Alumni Class Leaders Newsletter
Spring 2024

Same amazing leaders, new name

The ACL Board is excited to announce that the ACL has transitioned its name from Association of Class Leaders to Alumni Class Leaders, a name that better reflects our work and membership.

Alumni Class Leaders survey results and impact

By Aliza Knox ’81, P’19

Thanks to the 177 of you—representing 25% of alumni class leaders and nine decades of classes—who shared your feedback on how the Alumni Class Leaders (ACL) operates and how it can do more.

Over 84% of respondents reported that they either agreed or completely agreed with the statement, “I enjoy being a class leader.” The top aspects of class leadership cited were: staying involved with Brown, connecting with classmates, building community, and Reunion planning. Not surprising for a bunch of active alums who give back so much—everything you do is greatly appreciated!

As a result of your feedback, new initiatives include:

• Increasing communication regarding the ACL’s mission, efforts, signature alumni awards, and contact information.
• Providing more opportunities for class officers to network and interact.
• Continuing outreach from the ACL Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) Committee to classes.
• Improving online training resources, including expanding the training library with new checklists, event planning tips, and more. Watch your inbox for invites to a training event in April!
• Delivering more communications and social media resources for you to use.

Please join us at the Annual Meeting

ACL Board members at the 2023 Annual Meeting.

Saturday, April 13, 2024

The Brown Faculty Club, 1 Bannister Street, Providence
2-3 p.m. — Meeting
3-4:30 p.m. — Reception

All alumni class leaders are invited to join the ACL Board at the Annual Meeting on Saturday, April 13. The meeting will begin at 2 p.m. ET at the Brown Faculty Club and virtually via Zoom. An in-person reception will follow.

The Annual Meeting provides the ACL Board the opportunity to talk about the work that has been accomplished over the past year, recognize our Class of the Year and Nan Tracy ’46 award recipients and nominees, and share our plans for the upcoming months. We hope to see you there!

Please RSVP so we can share further details and plan for your participation.

Alumni Class Leader awards

Each year, the ACL selects both a distinguished alum and an extraordinary alumni class leadership team for the Nan Tracy ’46 and Class of the Year awards.

The Nan Tracy ’46 Award was established in 1990 in honor of the extraordinary former Alumni Relations coordinator. The award is presented annually to an alumni leader who has provided distinguished service to his or her class, to the ACL, and/or to Brown University.

Since 1979, the ACL has bestowed the Class of the Year Award upon those classes with exceptional programs that facilitate engagement among classmates. The criteria are quality, variety, and creativity in communications, class activities, and class leadership.

Jade Palomino ’07 recognized at the Volunteer Summit

2024 Connect/Learn Volunteer Summit

By Berit Muh ’64

On Friday, March 8, Brown alumni volunteers gathered for the first west coast Connect/Learn Volunteer Summit held in San Francisco. Attendees had the opportunity to hear from Vice President for Alumni Relations Zack Langway ’09 on new programs and initiatives designed to expand circles of community and belonging as well as provide engagement opportunities to stay connected with the Brown network. Senior Director of Alumni Belonging Mary Ward led a conversation with breakout sessions focusing on building and strengthening our Brown community as alumni volunteers.

Chancellor Samuel M. Mencoff ’78, P’11, P’15, and President Christina H. Paxson spoke about recent campus developments, and President Paxson mentioned some wonderful accomplishments and programs on campus:

• The Lindemann Performing Arts Center provides new spaces for creative arts expression.
• The Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs is involved with AI policy and governance and with the Climate Change Initiative.
• The School of Public Health has been working on issues of opioid addiction and is studying an old drug developed to treat HIV to see if it might help prevent Alzheimer’s.

During the afternoon, Artistic Director of the Brown Arts Institute Avery Willis Hoffman spoke on “A New Era for the Arts at Brown” and Edward Steinfeld, the Howard R. Swearer Director of the Thomas J. Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, and Professor John Eason discussed “Bringing Down the Big House: From the Invisible Land to the Upcycled Place.”

After a day of thought-provoking discussion, which affirmed why so many of us feel excited to volunteer for Brown, we adjourned to the rooftop garden for the presentation of this year’s alumni awards.

The Class of ’84 and giving days

By Joan Winter Skerritt ’84 AM’85, P’09

The class of ’84 loves a competition. Since 2017, Brown’s Advancement team has been providing real-time leaderboard updates on its two biggest giving days, and the ’84 class leadership has taken this as a unique opportunity to flex some serious class pride (and initially to support classmate Paula McNamara ’84, then co-chair of the Brown Annual Fund).

With fun Facebook updates throughout the day, co-presidents Amy Davidson ’84 and Jeffrey Anderson ’84 (both marketing and business experts) and other officers leverage the class’s competitive spirit and break participation records time and time again.

Participation results from I Heart Brown Day, 11/14/2023

An especially successful engagement tactic has been asking “where were you when you gave?!” Classmates respond with photos of themselves donating from a surprising variety of locations, including New York City landmarks, in the car stuck in traffic, a hospital exam room, sitting on an airplane—and even in the bathtub! (True confession: that last one was mine, but only my toes and computer screen could be seen.) After using this approach year after year, our classmates now participate enthusiastically with minimal prompting.

