The Alumni Society Board of Governors has established a number of project committees that involve alumni in addition to Board members. These committees serve several purposes. Committees are a vehicle for involving more alumni in College activities and, thus, bring greater focus and activity to the projects. They enable new people to add their energy and ideas to the efforts and provide a structure for retiring Board members to continue to work on projects where they have provided leadership. While membership is open to all alumni, a Board member chairs each committee.

If you are interested in participating in any of the committees listed below, please contact the Assistant Manager, Alumni Relations at engin.alumni.relations or (734) 647-7093.

Awards Committee

In 1992 the Board initiated the annual Alumni Society Awards. Outstanding graduates from each Engineering department are selected to receive departmental Merit Awards. Three exceptional individuals are recognized with the Distinguished Service Award, the Recent Engineering Graduate Award and the Alumni Society Medal. The recipients are presented medals at an Alumni Society Awards Dinner, which is an important part of Michigan Engineering Homecoming Weekend. This project has been very successful, and dinner attendance has grown to over 200. Many of the alumni recognized have become more active in the life of the College.

GOLD (Graduates of the Last Decade) Committee

Established in spring 2001, this committee works to involve recent graduates in College activities. They want to establish strong relationships with the College and networks with each other. Initial activities included participation in recruitment and establishing the criteria for the new Recent Engineering Graduate Award.

Fundraising Committee

Also established in spring 2001, this committee leads efforts to build the Michigan Engineering Fund (MEF) as the College moves into a new Campaign. Working with the MEF manager, they work to improve communications about the MEF, providing alumni with more details about how the fund is used to strengthen College programs. They serve as spokespersons for the MEF and assist in adding support to the fund.

Networking Committee

In 1996 this committee began holding an informal Networking dinner for students and alumni on the evening before the fall Board meeting. Attendance has grown to over 200. There is a buffet dinner with bingo mixer, and student team projects are on display. Alumni and students mingle and talk throughout the evening, often exchanging cards or emails for further contact. In November 1997, the Board also established an interactive email network on the web to enable students to contact alumni. In 2001 the network was transferred to the ECRC EnginTrak web site. The latest version of the student/alumni network is currently in process and functions as a component of the Engineering Career Resource Center's HireME database. Alumni register on the HireME network and list their email so that students may contact them for information on fields of engineering, career paths, etc.

New Opportunities

During the biannual Board meetings, the Board discusses the College's objectives and looks for ways in which they can assist in achieving those objectives. The purpose of the New Opportunities committee is to investigate the feasibility of these projects and to determine whether the Board should pursue these projects. This committee serves as an "incubation" vessel for new ideas and projects.

Nominations Committee

The nominations committee seeks to strengthen the membership of the ASB through the nomination and election of new alumni board members. This committee solicits nominations from current and past board members, the Dean and members of the College's faculty and staff, and through a self-nomination process. The committee determines a candidate's interest in serving on the Board and sends a packet of material to each candidate containing information on the ASB (including but not limited to the Constitution and By-Laws, volunteer description, the mission statement, and letter from the Chair). Board members will be elected at the annual Fall Board Meeting.

Recruiting

Board members became active in College recruitment in 1995. In 1997, the Board established a Recruiting Committee to involve alumni throughout the country in recruiting efforts. The committee works closely with the Engineering Recruiting & Admissions Office, which matches alumni with prospective students. In February of each year, participating alumni call two to five of the top high school students who have been admitted to Michigan Engineering, but have not yet enrolled. They provide information, share enthusiasm for the College, and encourage the students to attend Michigan. Recruitment efforts have been very successful with 35-40% of the students contacted attending.

Strategic Planning Committee

This committee is appointed every five years to undertake the important task of fully reviewing and updating the Strategic Plan for the Alumni Society Board of Governors. This document serves as the road map by which the Board can focus its energies and use as an underlying structure for activities undertaken during that 5-year period. The committee will work to structure the new strategic plan to align with the College's objectives and priorities. The committee will present the new plan to the Board for approval during the fifth year.