Advisory board will increase networking

Alumni Relations is creating a Student Advisory Board because it wants to build a stronger relationship between the student body and the Alumni Office.

“We understand awareness (of the Alumni Office) is low,” said Melissa Liptak, Assistant Director for Student and Recent Graduate Programs.

Tiffany Harris, a Kent State graduate student, is acting as a recruiter for the board.

Harris has been e-mailing the different directors of the colleges and departments on campus asking them to nominate students for the board. Once the directors nominate a student, the student has to fill out an application explaining his or her views of Alumni Relations.

“We want students who are interested in giving feedback,” Liptak said.

The Student Advisory Board will consist of 15 to 20 students ranging from freshmen to seniors. As students graduate, more students will be asked to join to keep the number consistent.

No specific major is required. Applications should be turned in to the Alumni Center by Wednesday.

“We want a general sample of the student population,” Liptak said.

The Student Advisory Board will help Alumni Relations find the best way to reach students.

And they want to get the board together quick, Liptak said.

Meetings will begin the week of Feb. 15, and board members will meet once a month.

“We’re open to anything and everything,” Harris said.

Alumni Relations wants students who are willing to give it ideas to get its message out, Liptak said.

One thing it can offer is networking. There are nearly 180,000 alumni available for students to contact for networking.

“Alumni love talking with students and helping students,” Liptak said.

Alumni Relations is hosting a networking event, Careers Over Coffee, on Feb. 10. It offers students the chance to meet with alumni and discuss different career fields.

Alumni Relations offers career mentors whom students can contact while job searching. It’s also a member of Facebook and LinkedIn networking Web sites.

Alumni Relations partners with the Center for Student Involvement to get students involved in on-campus events such as Senior Conference.

“Part of what the (student advisory) council becomes will be what the council wants to become,” Liptak said.

Contact ROTC and alumni affairs reporter Rachel Polchek at [email protected].