A CONNECTED COMMUNITY By every measure, the Lives of Consequence
experience for alumni and parents,” said Betsy Cannon Smith, ’84, P’15, alumni secretary and executive director of Alumni and Parent Programs. “Participants appreciate the chance to focus deeply on a subject for purely intellectual enjoyment—it’s a luxury you often lose after leaving college.”
campaign generated extraordinary numbers: 1,463 EVENTS, 18,643 ATTENDEES, 6,100 VOLUNTEERS, AND 5,335 ALUMNI-STUDENT INTERACTIONS. All of these impressive figures resulted from the Amherst Connects initiative, which recognized the
Likewise, alumni and parents have responded enthusiastically to new opportunities for networking with students.
many ways of giving while encouraging the close connections among the College, students, and alumni that are a hallmark of the Amherst experience. When Amherst Reads launched in September 2008,
it marked a new direction in connecting alumni—as well as parents and friends—with the intellectual life of the College. Developed by Alumni and Parent Programs, this monthly online book club featured selections from a searchable catalog of over 1,500 alumnior faculty-written books. Its success led to the Virtual Lecture Series, webinars
presented by Amherst professors and alumni that include real-time questions from listeners. Since 2009, the series has ŏ ̆ered 20 virtual lectures with topics ranging from economic perspectives on healthcare reform to globalizing Shakespeare. To date, more than 900 members of the Amherst community have “attended” a lecture. “We had long wanted to ŏ ̆er something akin to the classroom
Among these is Pathways, a mentoring program that connects students with alumni mentors willing to provide advice about exploring careers, navigating the Amherst landscape, and bridging the gap from Amherst to life after college. “Students are extremely excited about the possibilities of connecting. So are alumni: we had more than 600 alumni sign up to serve as mentors before the program formally launched to students,” said Cannon Smith. “Pathways is
Alumni Engagement by Category 2009
2010
Category
2011
2012
2013
# of alumni
Online
5,913
6,853
8,157
8,300
8,585
Feedback/ Feature
4,545
4,565
4,965
4,674
11,166
Events, Visits, and Programs
3,687
4,066
4,811
5,466
5,150
Volunteer
1,840
1,866
4,087
4,275
4,233