Managing Successful Alumni Relations (2003)

An agriculture teacher fulfills many roles in any successful well-rounded agriculture program. Besides the obvious of teacher and FFA advisor, the teacher may be mentor, counselor, safety coordinator, inspector, public relations manager, fund raiser, motivator, alumni chapter advisor, proud benefactor, etc. Some roles focus on the inward aspects of the program as teacher and FFA chapter advisor where there is direct contact with students. Some roles involve peers and administration and yet other roles require teachers to deal with the external public, parents, advisory council members and alumni. Success in fulfilling the first and most important role as teacher and FFA Advisor is in part due to knowing the responsibilities and boundaries and opportunities of that role. The teacher in the of advisor to an FFA Alumni Chapter can be a very positive and productive experience for the teacher and should benefit students in the instructional program and FFA Chapter. To some extent, success depends on knowing and following some general ground rules associated with the of the teacher as advisor to the alumni chapter. These rules are not only important for the teacher to know and follow, but the alumni also. The alumni chapter is said to help bring the dreams and vision of the teacher, developed in cooperation with the advisory committee, to reality. The efforts of the alumni chapter toward this vision are usually manifested in some specific activities relating to a program goal in which the teacher and the advisory committee agree has significant value to the program. These activities may be some annual event like a fund raiser, providing a scholarship for a graduating senior, sponsorship of a FFA member to national convention or to Washington Leadership Conference, etc. The teacher should initiate a list of goals for the program and explain how the goals will benefit the students and community. Alumni members will take the primary lead in accomplishing activities related to the goals and vision, while the teacher has a responsibility to give proper thought to the goals and vision of the program. The activities of the alumni will change as the vision changes or grows. Teachers may have a sensitive task when trying to refocus a chapter that has the habit of an activity embedded, long after the original goals have been met. It is important for the alumni and teacher to periodically review goals and activities to determine what activities no longer fit the program and identify new ideas or activities. If the alumni become too focused on a few high profile events like CDEs, this may alienate some members who want to see a well-rounded program, where the most good is accomplished for the most people. Although the teacher and advisory committee are at the center of establishing the initial goals and objectives of the program, when it comes to activities alumni conduct in support of the goals, the teacher needs to be less involved. Being a low profile facilitator means not being too vocal, not offering to take the leadership to accomplish tasks charged to the alumni chapter. It may mean reserving your input until others have spoken, listening and asking questions which help keep the focus on the goals and at times it means compromising. It means being there to assist when needed. As adults, the alumni need less direction and supervision than the students. There may, though, be times when the teacher needs to offer to help or even take the initiative in some way that helps the alumni chapter move forward with its agenda. Providing new members the proper orientation to the mission and goals of the alumni chapter is important. All incoming Alumni members need to be aware of the local FFA chapter and instructional program, as well as the advisory committee and how that relates to the local and national goals of the FFA Alumni organization. This orientation can be done by the teacher or alumni members/officers. …