New Alumni Group Board Member Onboarding Process
- Start a “Board Buddy” program in the alumni group to help new board members get acclimated to their new role. Duties of Board Buddies:
- 1-year commitment
- Sit with the assigned new member at board meetings
- Meet in advance of 1st meeting
- Share with the new board member some of their reasons why they volunteer
- If the alumni group does not already have one, create a document outlining board responsibilities
- Here are two sample documents
- This document should be reviewed with new board members when they are recruited & signed during the orientation meeting
- Assign a Board Buddy to new board members
- Give new board member these items before their first board meeting (1 month before the first meeting) and ask them to review them in preparation for Orientation meeting:
- Alumni Association Guiding Principles
- Overview of the society board history and work
- Copy of the alumni group’s Constitution & By-laws (if applicable)
- Most recent alumni group’s board minutes
- Alumni Groups Handbook (give hard copy, if available)
- Alumni group’s board roster with contact information
- Alumni Group President & Board Buddy plan a 1-hour orientation session for new board member an hour before first board meeting
- Orientation Agenda:
- History of the Alumni Group
- When was the group founded?
- What is their membership (all alumni, donation-based or dues-based) and who is eligible to be a member?
- What are their signature events?
- Any additional history about the group
- Relationship with OSUAA
- Review the group’s charter
- Scarlet, Gray and Carmen Status (pgs. 12-13 in Alumni Group Handbook)
- Event categories (pg. 13 in Alumni Group Handbook)
- Incentive and Reimbursable programming funds.
- History of the Alumni Group
- Review board member position requirements:
- Pre-existing passion for the cause
- Eagerness to participate at every meeting
- Willing to prepare ahead for meetings
- Anxious to serve on committees
- Supportive, but willing to express their own opinion
- Strives to learn as much as possible
- Board Expectations:
- Review Board Responsibilities document and have new board member & president sign the document
- Give new board member a copy of the signed document
- Review the Alumni Group Handbook – with emphasis on:
- Review Alumni Groups Website resources with emphasis on:
- Additional questions from the new board member
- Orientation Agenda:
- Plan an informal social event so new board member can get to know others on the board