FOR FACULTY AND STAFF
WANT TO ENGAGE YOUR ALUMNI? WE CAN HELP.
The Office of Alumni Relations collaborates with faculty, staff and departments campus-wide to maximize resources and share alumni engagement efforts.
We’ve provided you with a mini how-to on this page. But if you need further assistance, please don't hesitate to call our team at (631) 632-6330, email us at alumni@stonybrook.edu or pay us a visit in the office located on the main floor of the Melville Memorial Library.
We look forward to hearing from you.
ALUMNI INFORMATION AND UPDATES
WHO ARE OUR ALUMNI? WHERE ARE THEY? WHAT ARE THEY DOING?
The Stony Brook Offices of Alumni Relations and University Advancement oversee and manage the University alumni records to ensure that all alumni names, addresses (postal and email), grad years, majors and data are distributed and used appropriately and responsibly, and are consistent with expressed wishes of the individual alumnus.
The Advancement Services staff manage the data, and the Alumni Relations team coordinates all aspects of communications related to outreach for engagement. The overall communications strategy is set by the Advancement Marketing & Communications and Alumni Relations.
KEEPING ALUMNI UP-TO-DATE
All alumni contact information collected by a department, sports team, student club, Greek group, etc., should routinely be emailed to the Office of Alumni Relations at alumni@stonybrook.edu.
Alumni can also directly share their news and contact information through the Send Us Your News feature on the Stony Brook University alumni site.
All alumni accomplishments and milestones are acknowledged by letter and most are included in the Class Notes section of Stony Brook Magazine and on Stony Brook Matters, the news site for alumni and friends of Stony Brook University.
OUTREACH TO ALUMNI
HOW CAN YOU COMMUNICATE AND ENGAGE WITH YOUR ALUMNI?
The Office of Alumni Relations regularly communicates with alumni through email, social media and other channels. We’re happy to partner with you to develop a communications strategy that will work best for your department.
BENEFITS:
- When a department collaborates with Alumni Relations on an event, we can support outreach through email communications, social media and by including the event on our news site, Stony Brook Matters, in addition to featuring it on our alumni website and event calendar.
- If your department already produces an electronic newsletter, Alumni Relations can assist with the distribution of your newsletter and provide email headers and reports on results to you after it goes out.
- We are happy to partner with your department on specific messages from your department chair and/or messages from your dean to an alumni audience.
THINGS TO CONSIDER:
- If you have a directory of social media pages, please add the Stony Brook Alumni Association Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram accounts to your list.
- If you post alumni highlights, spotlights or news articles about alumni, please include all graduation years and share the alumni news with us at alumni@stonybrook.edu.
- Also, if any colleagues or members of your department are alumni, we encourage them to include their grad year in their email signatures.
REUNIONS, DEPARTMENT ANNIVERSARIES AND EVENTS
The Office of Alumni Relations is a great partner and resource in planning your alumni activities on campus and beyond. Our office is required to be aware of all alumni engagement efforts to help involve appropriate staff of the College or to promote it to the alumni directly. Please note that six to eight weeks advance notice is required for most events to be successful.
THE OFFICE OF ALUMNI RELATIONS CAN PARTNER WITH YOUR DEPARTMENT BY:
- Promoting the event on the Alumni Association events calendar
- Sharing best practices in alumni event planning
- Facilitating email invitations and correspondence
- Creating online registration forms and attendee lists
- Managing registration fees and coordinating payments
- Potentially providing raffle items or gifts for alumni guests
- Providing shared sponsorship including funding and staff
YOUR DEPARTMENT IS ASKED TO:
- Set up meetings with Alumni Relations staff
- Work with key campus constituents to promote and plan the event
- Personally reach out to alumni you are in contact with to encourage attendance
- Provide alumni speaker gifts (consult with Alumni Relations staff if necessary)
- Share alumni contact information with Alumni Relations prior to invitations being sent
- Follow the project and communications timeline to best secure alumni involvement
- Provide Alumni Relations with final attendee list and any other relevant information
Contact us to discuss your event idea!
