CONNECTIONS AUBURN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
ANNUAL REPORT
2014-2015
CONNECTIONS Life is all about connections—the relationships we develop between each other throughout our lives, and the way we nurture and strengthen those relationships. Each year, the Auburn Alumni Association offers programs, communications and collaborations that nurture and strengthen the connections between our university and its graduates from all generations. Join us as we look back at the highlights of our connections in 2014-15.
Dear alumni and friends,
footprint both nationally and internationally. Thank you for your continued involvement, volunteerism and
It is my pleasure to share the 2014-15 annual report of the
philanthropic support.
Auburn Alumni Association. I hope you will enjoy learning about the numerous ways in which our board of directors, Auburn
As the alumni ranks grow with each commencement, it is my
Clubs, membership, student alumni association, academic partners,
sincere hope that the Auburn Alumni Association will continue
and other key stakeholders facilitated and strengthened connections
to honor and serve our loyal alumni, celebrate traditions that the
between Auburn University and their respective communities.
Auburn family holds dear, and create meaningful and new ways to reconnect alumni to each other and their alma mater.
This report highlights the tremendous impact Auburn alumni and friends continue to make by supporting a myriad of student
War Eagle,
scholarships, honoring alumni lifetime achievement, recognizing academic excellence, representing the Auburn family through community outreach efforts, participating in programs and special events, and communicating alumni stories through our variety of media platforms.
Gretchen VanValkenburg ’86 Vice President for Alumni Affairs &
Your choice to be engaged in alumni association-sponsored
Executive Director, Auburn Alumni Association
activities plays a critical role in the life of our organization and
gretchenvan@auburn.edu
provides the opportunity to expand the Auburn University
WITH ALUMNI AUBURN CLUBS More than 19,000 alumni participated in events hosted by our more than 90 chartered Auburn Clubs nationwide in 2014-15. Through regular meetings, Tiger Trek events with members of the AU coaching staff, and game-watching parties, our clubs offered networking connections among their members and with Auburn. They also gave back, raising $497,416 in scholarship dollars in 2014-15.
HOSPITALITY TAILGATE An average of 2,036 fans visited the Auburn Hospitality Tailgate prior to each of the home football games in 2014-15. In addition to offering a gathering spot for association members, families and friends, the tailgate connected them back to Auburn by offering visits from Aubie, the War Eagle Girls and Plainsmen and the Auburn cheerleaders. Auburn Alumni Association partnered with Total Sports Travel, AuburnBusTrips.com and our Auburn Clubs to provide travel, accommodations packages and special events for away games.
Auburn MAGAZINE / SUMMER 2015
COMMUNICATIONS Four times a year, the Auburn Alumni Association sends copies of the award-winning Auburn Magazine to each of its 43,000 members, providing a regular, tangible connection between the university and its constituents. The association also engages in regular, ongoing dialogue with Auburn alumni and friends through its strong social media presence on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, Flikr, Wordpress, Google+ and Tumblr, with an aggregate average engagement of 145,470 per month.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Lifetime Achievement Awards
Each year, the Auburn Alumni Association In 2014-15, the Auburn Alumni Association facilitated connections
bestows its highest honor to four deserving alumni.
between alumni groups through events such as the Golden Eagles Reunion, which drew 177 back to campus to induct the Class of 1965 and honor earlier classes, and Black Alumni Weekend, which brought 210 alumni back to campus for special events during
2014—15 HONOREES
Samuel Ginn ’59, Melissa Brown Herkt ’77, David Housel ’69, Mike Warren ’68
A-Day Weekend festivities. 2015 YOUNG ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT AWARD WINNER
J. Benjamin Chappell ’03
W I T H FA C U LT Y ALUMNI PROFESSORSHIPS
THE MINORITY ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Twenty-five, five-year non-renewable Alumni
The Auburn Alumni Association honors
Professorships are sponsored by the Auburn
an individual each year who has contributed
Alumni Association, with funds endowed from
to improved race relations at Auburn and
annual giving. Professorships are nominated by
fostered a sense of community within the university.
their deans and chosen on the basis of research, publishing and teaching.
