The University of Arizona Alumnus / Fall 2008
Wildcat For Life
There is no question that alumni play a critical role in advancing their university’s academic mission. Their collective advice and counsel, their gift-giving capabilities, their support of student recruitment and other forms of volunteerism on behalf of their alma mater make alumni a powerful force in the life of the institution. The university community, then, is easily defined not only by the umbrella of students, faculty, and staff, but also by its hundreds of thousands of alumni across the country and around the world.
Richard L. McCormick, president of Rutgers University, provided a ringing endorsement for the role of alumni relations when he announced the recent restructuring of the Rutgers alumni office, indicating that “alumni are essential members of any great university community. They are lifelong stakeholders in the institution, and their passion for, and loyalty to, their alma mater inspires devotion that is second to none. The (university) cannot achieve its goals without them.”
Today, public universities are leaning more heavily on alumni for support given a climate of budget cuts, competitive admissions, a growing student-loan burden, and aging facilities and infrastructure.
The relationship that alumni have to their university is unique. A small percentage of graduates view their collegiate experience as a means to an end, for the sole purpose of earning a degree, and moving on to the next phase of life. But more often, graduates develop a lifelong affinity to their alma mater, based on campus experiences they seek to rekindle long after commencement, and they are linked by earning a degree from the same university. Our most active alumni and volunteers get involved to make a difference and to be a part of the institution’s success.
We suggest to all UA alumni that they are literally
Wildcats for Life — a simple concept that captures the essence of this alumni-alma mater connection. We feel so strongly about this connection that earlier this year, we trademarked Wildcat for Life. You will see Wildcat for Life as a part of everything the UA Alumni Association does — in printed materials, on apparel, in speeches, and as a component of our own logo.
The Wildcat for Life concept also resonates with students — our alumni-in-residence. As I visit with freshmen during their first week of school, with graduates at commencement, or with Greek students at chapter meetings, I urge them to stay connected with the university after graduation.
Whatever the audience — students or alumni — the intent of the message is the same: One enters The University of Arizona as a Wildcat and graduates as a Wildcat for Life. Whatever alumni do and wherever they go, they know that they will always be a vital part of this university.
Most importantly, we encourage students and alumni alike to never stop being engaged with the UA. Whether your commitment is recruiting future students, serving as a career contact, becoming an AdvoCAT, attending a regional alumni chapter event, making a financial gift, becoming a member of the Alumni Association, updating your information, or speaking positively about the university, your engagement makes a difference.
Being a Wildcat for Life means never losing your connection to The University of Arizona — no matter how you choose to exercise this connection.
I hope you enjoy this issue of Alumnus magazine, the one issue sent to all alumni each year. To receive all four issues of our quarterly magazine, or to find out about other ways to stay connected to the UA, visit our Web site at www.arizonaalumni.com.
Bear Down,
Christopher J. Vlahos
President and Executive Director
The University of Arizona Alumni Association
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