Brunonians Pay it Forward Day returns on April 17, 2024. Please reach out to your classmates to join the Brown Annual Fund and support the areas of Brown most meaningful to you and your friends. On this special giving day, Brown is celebrating the collective impact of Brown Annual Fund donors who are paying their Brown experiences forward for the next generation of Brunonians. Why not start planning some fun prompts to get your class to join in the game (and benefit Brown in the process)? Use whatever communication mode works best for you—Facebook, email, Instagram, Messenger, group texts, etc.—to keep classmates updated on your class’s standing throughout the day, and keep it going on future giving days. The Class of ’84 is ready to be challenged. Let’s rumble!

Upcoming alumni affinity groups webinar

Please join the ACL for an interactive webinar to connect with and learn about Brown alumni affinity groups. The webinar will include an overview of all alumni affinity groups and a deep dive with the leadership of the Disability and Neurodivergence Alumni Collective (DNAC) and Brown Alumni Pride Association (BAPA) groups.

Shining a Light on Brown Alumni Affinity Groups
Tuesday, May 7
7-8 p.m. ET / 4–5 p.m. PT

This is an excellent opportunity to learn about Brown’s alumni affinity groups and how you can help partner with them as class leaders. Topics will include:

• What are alumni affinity groups and how can class leaders support them?
• How have alumni affinity groups evolved at Brown?
• What programming is upcoming for alumni affinity groups?

Please register for the webinar to receive a Zoom link the day before.

Class Leader Elections

If your graduation year ends in a 3 or an 8, your class is up for class leader elections! Elections occur every five years, in the year following a class’s Reunion year. Terms begin on July 1 and end on June 30.

This is a great time to start thinking about ways that you can support Brown by continuing to serve as a class leader, taking on a new leadership role, or recommending someone in your class who you think would make a great class leader.

Class leadership teams will be receiving the election timeline in the next few weeks. In the meantime, class presidents should start putting together recruitment committees. Questions? Email class@brown.edu.

ACL Board Elections

Are you a current class leader interested in serving on the ACL Board? Elections occur in the spring and the terms last for three years. It is a great way to get involved!

Reunion Weekend — May 24-26, 2024

Class leader communications and engagement resources

CLASS LEADER VOLUNTEER RESOURCE CENTER

Newly launched, the Class Leader Volunteer Resource Center is where to go to find tools, tips, and creative ideas for engaging your classmates.

ACL TRAINING LIBRARY

Are you a new class leader looking for guidance or an experienced class leader in need of inspiration? The ACL Board has built a digital library of virtual training events for class leaders. We have covered everything from Class Leadership Basics to DE&I As a Tool for Class Engagement to Tools and Best Practices for Class Leaders. Check out the recordings of expert class leaders on the Brown Alumni and Friends ACL page.

ACL INCLUSIVE CALENDAR

Developed by the ACL’s DEI (Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion) Committee, this calendar provides information about cultural, religious, and secular holidays and events across diverse groups. We hope this information will be a useful resource for class leaders as they plan activities and events throughout the year to engage their classmates. View detailed instructions for how to subscribe to the Inclusive Calendar (PDF).

ALUMNI NEWSLETTER

Did you miss the February issue of the alumni newsletter? Take a look at news from across Brown’s alumni communities.

CLASS LEADER ENGAGEMENT

Looking for Brown-related news to share in your class newsletter or social media? Brown Alumni & Friends is an excellent resource! There are alumni stories, news items about what’s happening on campus, and a host of resources for Brunonians (career resources, free access to Rosetta Stone, and more).

BROWN ALUMNI MAGAZINE CLASS NEWS SUBMISSIONS

Did you know that you can submit your news directly to The Classes section of the BAM? Just follow the link to send a class note and give your classmates an update on your life! Submission deadlines for the print editions are:

• May 10, 2024 for the September/October 2024 edition
• July 19, 2024 for the November/December 2024 edition
• September 27, 2024 for the January/February/March 2025 edition

MYBROWN

myBrown is your go-to digital destination for all your Brown-related resources and services. You can securely access individualized information, such as giving history and Brown transcripts, and it also includes quick access to popular resources like the alumni directory, Rosetta Stone, and Brown library resources.

BROWN-RELATED SOCIAL CHANNELS

Are you looking for content to share on your Instagram and Facebook pages? Be sure to check out Brown-related accounts and search for other content on each platform. Here are a few Instagram accounts to get you started:

• Brown University
• Brown Alumni & Friends
• Brown University Office of Military Affiliated Students (OMAS)
• Brown Women’s Network
• Brown Alumni Pride Association (BAPA)
• See more alumni accounts

BROWN TRAVELERS PROGRAM

The Brown Travelers Program offers alumni the opportunity to connect with fellow Brunonians while experiencing and learning about incredible destinations around the world. You will be accompanied on these amazing journeys by Brown faculty, who offer up their unique insight and knowledge, providing travelers with a more complete understanding of context and place. Learn more about all of the Brown Travelers upcoming trips on the Alumni & Friends website.

About the ACL Board

The ACL Board of Advisors is here to help by recruiting, engaging, training, and supporting class volunteers, so feel free to reach out to classleaders@brown.edu with questions or suggestions.