In January 2018, a small group of MSP alums crafted a survey to investigate the possibility of reviving an Alumni Association.
They asked questions like – How important would having an active alumni association be to you? and What types of professional development experiences would you be interested in? The feedback was promising enough to inspire two of the original members, Colleen Damino, PsyD (’14) and Dawn Krull, MA (’17) to create the MSP Alumni Advisory Board (AAB).
The creation of the AAB is a first step in organizing the wider MSP Alumni Association (MSPAA). The kickoff event will be an Alumni Open House & Advisory Board Meeting on Thursday, November 15 from 5:30 to 8:00 PM. All interested alumni are encouraged to attend!
What is the Alumni Advisory Board?
The AAB is an alumni initiated, semi-casual, volunteer board that functions to support MSP’s alumni engagement efforts by planning, organizing, and hosting enjoyable and meaningful alumni activities. In our first year (2018-2019 academic year), we will be focusing on cultivating a stronger sense of community among alumni by planning a variety of social, fundraising (charity and MSP related), and networking events. Our eventual goal is to have monthly events; but to begin our efforts will focus on a minimum of quarterly. As alumni interest and participation grow, the scope of alumni activity offerings will also grow.
What does it do?
Since the AAB is a new endeavor, we will be focusing on developing the structure and guidelines for how it will function and serve the MSP community long term. This is all very flexible intentionally. We want to foster uniqueness, belonging, and engagement. Ideas are welcomed, and you do not need to be part of the board to attend the quarterly meetings or any events. The board will be working alongside the school to encourage stronger community partnerships as well as create opportunities for alumni and current students.
What does it cost?
There is no membership cost to be a board member and board members are not required to solicit funding from alumni or current students.
What is the time commitment?
The AAB is an active, working board that meets quarterly at MSP typically for about one hour. We are seeking 2-5 members to assist with attending and coordinating various events and activities. We ask that board members attend all of the quarterly meetings if possible, whether in person or via phone/teleconference. Attendance at events will vary. Having additional board members will allow for attendance at events to be lower, roughly 2-4 per year. In general, the time commitment is less than 10 hour per year.
Interested to learn more? Find bios of Colleen and Dawn and Alumni FAQs here.
