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2002 --> Executive
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Assembly
LXI: The Undergraduate Curriculum at Yale Professional School Alumni Meeting Delegates from the professional schools gathered after the President's update for a presentation by Marta Moret '84 MPH, the Chair of the Professional Schools Committee of the AYA Board. She defined two goals for the Committee: increasing the mutual awareness of the AYA and the professional schools' own alumni organizations and identifying where the AYA can do more to support alumni programs in the professional schools. Ms. Moret provided a history of the Committee's efforts to achieve these two goals beginning with its early work in the fall of 2001, when delegates participated in a brainstorming effort that culminated in the design of a survey that was used with the School of Management (SOM) and the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies (FES) in 2001. Representatives of SOM and FES shared their insights regarding their participation in the survey process and areas in which AYA and the professional schools can build a more effective relationship. Ms. Moret, Judith Cole '84 MPPM of the AYA staff, and the representatives of SOM and FES also shared insights that included: (1) a recognition that the survey offered an opportunity to "reinvigorate alumni relations;" (2) a desire to create a broader alumni network than can easily be accomplished at professional schools operating on their own; (3) a stronger link for professional school graduates with their local Yale Clubs; (4) assistance from AYA on communications and newsletters, particularly in the publication of a "Welcome to Your Alumni Life" for graduating students; and (5) the sharing of best practices for large-scale events among professional schools, clubs, and the AYA. Ms. Moret focused in particular on the commitment of the Committee to examine a strategy that encourages and facilitates stronger linkages between Professional Schools Alumni Associations and regional Yale Clubs. One strategy is for professional alumni to serve as speakers for Yale Club programming. The Committee also plans to continue the survey effort begun last year by conducting interviews with the School of Nursing and the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health in this academic year. Ms. Moret and Ms. Cole then opened the dialogue with the delegates by proposing a set of four questions:
Delegates overwhelmingly supported the idea of connecting professional schools to alumni through the Yale Clubs. Much discussion followed with individual Club members indicating how successfully such efforts have worked in the past and offering ideas for how they might work in the future. Many delegates suggested that a turnout of alumni would be high for such events. In addition, many delegates indicated that, depending on the speaker, it would serve to provide interest to smaller, but distinct sectors of the Yale Clubs, thereby providing a multifaceted approach to meeting the needs of its diverse Yale alumni. Delegates suggested the development of a speakers' bureau of potential professional school alumni speakers. A database that could be shared with the regional clubs would enhance the effort of bridging clubs to the professional school alumni. Finally, delegates offered a suggestion that a directory of graduating alumni and their field of expertise be shared with Yale Clubs as a way to increase interest in speakers and other activities at the regional club level. The meeting adjourned with a commitment on the part of the Committee to continue to inform delegates of the lessons learned from the interview process and to share how effectively Yale Clubs are working with Yale's professional schools.
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