Alumni Association Highlights Social Media In 2009, the Texas Tech Alumni Association launched its comprehensive social media strategy. The TTAA began using Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and its own blog to keep Red Raiders aware of Alumni Association and university happenings around the country. By the end of 2009, we had: • 486 Followers on Twitter • 2018 Fans on the Facebook FanPage • 1242 Members of the Official Texas Tech Alumni Association Facebook Page • 552 Members of LinkedIn • 360 Friends of RaiderBling • 25 TTAA Chapter Groups (monitored by Chapter Presidents) • 4,066 unique views to www.TTUAlumniBlog.org Raider Ranch Raider Ranch, which has been partnered with the Alumni Association for several years, is a master-planned, gated community for those 55 and better located in the heart of Lubbock. This resort-style property offers individual villas, condominium-style residences and Horizon Bay Traditions at Raider Ranch, which is a full-service stand-alone community offering the perfect complement of assisted living services for older adults who need help with daily living activities. The property had its official grand opening in the fall and the number of residents is steadily growing. Proceeds from this partnership help the Alumni Association fund scholarships and other support projects for Texas Tech. Legislative The Texas Tech Alumni Association legislative advocacy efforts were in high gear in 2009. The year began with the TTAA helping to sponsor and organize Texas Tech Day at the state capitol in Austin. The TTAA’s National Board coordinated its winter meeting so that the board members could be in Austin to attend the Tech Day events. Alumni from around the state were invited and more than 200 of them came to Austin to show their support for Texas Tech. The Alumni Association also worked to sponsor and organize Texas Tech Day in Washington, D.C. During these celebrations, the Texas Tech message is shared along with the needs of the university. The purpose is to help increase the funding provided to Texas Tech from these legislative bodies. The Legislative Committee of the TTAA National Board was also instrumental in getting the word out about the Proposition 4 initiative that was approved on election night, November 3. This amendment will create an independent research university fund that will allow research universities in the state of Texas to achieve national prominence as major research universities. Texas Tech is one of seven schools in the state of Texas vying to become the state’s next Tier One research institute, and the passage of this Proposition was a critical first step in this process. Ring Savings Plan After more than five years of research and planning, the Alumni Association was able to implement an automated Ring Savings Program in 2009. This program allows Texas Tech students to have a payment plan for their Official Class Ring by putting $75 per semester on their tuition. The students can then redeem the money they have set aside when they are eligible to purchase a ring. The TTAA had been administering this program manually for several years, but in 2009, this process moved to an electronic format. Texas Tech students were now able to see this option as part of their online portal to the university’s student services Web site. This move helped to increase the number of participants in the program from less than 50 to more than 500 by the end of the year.
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