Skule Alumni Outreach
The Skule Alumni Outreach is a student-run organization that cooperates with the University of Toronto Faculty to strengthen the student-alumni relation within the Skule Community. It strives to enhance the alumni engagement through its several initiative networking events such as, Clubs Cafe, Long Nights at Skule, community mixer. Furthermore, the official Skule Alumni Outreach website ( http://alumni.skule.ca/) offers a alumni funding platform, where clubs and students and interested alumni could become funding partners through faculty approved online posting.
History[edit | edit source]
The idea of Engineering Society and the Faculty's Alumni Relations working together has been around for sometime. In 2012 to 2013, the Faculty put together teams of students to work on ways that the Faculty could improve its alumni relations and thus its engagement of the Skule alumni community.
This Directorship started in June 2014, when the EngSoc Board of Directors voted to create a temporary directorship by the name, Alumni Outreach Director. After which a call for applications was opened and 3 applicants applied. After going through the interview process, they presented their visions to the Board of Directors. Nicholas Nico Valenton (CIV 1T5+PEY) was selected as the Director of Alumni Outreach.
In February 2015, the Alumni Outreach Director became an official directorship of the Engineering Society after proving the success of the portfolio in taking steps to build the skills, brand, organizational infrastructure for the portfolio and establishing the connections important for the portfolio.
In April 2015, with no other applicants, the EngSoc Board of Directors elected Nicholas Nico Valenton (CIV 1T5+PEY) as the Director of the Official Alumni Outreach Directorship. With a by-law fix for the temporary directorship director applying to the similar but different official directorship.
In July 2015, the second version of the alumni portal was created and promoted by the faculty. By October 2015, Clubs were regularly using the portal to promote their alumni volunteer and events opportunities
Vision[edit | edit source]
The initial vision of the group, SkuleAO, included improving club's engagement of alumni and transitioning of its members to alumni to strengthen our alumni relations. SkuleAO organized clubs cafes to educate students about the faculty and university's alumni initiatives and how to engage alumni as well. SkuleAO also organized a speed networking community mixer which successfully brought an attendee of more alumni than students.
In addition, SkuleAO worked to improve the faculty issue where there was not the resources to connect all the clubs to the alumni volunteers and opportunities. The result was the first version of SkuleAO website (alumni.skule.ca) where clubs, faculty and department organizations could post opportunities and where the faculty would advertise this listing. Alumni would then be able to find opportunities that would meet their interests, and alumni would have a profile that would send them matching interests.
Another initiative of the club includes collaborating with clubs to deliver alumni events which would also benefit clubs looking for alumni funding and sponsorship (e.g. Skule Kids).
The largest initiative is similar to what is held in German Universities called Long Nights at Skule, where alumni and visitors would be welcomed to a night which included a clubs fair, alumni-student networking, student competitions, student work showcases, research showcases, EngSoc awards and much more to celebrate Skule and to strengthen community network.
Past Directors[edit | edit source]
| Year | Name | |
|---|---|---|
| 2021-2022 | Mimi Le | Chem 2T3 |
| 2020-2021 | Jiazhen (Diana) Li | Chem 2T1 |
| 2019-2020 | ||
| 2018-2019 | Muskan Sethi | Chem 2T0 + PEY |
| 2016-2017 | Edwin Ng | EngSci 1T6+PEY |
| 2014-2016 | Nicholas Nico Valenton | Civ 1T5+PEY |