Members of the Student Alumni Connection may come to the first meeting and find new ideas waiting for them.
SAC has been working on the constitution since April and will be bringing the changes up to the general members at their first meeting this Thursday.
After the executive chair members of SAC came back from a spring retreat this past March, they came back with a desire to re-evaluate their constitution to review what they were as a group.
“The reason why we are rebranding is because it seems like in years past the organization was stagnant,” said Wade Rhoades, president of SAC. “This is the way it was, why change it? This year, we rewrote our constitution. We are trying to breathe new life into the organization.”
SAC is an organization with a main goal to foster interactions between students and alumni.
“We host events throughout the year that help the students get face to face with alumni,” Rhoades said.
Kelly Basden Lawrie, staff advisor for SAC, said the rewriting of the constitution is about clarifying the purpose of the events they host throughout the year.
“We have a lot of alumni who remember the programs,” she said. “People continue to get excited by the SAC programs. With the rewriting, they are continuing to offer the same signature programs, but with innovative twists that better meet the needs of our alumni and our current students.”
Several years ago, there were two separate organizations: one focused on the ambassadors and the other on programs. Those two organizations merged to become Student Alumni Connection in 2005.
“What Wade and the other [executive] board members are doing is really cleaning up the language and the constitution left over,” Lawrie said. “They are really thinking critically about what the organization does, who they are, are they meeting the needs of current students and alumni?”
For Ashley Hillis, vice president of marketing for SAC, the rewriting of the constitution was to help set goals to spread the word of SAC.
“A lot of people don’t know what SAC is or what we do,” Hillis said. “We want to get our word out there on campus. I think SAC in the past has struggled with their brand. This past year or two all they have been about was their events like Beyond BG.”
Rhoades shared these feelings with Hillis as well.
“With Beyond BG, it’s very well attended but the students who attend don’t know the meaning behind it, what it’s for,” he said. “We want to remarket our events to bring out that meaning the event has.”
Sophomore Hailee Greenlese is a member of SAC and knows only a little about the change in the constitution.
“I definitely think it’s a good idea to get us more known,” Greenlese said.
She said she likes the fact the executive board started the change but has a little worry.
“They definitely should have gotten started on it before the year starts,” she said, “but not too far so I can’t have my voice heard about it.”
Greenlese’s concern doesn’t stop her from looking forward to the rewrite.
“I’m just excited about us all being on the same page and getting it done,” she said.
Their first meeting is Thursday, Sept. 5 at 5:30 p.m. in the Mileti Alumni Center.
