Why:

• Student attendance at Summer Send Offs has decreased each year.
  o In the last three years, an average of less than 4% of all incoming students attended a Summer Send Off event. With a variety of events and opportunities to build deeper connections, we want to engage more students with alumni.
  o Many of the SSO events only included board members as the alumni attendees. These new events should encourage all alumni and current students to attend and expand the buckeye network.
• We want to make better use of volunteer leaders’ time. With the chance to invite both alumni and all current students, this provides a larger pool of invitees to your events that volunteers have worked hard to put together.
• After surveying current students, they have suggested a variety of events that are of interest to them here.
• Events that invite both alumni and students will increase your group’s opportunity to make valuable connections with students and expand membership.

How:

• Plan your student engagement event during winter break, spring break or during summer break. See ideas here.
• Be intentional about how you plan to connect students with alumni during the event.
• Submit a Workfront request for an email and website update at least 2 weeks before the email send. Be sure to add a note requesting that you want students to be invited.
• Collect RSVPs and plan for some individuals to be unable to attend at the last minute.
• Execute the event and follow up with each student to thank them for attending.
• Ask for feedback from the attendees to improve your next event.