The Office of Alumni Relations at Elizabethtown College has just launched a completely revamped website in order to make it more accessible to viewers. The Office of Alumni Relations was hoping to expand the number of viewers who can use the website. Previously, the site had to be logged into in order to access the majority of the information.
“Because the previous iteration of the etownalumni.com website was designed to have very little information outside of a secured login wall, we were focused on developing a site that was much more open and accessible to members and non-members alike,” said Mark Clapper, director of Alumni Relations at Etown. “We still retain many fun and exciting features within the secured logged-in community but have concentrated heavily on also creating a great deal of content that would be viewable to audiences outside of the alumni association.” The Office of Alumni Relations had two major goals for the new website. The first was to increase the accessibility of information for alumni, and the second was to raise the profile of the Elizabethtown College Alumni Association.
The hope of the Office of Alumni Relations is for the Class of 2012 to keep their relationship with Etown strong by using the site as their home base. “When they receive their diplomas, their relationship with the College won’t end, instead, their tie with Etown will also ‘graduate’ into a higher level of connection as members of the Elizabethtown College Alumni Association,” Clapper said. “We’re here to celebrate this achievement and be their future touchstone for ‘all things Etown’ in their lives as alumni.”
Lauren Hamilton, senior political science major, said of the website, “I think it is very well put together, and I definitely will use it after graduation. I will particularly use it to learn about what is happening with the school and learn about the alumni events that I might want to attend. It will also be great networking tool. I am glad Etown took the initiative to set a site such as this so that alumni can still remain a member of the Etown family even after graduation.”
The Office of Alumni Relations has plans to stay in touch with alumni in many different ways. The etownalumni.com website is just one of the multiple ways for alumni to communicate electronically with the College; the Office of Alumni Relations also connects with alumni through the main social networks, including Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, email and standard mail.
Clapper said, “[The Office of Alumni Relations] [is] always focused on finding new and creative ways to help alumni reflect on their time at Etown, connect with the College and each other, and get involved with volunteer-related initiatives that help the College.”
One of the biggest initiatives the College and the Alumni Association are currently continuing to develop is the Promote, Recruit, Involve, Donate and Employ (PRIDE) Program. “The PRIDE Program is the main volunteer-based initiative for alumni, students, parents and friends to help Etown. If you can help the College in some way with your time and abilities, you can show your Blue Jay PRIDE and become a member,” Clapper said. “It is a collaborative program between Admissions, Alumni Relations, Career Services and the Development Office, and involves more than 400 volunteers each year.” Follow this link to learn more about the program.
