ALUMNI COMMUNICATIONS
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
The University of North Carolina General Alumni Association
Our purpose in Alumni Communications is to generate justified alumni pride in The University of North Carolina and to further lifelong relationships between alumni and the University. We strive to represent in a balanced way our University’s combined mission of teaching, research and public service and to interpret for our readers how these elements work together to make our University what it is.
The Carolina Alumni Review is designed to inform readers about their University — its people and programs, challenges and achievements — and to involve them in the important issues and tasks of institutional advancement. Alumni Communications also develops and maintains the GAA’s website to inform alumni and friends of UNC specifically about programs offered by the GAA and about University news.
The Carolina Alumni Review must reflect a wide range of current University endeavors and campus life in a way that increases alumni understanding and appreciation. Selected stories should represent a mix of topics, designed to appeal to wide-ranging reader interest. Contents must be relevant to the University and our alumni. Current significant news should be summarized. Alumni involvement, leadership and achievements should be recognized and reinforced. In-depth topics of broad appeal should be explored regularly.
The contents should be selected on an issue-by-issue basis to achieve more than just the production of the publications, that do more than present well-written, interesting stories. We need to deliver to our alumni on a regular basis:
(1) A good balance of news and information that represents the entire University;
(2) Stories that identify significant alumni achievements, encourage involvement and recognize alumni commitment;
(3) Intellectual challenge to stimulate thinking and bring alumni back to the joys of learning;
(4) A forum for exchange of viewpoints and ideas by alumni, faculty, staff, and students;
(5) News and information about the General Alumni Association, its activities, projects, philosophy and people.
It is our continuing challenge to try to achieve this in a comprehensive and timely way. To do so we must be committed to editorial flexibility and independence and to an unabashed belief that a stronger University of North Carolina is a noble endeavor.
Because the General Alumni Association is self-governed, its publications, likewise, should continue to be independent. However, with this independence comes additional responsibility. The publisher and editors must always seek to evidence fair play, objectivity, truth and accuracy in presenting news, information and opinion. While it is sometimes appropriate for the magazine to be critical of the University, such criticism always should be constructive. The magazine, like the Association, serves as a conscience for the University.
Since out-of-town, out-of-state alumni frequently rely upon Alumni Communications as their principal source of information about the University, the magazine and website should provide appropriate coverage to meet these readers’ needs.
The Carolina Alumni Review is concerned with interpreting the University and its work and providing analysis of campus life and of issues facing both the University and higher education. The GAA’s website is concerned with providing information and services to alumni, both Carolina Alumni members and others, and friends of the University in the most timely way possible. The website also is concerned with providing additional information and services to Carolina Alumni members. Each of these publications should engage in “friend raising” rather than overt fund raising.
The Carolina Alumni Review is intended to keep alumni in touch with each other through class notes and alumni profiles and to serve as a link between alumni and current students. It also serves as a recruiting tool for alumni who recognize talented potential students and in a general way promotes membership in the General Alumni Association. The publication seeks to record and document milestones in the life of the University and the Association.
Finally, all work produced by Alumni Communications are tools to assist the Association in meeting our purpose as affirmed in our Constitution and Bylaws: “The General Alumni Association is dedicated to the continuing service of the University and its alumni. Through its programs the Association shall promote the spirit of fellowship and loyalty among the alumni, shall provide a continuous flow of information on the progress and needs of the University and shall encourage united alumni support for its advancement.”