Alumni Advisory Roles

Alumni Advisory Board/Council

Alpha Rho Chapter

Alpha Rho was one of the early pioneers of the idea of an Alumni Advisory Board (AAB), establishing the board in the mid-1990s. The AAB is entrusted "to guide, counsel, and support the chapter in matters that affect the chapter's present and future viability through regular communication with and advisement of the brotherhood." Duties of the AAB include meeting with the chapter officers at least two times per year, advising in legal matters, approving expenditures greater than 15% of the chapter's operating budget for that semester, choosing internal scholarship recipients, reviewing the chapter's proposed budget each semester, and assisting with editing of the Form 110.

Alpha Rho's AAB is comprised of four elected alumni and the previous year's Chapter President. Elected members have terms of two years and the previous President member has a term of one year. The elected positions are setup such that two positions expire each spring and are filled by a majority vote of the chapter from a pool of self-nominated alumni. The combination of term length and rotating election schedule provides the opportunity for turnover on the board while also ensuring continuity.

Gamma Theta Chapter

This past year Gamma Theta introduced an Alumni Advisory Council to replace the singular position of Alumni Advisor. The primary role of the AAC, which is composed of alumni from Gamma Theta and other chapters, is to be a sounding board for the chapter's ideas and concerns; the Alumni chair meets with the group regularly to discuss topics on which the collegiate brothers would like their opinion.

The board was originally set-up with 5 seats. They have changed over the years and there were 7-8 people this year. The members were selected by the Chapter as a whole through an election process. They were nominated, made aware of their nominations and then voted on after being provided the chance to speak to the Chapter. Election was done by majority, but I don't see anything wrong with a 3/4 vote either.

They were required to send a representative at least once per month to the meeting, but there was usually someone at each meeting and often at the e-board meetings as well. The members of the board were not used to create policy and were very careful not to attempt to influence the Chapter in their day to day operations. They helped people with amendments to bylaws and acted as cheerleaders for the chapter. We went in a couple times and brought activities for them to do during the meetings, just to lighten the mood and make things fun.

Gamma Pi Chapter

Gamma Pi Chapter has an advisory board composed of 3 alumni. The outgoing chapter president is automatically included while the other two members have to nominated and voted on.

Gamma Phi Chapter

Gamma Phi has an advisory board composed of a maximum of 5 alumni and a minimum of 3. They're elected by the chapter members either by simple majority or just the top five vote-getters. Each brother gets to vote for the five that they would like to serve on the board and the top five vote getters are the new advisory board.

Delta Omega Chapter

Delta Omega doesn't so much have an advisory board as a group of alumni who determine the recipient of a scholarship every semester. It's administered by the Bay Area Alumni Association, in coordination with the chapter. The chapter has an Alumni Advisor (singular) who functions in the advisory role, as is independent of the scholarship committee.

Nomination E-mail

Beta Nu Chapter

Congratulations-

You have been nominated for the position of Alumni Advisor for Beta Nu Chapter of Phi Sigma Pi. This office is of great importance to our Chapter, and I strongly urge you to consider running for this position if you have interest in sharing your knowledge and insight with the next generation of our Chapter's leaders.

Essentially, the Alumni Advisor is responsible for providing an experienced voice of counsel, and is primarily sought out specifically by other members of the executive board when their services are desired. This position does NOT require your physical presence in Ithaca at any time, and permits a great deal of flexibility.

Please respond to this message, no later than 5:00 PM on Saturday 11/5, either accepting or declining your nomination for the position of Alumni Advisor.

If you choose to accept your nomination, please also send me a brief (approximately four sentences) statement regarding why you have interest in serving in this office, as well as any relevant experience or wisdom that you feel will assist you in serving.

Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or comments.

Thank you for your time.

President, Beta Nu Chapter

Interview Questions for prospective Alumni Advisors

Leadership Institute excerpt, Role of Alumni Advisors:

• In what ways did Phi Sigma Pi impact you as an undergraduate? What effect did this have on wanting to become an Alumni Advisor?
• Why do you believe it is important for a chapter to have an Alumni Advisor? What role do you envision the Alumni Advisor playing?
• What specific area(s) do you see yourself helping the most?
• What are your expectations for the chapter? What are your expectations for yourself as an Alumni Advisor?
• What areas do you feel the chapter may need to improve?

Selecting an Alumni Advisor

via January 2006 Alumni Relations Newsletter

Some alternative ideas on who to choose to be your Alumni Advisor(s):

• Your Alumni Advisor does not need to be an Alumnus(ae) from your chapter. You might have Alumni from other chapters living nearby, or even working on your campus that could be great potential advisors.
• Use your active and knowledgeable Alumni even if they do not live nearby. While they can't come to meetings regularly, having a great resource that you know you can get in touch with the moment you need them, may be more important.
• In searching for an Alumni Advisor, don't just limit yourself to Alumni that are recent graduates. Often older Alumni can give key insight on many different topics because of work experience and professional connections.
• When interviewing for an Alumni Advisor, it is important to remember that your chapter is a constantly evolving and growing, entity. An Alumni Advisor who pays heed to tradition, while encouraging growth and development of the chapter and its brothers, has the right mind set for the position.
• Is it important that your Alumni Advisor be able to separate any personal relationships he/she may still have with brothers of the chapter. Sometimes Alumni Advisors are called on to give advice in tough situations, so being an impartial support person who puts the best interests of the chapter first is key.
• Instead of having just one Alumni Advisor, consider an Alumni Advisory Board. Alumni Advisory Boards are a great way to get several Alumni involved in aiding the development of your chapter and let you have Alumni who fit any of the criteria mentioned above.

Creating Goals & Expectations for your Alumni Advisor

via February 2006 Alumni Relations Newsletter

• Your chapter should determine its expectations for the position before you accept nominations or offer the position to someone. Write these expectations down and keep them somewhere that both the chapter and advisor(s) will have access to.
• Creating goals is very important for both the Alumni Advisor and the Chapter. Usually, these goals should be mutually agreed upon and tracked throughout the academic year. Creating a loose structure with no outcomes in mind, creates a situation where growth and development is minimal.
• If your chapter has had an Alumni Advisor in the past, try and have them communicate the position, both what worked well and what didn't work well, to potential nominees so they can understand what is involved.
• Facilitate the transition from old to new Alumni Advisor(s).
• Sign a contract between the chapter and the Alumni Advisor(s) so both parties have a document outlining expectations from each other.
• Review the position periodically through the term, and be sure to get feedback from your Alumni Advisor(s) about how they feel in the position, and what is working versus what needs improvement.
• Plant the idea of being an Alumni Advisor in the minds of your graduating seniors to grow your pool of potential advisors.