2014 Alumni Professors
2014 Recipient ROBIN SABINO, English
ELLEN BEHREND, clinical sciences
College of Veterinary Medicine VIRGINIA DAVIS, chemical engineering
Samuel Ginn College of Engineering LISA SAMUELSON, tree physiology
School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences
College of Liberal Arts
THE UNDERGRADUATE TEACHING EXCELLENCE AWARD
THE DISTINGUISHED GRADUATE FACULTY LECTURESHIP
This award is given to teachers who are nominated by
Jointly sponsored by the Auburn Alumni Association and
students, alumni and colleagues in honor of their quality of
the AU Graduate School, the Distinguished Graduate Faculty
teaching, knowledge of subject, interest in and availability
Lectureship carries a $2,000 award from the
to students, the impact the teacher had on the nominator’s
association and is chosen by the Graduate Faculty Council.
personal educational experience, and his or her influence within the Auburn community.
2014 Recipients
2014 Distinguished Graduate Faculty Lectureship PAULA R. BACKSCHEIDER
BRIAN CONNELLY, business management
Philpott-Stevens Eminent Scholar
Harbert College of Business
Specializing in Restoration and 18th-century literature, feminist criticism and cultural studies
STEPHEN SCHMIDT, animal science
College of Agriculture ROD TUROCHY, civil engineering
Samuel Ginn College of Engineering
WITH STUDENTS SCHOLARSHIPS Through the Auburn Alumni Association Endowment and the Auburn Club Scholarship Program, the association in 2014-15 awarded more than 250 scholarships for use by students in the following academic year. Among the special projects undergone to increase scholarship funds were: MILLION DOLLAR MATCH
ALUMNI WALK
CIRCLE OF EXCELLENCE
Provided matching funds of
Paver program raised $59,070
A giving recognition
$1 million to life members
for scholarships in 2014-15.
program that raised $41,175
establishing 58 new endowed
for scholarships for children
scholarships.
of association life members.
STUDENT ALUMNI ASSOCIATION The largest student group on campus, the student chapter of the Auburn Alumni Association has an average of 3,500 members. Working in conjunction with the Office of Alumni Affairs staff, SAA provides students an opportunity to connect with other students as well as with alumni. SAA also offers annual scholarships to rising seniors who are SAA members. Four scholarships were awarded in 2015-16 from funds raised in 2014-15.
SENIOR SEND-OFF In spring 2015, the Auburn Alumni Association hosted its first “Senior Send-Off,� opening up the Auburn Alumni Center to provide food, fun and helpful resources for graduating Auburn seniors. Some 467 seniors attended the inaugural event. Campus partners and Auburn Club representatives were on hand to provide information to new graduates.
GET IT TOGETHER In May, December and August, the Auburn Alumni Association sponsored and staffed an area at commencement to help AU seniors get ready to don those caps and gowns. In 2014-15, we provided new graduates with more than 6,000 bobby pins, more than 1,000 safety pins, more than 25 pounds of breath mints, hundreds of Band-Aids, numerous strips of double-stick tape and a steamer.
WITH THE UNIVERSITY CAMPAIGN SUPPORT
THE ALL-STAR LECTURE SERIES
Through its communications, scholarship programs and
The Auburn Alumni Association worked with the
Auburn Clubs, the Auburn Alumni Association has been
Auburn Office of Communications and Marketing in 2014-15
a strong participant in the university’s $1 billion
to present the second annual All-Star Lecture Series.
Because This is Auburn: A Campaign for Auburn University.
Distinguished faculty and alumni presented lively lectures the Friday afternoon before home football games, bringing more than 1,000 alumni and friends to the Auburn Alumni Center during the fall semester.
At the end of the 2014-15 fiscal year, the association had reached 85.5 percent of its campaign goal of $9.4 million.
STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS
FANS: FINDING AUBURN’S NEW STUDENTS
In spring 2015, the Auburn Alumni Association began
The Auburn Alumni Association has partnered with the
a strategic planning process aimed, in part, at improving the
Office of University Recruitment to help with the FANS
association’s relationships with the campus community
program, Finding Auburn’s New Students.
and partnering with academic and administrative units in both programs and communications. Focus groups were held prior to the end of the 2014-15 year, with implementation of plans to occur in 2015-16 and beyond.
In the
27
SPRING of 2015
alumni throughout the state of Alabama represented
AUBURN UNIVERSITY at high school awards days.
WITH OUR COMMUNITY MILITARY APPRECIATION DAY For the first time in 2014, the alumni association had a Military Appreciation coin designed and manufactured to present to active and retired veterans who attended Military Appreciation Day on campus. Almost 200 coins were given to very appreciative veterans who visited our location at the ROTC tailgate on the lawn of the Nichols Center.
