By Have questions about the Mills–Northeastern merger? Curious about how alums can stay involved with Mills?
The Alum Engagement Committee (AEC), a group of alum volunteers, is helping the Office of Alumnae Relations prepare for a state-of-the-College Zoom update for alums, to be presented by President Elizabeth L. Hillman and other College leaders later this summer. The AEC is curating questions from alums for the presenters to address. To submit your questions, write to the AEC at alumnae-relations@mills.edu. The date of the Zoom session and registration instructions will be announced by email, so please request to be added to the College’s email list if you are not already on it.
The AEC seeks to sustain and cultivate relationships between Mills College and its alums—including alums of Mills College at Northeastern University—by supporting the work of the College’s Office of Alumnae Relations. The committee helps identify alum interests and consults on development of new engagement opportunities, programs, and models. Its founding members are Lynette Castille-Hall ’75, Dawn Cunningham ’85, Lucy Do ’75, Lisa Kremer ’90, Jillian Mosley ’18, and Amanda Page Harper ’09.
Last fall, the AEC conducted a set of focus groups with alums to learn about their concerns and hopes regarding the merger, then summarized the feedback in a meeting with Mills administrators including President Hillman. The AEC facilitated a second set of focus groups in early spring, this time of class agents, class secretaries, and branch/club leaders.
Based on the cumulative focus group findings and other input, AEC members created a broad set of alum priorities, which they asked the College to advocate for during merger discussions. Here’s a short summary:
- Alums want to volunteer and participate in campus activities—such as supporting students and attending lectures—as they traditionally have;
- Alums want to continue their relationship with Mills through channels that have been supported by the Alumnae Relations Office, such as the Quarterly;
- Alums want access to the campus and its facilities, including Reinhardt Alumnae House (RAH);
- Alums want the AAMC to have RAH space and the ability to contact members, among other things;
- Alums want campus assets to be preserved and maintained, including specific items that have historical significance to Mills;
- Alums would like certain traditions to continue.
In addition to preparing for the Zoom update, the AEC is currently exploring ways to involve alums in orientation for incoming students in the fall; AEC member Mosley is director of orientation and family programs in the College’s Division of Student Life. If you’d like to be involved, contact the AEC at alumnae-relations@mills.edu.
