottesville this month to incoming students in the United States. International events can be found on the Send-off webpage. Visit the Student Send-offs webpage at www.uvaclubs.virginia.edu/sendoffs. There, invitees can learn more about your event and RSVP online. Class of 2013 students have received an email inviting them to attend a student send-off event this summer. Please plan with your REO to send out a reminder email two weeks in advance of your event, to both students and other invitees.

Want a U.Va. Speaker to Visit Your Club?

Now is the time to plan your UVaClub's speaker engagement for this fall. To get the ball rolling, fill out the Speaker Request form, and email a copy to your REO. Or, if you like, call your REO in order to fill the form out together.

Time for Tailgates

'Hoos ready for some football? If the Cavaliers are traveling to your city for an away game, the Office of Engagement will provide you $500 for your tailgate party. If a team in your city is headed to Charlottesville, then your UVaClub will receive $250 toward a game-watching party. Please visit the football schedule for more information about the 2009 season.

Funding for Young Alumni Events

We are pleased to announce a new source of funding to support your efforts to connect with the young alumni in your region. A partnership between the Alumni Association and Office of Engagement has resulted in 21 grants (10 grants of $500; 6 grants of $250; 5 grants of $100) to support young alumni engagement. Get creative! Host a young alumni open house and search for a new young alumni representative or build on the momentum of your Welcome to the City event and create a young alumni committee if you already have a young alumni representative. For more information, visit http://uvaclubs.virginia.edu/youngalumnigrants or contact your REO.

Admissions Nights and College Fairs

Autumn is the season for Admissions Nights and College Fairs, and summer is the time to begin planning. Admissions Nights feature talks and slideshow presentations by an admissions counselor or assistant dean and include a panel discussion with a diverse group of alumni in your area. The University will be limiting its travel to select cities around the country, and your REO will be in touch with you in the coming weeks if an Admissions Night is planned in your area.

Due to the Office of Admission's limited travel schedule, College Fairs are more important than ever. The Office of Admission cannot pay fees for the University to be represented at College Fairs in most cities; however, we encourage you to seek out and participate in college fairs in your area. As admissions officer Olivia Hessing receives invitations to fairs, she will forward them to club presidents and schools committee chairs, along with postcards, brochures and other literature about the University. Additionally, if you hear of local fairs, please share that information with your REO.

You Must Schedule Your Email a Month in Advance

Each of the 100+ UVaClubs across the globe rely on email as the primary means of communication to alumni, parents and friends. In addition to clubs, dozens of other University departments also rely heavily on email to communicate with the same audience. This level of email activity requires strong coordination.

In an effort to streamline email communications, the University has a calendar set up for emails. The rule is that all emails must be on this calendar at the beginning of the month prior to when it is sent.

Email Scheduled for Must be on Calendar By

May
June
July
August April 1
May 1
June 1
July 1

Adhering to this schedule will give the Office of Engagement and U.Va.'s strategic communications professionals the time needed to review the calendar and resolve any conflicts or scheduling problems. Please note that you do not need to submit content for the email and month ahead; just have it scheduled on the communications calendar. Content should be submitted to your REO between one and two weeks in advance of the distribution date.

We understand that it is difficult for you to plan email far in advance. Consider setting up a schedule with your REO for regular email to go out. For instance, you provide the text for your email on the 9th of each month and your REO formats, reviews and sends the message on the 19th of each month. That way both you and your REO have a deadline that is easy to remember to and your communications are always scheduled in plenty of time.

When last-minute event opportunities arise, which, in turn, need last-minute promotion, your REO will continue, along with his/her colleagues in strategic communications, to do his/her best to accommodate your club in these cases. But for this to continue to be possible, such cases must be the exception, rather than the rule.

Thank you for your assistance as we make strides to keep communications effective and timely.




Quarterly Newsletter \| Summer 2009