From Here On In from Burton Advertising on Vimeo.
.Written by: Brett Bralley
Media contact: Shannon Thomason
Effective Oct. 1, graduates of the University of Alabama at Birmingham will automatically be members of the UAB National Alumni Society.
The NAS is transitioning to a non-dues membership model, which means that all UAB alumni —more than 6,000 of whom are UAB employees — will be part of a network of more than 150,000 graduates, says Jennifer Breland, Ph.D., NAS executive director and assistant vice president of Alumni Affairs. More information about the transition can be found on the NAS website at go.uab.edu/IN.
“Our goal is to be a central hub for alumni,” Breland said. “We decided to move in this direction when we realized that membership was becoming a barrier to engagement. We do not want membership dues to stop anyone from supporting UAB or the schools or programs that mean the most to them.”
To promote the transition, the NAS is launching a campaign centered around the phrase “From Here on IN.”
“Here, ‘in’ refers to the inclusivity and involvement that we want our alumni to experience,” Breland said.
Starting Oct. 1, memberships for all dues-paying members will automatically renew. The new membership model also includes a realignment of regional chapters, which will instead be known as alumni networks. Any graduates within a school or college, special interest group area or specific regional area will automatically be part of that local alumni network instead of having to pay chapter dues.
“Say we have a School of Nursing graduate who lives in Atlanta,” Breland said. “That graduate will not have to worry about paying dues for the Atlanta chapter and the School of Nursing chapter before participating in a local gathering. He or she will simply be receiving information about what the local networks are up to.”
Keeping alumni engaged is vital to university growth, but not just from a financial standpoint, Breland emphasizes.
“I think the biggest reason alumni want to remain connected and involved once they graduate is to give back to an institution that has given them their degree, that has helped them get to where they are today,” Breland said. “Of course we want every alumnus to be a donor, but it is about more than that. It is about mentoring students, connecting graduates to jobs, supporting our arts and athletic programs. Our goal is for NAS to be a place where alumni can plug in and get involved in a way that means the most to them.”
Whether graduates want to make a financial gift, volunteer their time or take part in a specific project, the NAS wants to be the conduit that helps them discover how they want to support UAB.
“There will still be many of the same great events and other programming that alumni and friends can participate in,” Breland said. “We will continue to provide recognition of our alumni who are up-and-coming stars both personally and professionally, and those who have already experienced some amazing levels of success.”