MEET ALUMNI WHEN YOU TRAVEL
The Stony Brook faculty “Great Minds” series is designed to engage more faculty members with our alumni worldwide. “Great Minds” is intended to provide maximum flexibility for faculty, and facilitates casual small group discussions with alumni of all academic and professional backgrounds.
During the program, faculty are asked to talk about their work and Stony Brook today, and help re-engage our alumni with their alma mater. We invite faculty members to connect with alumni during your business travel to conferences, academic or corporate presentations, or while on sabbatical.
Stony Brook alumni live in just about every corner of the globe and are very interested in connecting with faculty and students. If you are willing to meet with our alumni, we are looking to partner with you!
HOW TO PARTICIPATE:
We need:
- At least three weeks notice before your travel date,
- a time when you are available to meet with alumni, and
- the most convenient location for you to meet with alumni.
For example: you are attending a conference in Dallas, Texas on August 1-3 and you have time between 3 pm and 5 pm at the Dallas Hotel to meet with alumni for coffee.
- If you are presenting at a conference, we would like to know more about your presentation so we can inform alumni about your work.
- We can also invite alumni to your existing presentations if they are open to the public. For example, there may be an existing lecture you are giving at another university that you could invite alumni in the region to attend.
Contact us to discuss your travel plans!
REQUEST ALUMNI SPEAKERS FROM OUR ALUMNI SPEAKERS CIRCUIT
The Office of Alumni Relations is in touch with thousands of graduates willing to help with campus projects and activities. Departments and student clubs can request assistance with planning a class or event involving an alumni speaker, and alumni can also serve as moderators of discussions, panelists or keynote speakers. We are proud to introduce and showcase our alumni speakers and highlight their work and accomplishments. Invitations to alumni take about four to six weeks to coordinate.
Alumni speakers will also be featured during The Alumni Lecture Series, a distinguished series featuring Stony Brook University graduates sharing their knowledge and success in various professional fields. The goal is to bring successful and prominent alumni to campus to share their experience and wisdom with students and fellow alumni and to provide networking opportunities. Alumni speakers inspire and influence students by sharing their experiences, and may extend their lecture to an Alumni Day of Residency for a more interactive experience. The series is designed for students and alumni to hear how alumni have excelled since graduating from Stony Brook University. The Office of Alumni Relations provides students and alumni with opportunities to hear alumni speak about their school experiences and how leadership, mentoring and networking have played critical roles in their professional careers. Alumni speakers are business owners, entrepreneurs and corporate and non-profit executives.
THE OFFICE OF ALUMNI RELATIONS CAN HELP YOU WITH YOUR REQUESTS BY:
- Following up with a phone call or meeting
- Reviewing or recommending a speaker of the circuit
- Identifying new graduates who could be potential speakers for your activity
- Coordinating invitations to alumni and special guests
Contact us to request an alumni speaker!
HOSTING ALUMNI ON CAMPUS
Alumni guests on campus are considered our highest priority! When alumni from your department are visiting campus, we can assist with planning the visit and welcoming your alum.
THE OFFICE OF ALUMNI RELATIONS CAN PARTNER WITH YOUR DEPARTMENT BY:
- Confirming the alumnus/a's premarital name and class year
- Providing a gift for the alumnus/a to your department, prior to their arrival
- Advertising the visit (when appropriate)
- Sharing the visit in the alumni Class Notes
YOUR DEPARTMENT IS ASKED TO:
- Let us know about alumni visits at least one week in advance
- Include the alumnus/a's class year in advertisements to showcase that a graduate is helping the College
- Share information collected about the graduate with Alumni Relations (contact information, current employment, etc.)
- Share photos from the alumni visit with Alumni Relations via email
- Thank the alumnus/a in person and in writing for their support
Contact us to share your alumni guest opportunity!
Get the Latest News
Don't forget! You can learn all about school news, alumni highlights, upcoming events, new perks and more on Stony Brook Matters, our news site for alumni and friends!
Read SB Matters