07/02/2020
Letter from USCAA
To Our Dedicated Alumni,
Thank you for your longtime commitment and service to USC, and your participation in the Regional Alumni Programs Town Hall meeting on Tuesday, June 23. Your passion for the university is what makes our Trojan alumni community so exceptionally active and strong. You are sharing your thoughts and concerns, and we are listening.
We apologize that our communications lacked the clarity you all deserved, and want to take this opportunity to provide specific details about how our regional engagement program is changing, as well as describe the advantages of these changes and address any apprehensions you may have. The university remains firmly committed to our regional volunteers, programs and eventsāthese are indispensable to our Trojan Family and a source of great pride.
Indeed, the Trojan Family is our universityās greatest asset, and we want everyone to have the chance to take advantage of everything it has to offer.
Since 2017, the USC Alumni Association has had an ongoing dialogue with the USC Board of Trustees Alumni Affairs Committee, the USCAA Board of Governors and alumni across the nation. Through this and alumni attitude surveys, we learned that the university needed to do a better job of engaging alumni in their home communities. We realized that more Trojans wanted to participate by bringing creative new ideas to fruition. It became apparent that a new approach was neededāone that would empower more regional volunteers and expand involvement opportunities for all.
Here is a summary of what is exciting about this:
Leadership
For many years, our club leaders have told us about the challenges they face and how they experience significant demands on their time, including having to organize an entire yearās calendar of events, communicate broadly with all alumni in the region, manage potential risks and liabilities associated with their responsibilities, and navigate the difficulties of leadership succession. Our new approach, without officers, chairs and boards, is more flexible and inclusive, allowing any alum (not just a club official) to take the initiative in organizing an event or activity. We believe this is a major improvement over the previous structure.
Activities and Events
Another major advantage is that volunteers can now choose the activities that are truly meaningful to them. For example, a volunteer can plan a Day of SCervice project with no obligation to also plan Game Watches. Others may be more interested in planning a lecture, for example, and may choose to team up with us to make it happen. With the help of longtime and new volunteers, we will continue to provide a variety of events and activities for alumni to attend and enjoy while connecting with fellow Trojans. All alumni will still be able to:
Connect with one another through popular events such as Game Watches, SCend Offs and SCervice projects;
Participate in or lead professional and networking events such as ReSCeptions, industry office hours and SCuppers, virtually and in person;
Create, publicize and attend alumni meet-ups in all forms and sizesānetworking mixers, weekend hikes, cultural activities, lunch and learns, etc.;
Mentor new and future generations of Trojans; and
Support scholarships through service and fundraising, leaving the handling and receipting of gifts to USC.
Volunteerism
Our regional volunteers continue to be absolutely crucial to our goals, and we rely on them to keep collaborating with us.
Anyone currently involved with a club or chapter has been invited to continue volunteering and working with us to maintain the continuity of programs in their regions under the new approach.
We look forward to seeing exciting new ideas from those who have not been involved before, leading to even greater levels of participation from our regional alumni communities.
USCAA Support
As in the past, the USCAA will help create regional special events, and will work with volunteers, both current and new, to ensure their success. We will be open to new ideas as well, which volunteers can put forth by visiting our Alumni Near You web page. This is where:
You will find answers to frequently asked questions about the changes to the USC Alumni Association regional programs.
Alumni everywhere may create an event themselves simply by going online and filling out a simple form. It can be an annual event with an already established following or a new event that an alum has always wanted to host, but lacked the opportunity or resources to do so
Facebook groups will now all come together under a single, more-inclusive regional nameāfor example, USC Alumni in Seattleāmaking it easier for any alum to create an event, post a comment or launch a discussion.
The USCAA will support these efforts by publicizing them on its events calendar, in its newsletters and on social media.
We understand the importance of open and ongoing dialogue through this period of transition, and will communicate with you regularly to help support you in accomplishing your goals. We recently conducted our first of what will be regularly scheduled Volunteer Open House/Orientation sessions to provide tips and tools for success. Please join us for our next one on July 15 to find out more about how to volunteer for the activities you care about or feel are the most significant to your regionāso Trojans can continue to meet and network like only Trojans can.
We will monitor, measure and evaluate all aspects of our new regional program, and solicit feedback and make necessary adjustments on an ongoing basis. As promised, the transcript from the Town Hall will be available on July 7, and we will continue to welcome your input. If you have additional questions, comments or suggestions, please share them with us here or email Pasha Hawthorne, director of regional alumni programs.
In closing, we want to recognize all the volunteers who work so hard to create engagement opportunities for alumni, parents and friends. Your enthusiasm and support remain critical to the success of our regional programs and the entire USC Alumni Association.
We wish you safety and wellness, and thank you again for your commitment to the Trojan Family. Fight On!
Sincerely,
Patrick E. Auerbach EdD ā08
Associate Senior Vice President for Alumni Relations
Corii D. Berg ā89
Past President, USC Alumni Association Board of Governors and USC Trustee
John Iino JD ā87
President, USC Alumni Association Board of Governors
Joy Albritten ā02
Secretary, USC Alumni Association Board of Governors
Questions? Please email the USC Alumni Association.
Facebook
Twitter
