Alumni Board Committees

The Alumni Board committees help us focus our efforts on key areas. The 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
  • Provide a structure for retiring Board members to continue to work on projects where they have provided leadership.

Awards Committee

In 1992 the Board initiated the annual Alumni 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 Medal. The recipients are presented medals at an Alumni 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.

Fundraising Committee

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.

Nominations Committee

The nominations committee seeks to strengthen the membership of the Alumni Board 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 Board (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 Committee

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.

Alumni Connections Committee

In 2009 the board formed the Connections Committee to assist the College in general outreach to alumni, focusing primarily on recent graduate and regional engagement and communication strategies, including website, social media platforms and electronic and print publications.