CAREER RESOURCES In an effort to help Auburn alumni network within their professional areas, the Office of Alumni Affairs began offering free monthly webinars presented live by the nation’s top career authors and experts. Approximately 200 alumni took advantage of the association’s growing presence in the area of job-networking.
COLOR ME AUBURN 5K The Office of Alumni Affairs and Student Alumni Association joined other sponsors to establish a 5K run on campus to raise money for scholarships. Begun in 2013, the May 2015 event attracted 405 runners who risked a shower of orange and blue powder to participate in the campus run. Proceeds from the 2014-15 run raised $2,063 for scholarships. It also was the first “zero-waste” event on campus, meaning intentional efforts to recycle and minimize non-recyclable or compostable material were undertaken in cooperation with the university’s waste reduction and recycling department.
ALUMNI IN ACTION Auburn alumni, individually and at the club level, work hard each year to involve members in service projects that benefit their local communities. In 2014-15, the Alumni Affairs staff helped fund, plan and publicize some 70 community-service projects involving 2,500 alumni volunteers in projects ranging from cleaning a local beach to collecting toilet paper for a women’s shelter.
Dear Auburn Family,
As you read this report, it is our hope that you, a family member or a friend will be encouraged
On behalf of the Auburn Alumni Association Board of Directors, it is my pleasure to provide the annual report of
to reconnect with Auburn. Whether with your time, your input or ideas or your financial support, Auburn needs you.
your Auburn Alumni Association. The 2014-15 report shows the
A great way to connect is by joining or becoming active in your
continued commitment to alumni services and sound financial
local Auburn Club. You may be interested in helping recruit a
management of the resources you and the university have entrusted
young student to attend Auburn. However you decide to connect,
to the association.
I am certain you will be glad you did.
Under the direction of the Auburn Alumni Association Board of
Thank you for your support of the Auburn Alumni Association and
Directors and the management of our executive director and staff,
Auburn University.
your association continues to expand services and events and increase connectivity to the university in meaningful ways. Sound
WAR EAGLE!
management during this reporting year has allowed us to partner with two programs outside of the association. We will be donating money this year to Auburn’s Southeastern Raptor Center and the new Auburn Memorial. We have also been able to expand our scholarship-matching program to include more individuals wanting
Jack Fite ’85
to participate in the capital campaign, “Because This is Auburn.”
President, Auburn Alumni Association jfite@fitebuilding.com
2014-2015
BOARD
OF
DIRECTORS
MS. DION M. AVIKI ’04
DR. TIMOTHY A. MARTIN ’78
EX-OFFICIO
MRS. SUSAN K. BLACK ’77
MRS. ANGELA S. MITCHELL ’85
DR. JAY GOGUE ’69
MR. I RIPON “RIP” BRITTON ’82
MR. DAVID OBERMAN ’80
DR. DONALD “DON” L. LARGE JR. ’75
MR. WILLIAM C. “BEAU” BYRD II ’89
MS. REGENIA R. SANDERS ’95
MR. WILLIAM B. “BILL” STONE II ’85
MRS. PAULA D. STEIGERWALD ’76
MR. THOMAS GOSSOM JR. ’75
DR. E. GAINES THOMAS ‘72
MRS. GRETCHEN VANVALKENBURG ’86
MR. MARK H. THOMAS ’95
MS. JENNIFER L. STEPHENS
MS. BARBARA A. WALLACE
MR. JONATHAN DISMUKES
Vice President
MRS. DEBORAH H. CARTER ’72 MR. ROBERT “ROB” M. CRABTREE ’86 MR. WILLIAM JACKSON “JACK” FITE ’85 President
EDWARDS ‘79 MR. ARMSTEAD L. “LES” HAYES ’80 MR. M. VAN HENLEY ’80 Treasurer
MR. ROBERT R. “BOB” JONES ‘74
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION REVENUE & EXPENSES FISCAL YEAR ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2015
CONNECTIONS www.aualum.org
Connections: it’s what the Auburn Alumni Association is all about. Auburn has played an important role in shaping our lives, whether we graduated in the API days or within the last couple of years. Those relationships make up what we call the Auburn Family, and it’s an important part of our mission to ensure that family continues to grow and thrive.