How to Start an AU Alumni Chapter

Thank you for your interest in starting a new AU Alumni Chapter! Alumni Programs staff are always interested in helping alumni launch new chapters where there are a group of interested Eagles. 

Here are a few simple steps to starting an alumni chapter in your area:

1) Define the Geographic Area

Alumni in different geographic areas have different expectations for traveling for events. Some areas have loads of alumni who don't mind driving 60 miles for an event; others have alumni who prefer not to travel more than 20 minutes. Consider the culture of your area and then make a list of the zip codes where you think alumni would be willing to travel to attend events and programs. If you're not sure how to get started, we'll be happy to help.

2) Find Alumni in Your Area

Once you have a zip code list, submit it to Alumni Programs, and we'll pull a list of alumni who reside in your geographic area (based on the zip codes you submit). Once we know how many alumni are in your area, it will give you an idea of what the initial alumni involvement will be.

3) Organize an Alumni Survey or Plan a Test Event

The best way to see if other alumni in your area are interested in an alumni chapter is to put together a brief survey or plan a test event. Both are great ways to find out if other alums in the area are interested in getting involved with your chapter. We'll be happy to give you some sample survey questions and initial event ideas to get you started.

4) Plan Your First Meeting

Get other interested alums in the area together for a brainstorming session. Think about what kind of events and services are of interest to the alumni in your area and how often you want to meet, have events, and poll your chapter for new ideas.

5) Submit Your Plan to the Alumni Association Board

Once you have an idea of what you're going to do, when, and who's going to help you, submit your plan for approval by the Alumni Association Board. Once the Board gives you official AU Alumni Chapter status, we'll help you set up your chapter Web site, advertise your events/services to your region, and keep alumni informed about the exciting Eagle support in your area.