Alumni provide invaluable financial support to their alma mater, but they also play an important role in other areas of a college or university, Sandy Eyre, director of alumni relations and the Wooster Fund at The College of Wooster, provides an overview of the vital relationship between the institution and its former students.

Q. In what ways are alumni important to their alma mater?

A. Alumni serve their alma mater in a variety of important ways. In addition to the financial support, which is, of course, vital to the success of the institution, alumni play key roles in many other areas. In the admissions process, for example, alumni help to make students in their area aware of the college or university they attended and provide additional encouragement as that student tries to make a final decision. Another area in which alumni provide great support is career counseling. At Wooster, we have a well-developed network that puts current students in touch with alumni in their field of interest.

Q. How does a college or university keep in touch with students after graduation?

A. At Wooster, we try to maintain an active relationship with all of our alumni, and we do this through different events and programs. Almost all schools have a homecoming event in the fall and a reunion weekend in the spring or summer. This allows alumni to come back and visit old friends and former professors while sharing memories from their time on campus. Wooster has special reunions for all classes that have been out in five-year increments. For example, this summer, we will honor graduates who earned their degrees in years ending in four or nine. Beyond those two events, Wooster provides many other opportunities for alumni to become involved, from serving on boards to participating in various events in cities across the country.

Q. What are some of the other ways Wooster reaches out to alumni?

A. One of the newest and most exciting programs we have at The College of Wooster is Scots in Service Day. Each fall, we mark the College’s long history of volunteerism and service to others with a special community project in selected cities across the nation. Last year, close to 1,000 alumni participated in projects in 18 cities, including Wooster. Each site chooses its own activity, which is open to alumni, parents, students, and friends. It is a great opportunity for alumni to hear about what is happening at the college and to promote one of the primary missions of the College, which is service. It continues to grow each year with more cities expressing interest, and we are hoping it develops into one of the nation’s largest alumni service projects.

Q. How does the college or university engender good feelings among alumni?

A. One would hope that alumni already have a good feeling toward their alma mater based on their experience as undergraduates. We trust that our former students have fond memories of professors and classmates as well as the courses they took, the organizations of which they were a member, and the activities in which they participated. Still, it is important to build on these positive experiences and to re-establish relationships that may have drifted over the years. One of the ways to do this is to ensure that the College is doing things that would make alumni proud of their alma mater. At Wooster, for example, we are delighted that our nationally renowned Independent Study program is ranked by U.S. News and World Report as one of the nation’s top senior capstone experiences.

Q. What happens to Wooster students after they graduate?

A. Wooster graduates enter a wide variety of professions, and many of them ascend to the highest levels of leadership. A substantial number also pursue graduate studies in medicine, law, business, education, and other areas. The College has produced many prominent alumni over the years, including Noble Prize Winner Arthur H. Compton and U.S. District Court Judge Solomon Oliver as well as Timothy P. Smucker, chairman of the J.M. Smucker Company, and Stanley C. Gault, retired CEO of Goodyear and Rubbermaid Incorporated.