Class of '92: Students Becoming Almnni
Posted on April 20, 1992From the University Report (published by the GAA 1970-94)
Wartime British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, also writer, historian and noted orator, reportedly once observed that, ” if you’re not liberal when you’re young, you have no heart, and if you’re not conservative when you’re older, you have no brain.”
Carolina’s class of 1992 has both hearts and brains. They must, because when they arrived as freshmen in the fall of 1988, Carolina began what would be four consecutive years of economic hardship for our University. Now these young people prepare to move from the comfort of their student lives to the uncertainty and challenges of what is often referred to as the “real world.”
At a recent professional meeting with colleagues from across the country, we discussed students as “alumni in waiting” or “alumni in training.” We all know that alumni are really former students. How we choose to relate to Carolina as alumni is largely determined by our student experiences.
For most of us, our first student experience was with the admissions office. From admissions, we moved through housing and financial aid to orientation and counseling, never quite able to avoid the cashier’s office, the book store or the infirmary.
Of critical concern were our experiences in and outside the classroom with labs, teaching assistants, and junior and senior faculty. Most of us delighted in sports either as spectators or as participants, even if our participation was limited to intramural games.
Critical to our success as students were library resources, academic advising and computer facilities. Of course, we enjoyed campus social life through the Carolina Union, fraternities or sororities, or student organizations.
The list could go on, but taken together, all of our experiences shaped our memories of Chapel Hill and of Carolina. In almost every instance, the interaction with other people in each experience determined whether we carry with us pleasant or unpleasant memories. (See page 5 for a summary of a recent alumni satisfaction survey.)
This particular column will be read by not only our 50,000 Carolina Alumni members and 2,200 faculty and selected University staff; complimentary copies of this publication are also going to the class of ’92. We hope that after reading this column you will sit down and reflect upon your Carolina experiences. We hope that, for the most part, you depart with happy memories. If not, I hope you will take time to visit, write or call me and let our Association know how your student experience could have been more positive.
Alumni professionals around the country are increasingly concerned that those alumni who do not participate in alumni programming are former students who did not have a pleasant university experience. This is unfortunate, for while the overwhelming number of UNC alumni carry warm, positive memories of their UNC experience, our goal should always be that each student who enrolls at UNC departs with positive memories. The only way to ensure this is to monitor the experiences of today’s students before they become alumni.
For our alumni readers, what area do you recall that could use some examination? If you are a Carolina parent, what are you hearing from your UNC student? Let us know.
While all of us appreciate that the Association and the University always try to cultivate alumni for University support, your Alumni Association also believes it is important that we cultivate the University to support our alumni. As alumni, you may have needs that the University or the Association can and should address. Again, please let us know.
Already we are aware that beyond our publications, alumni value our local Carolina Clubs, educational programming and enrichment, career assistance and opportunities to network. Accordingly, we are devoting more resources in each of these areas.
The Carolina experience is and should always be a special one. Certainly it has been special for the class of ’92. Let us all pull together to ensure that the memories of those who reach out to touch UNC are resplendent in Carolina blue!
Yours at Carolina,
Douglas S. Dibbert ’70
