March 16, 2024 – 10 a.m. to 1:03 p.m. Virtual Meeting
Board Members in Attendance: Aldair Arriola- Gomez ’17, Michael Bright ’10, Miguel Delgado ’20, Stuart Friedel ’08,
Robi Ganguly ’00, Marcel Green ’90, Carol Kruse ’84, Toran Langford ’21, Te’auna Patterson ’18, Julie Siebel ’84,
Jim Sutton ’84 P’22
Staff Members Present: Pritina Irvin, Ryan Kolter, Kerry Martin, Monika Moore ’03
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 10:00 AM by President Alfredo Romero ’91.
Approval of Prior Meeting Minutes: Minutes of the January 27th meeting was distributed to Board. Julie Siebel ’84 made a motion to approve the minutes and Andrew Brown ’77 second it. All members voted in favor without dissent; motion passed.
President’s Update: Alfredo Romero ’91 provided an overview of topics discussed at the last Trustee meeting and introduced the new Director of Alumni and Family Engagement.
Admissions Office: Farewell to Seth Allen, former Dean of Admissions. As the new search for Dean of Admissions is underway, interim Dean Ray Brown.
Student Protests: There were about 30~ students protesting at the Trustee Meeting. During the Trustee Meeting, conversations were had regarding the ongoing student protests and how this may affect Alumni Weekend and Commencement 2024.
Legacy Admissions: The decision has been made not to consider legacy status in the college admissions process. A vote was taken, and the majority decided to maintain the exclusion of legacy considerations in admissions, with further conversations on this topic to be discussed in the future.
Campaign Goal: Increasing the middle-class student demographic was discussed. The college aims to achieve a demographic profile that mirrors the diversity of the country. Currently, there is a lack of representation from the middle class, which is a focus area for improvement.
Campaign PCAAB Involvement: To the Trustees, Alfredo expressed the Alumni Board’s willingness to participate in the campaign but acknowledges that the specifics of their involvement are yet to be determined. Alfredo posed a question to the Alumni Board to gage their interests and views on this topic.
Monika Moore ’03: Alfredo introduced the new Director of Alumni and family Engagement to the alumni board.
Director’s Report: AFE Interim Co-Director Ryan Kolter and Andrea Venezia ’91 provided updates for the upcoming Alumni Weekend 2024.
Alumni Awards: All awardees selected by the Past Presidents Council have accepted. Names, headshots and write-up features of awardees to be released within the next couple of weeks, and will be part of a formal press release rollout planned for this month (March).
Alumni Weekend Overview: AW ’24 is happening in 6 weeks; Ryan gave a slideshow presentation to give board members an overview of the weekend’s scheduled events, and ways they are asked to support these events during the weekend.
AAB AW ’24 Role: Andrea Venezia ’91 shared more details on the board’s volunteer assignments during alumni weekend.
Committee and Campus Partner Reports: Committee and Board Representative highlights.
Development Committee: This committee report covered various aspects of supporting student philanthropy efforts, engaging with alumni, and addressing concerns related to donations and participation rates.
Nina Zhou ’19 shared the following:
Engagement with the Senior Class:
- Ongoing efforts in of student philanthropy, working with Brenna in organizing the senior class gift.
- The importance of fostering a connection between the Board and the senior class through initiatives like the personalized letters.
- Logistics for Taste of Pomona and the need for further coordination with Brenna and Ryan to ensure smooth execution.
- Alumni Board voluntary contribution to the Senior Class gift, with a collective set goal.
Annual Giving's 4-4-7 Day Campaign: Focus on alumni engagement and participation, with emphasis on creating compost bins around campus, addressing a direct need identified by the sustainability office.
Participation Rate Goal: The College is on track to meet its participation rate goal, despite an online petition urging the withholding of further donations to Pomona. They discussed observations from the annual giving office indicating minimal correlation between signatories of the petition and regular donors.
Engagement Committee: This committee report emphasized the committee's ongoing efforts to enhance alumni engagement and collaboration with other stakeholders. Joshua Rodriguez ’13 shared the following:
Alumni Weekend: The committee's engagement efforts primarily revolved around Alumni Weekend, with plans for another meeting before the event to finalize arrangements.
Volunteer Requests and Support for CDO: Discussion centered on filling out the guidebook and requesting volunteers, along with supporting initiatives related to the Career Development Office (CDO) and the Alumni/Young Alumni Paths group.
Previous Panel and Webinars: The committee highlighted a successful panel held in January discussing roles in technology, which garnered significant engagement from young alumni. They also discussed plans for future webinars, including one in June focusing on engaging both graduates and young alumni.
Bay Area Connections: The committee noted the success of the President Sars dinner in the San Francisco Bay Area and the opportunity to connect with Bay Area chapter leaders. Plans were discussed for potential webinars for individuals affected by tech layoffs.
Long-Term Committee Planning: The committee began discussion the scope of the engagement committee for the next year, particularly focusing on alignment with the college's goals, metrics, and collaboration with other committees. Young alumni engagement emerged as a key focus.
Future Planning: The committee also discussed the upcoming transition to the new 2024-2025 PCAA board, highlighting the need to continue evaluating and adapting engagement strategies moving forward.
Regional Chapters Committee: Highlighting the committee's focus on enhancing regional chapter activities and planning for the future, Andrew Brown ’77 shared the following:
Career Development Programming in Washington, D.C.: Linda Luisi ’81 has been working with the Career Development Office (CDO) on programming in Washington, DC. They have created a survey and received 33 responses, with further updates expected in April and June as they develop programming based on the survey results.
Region Specific Programming: The committee discussed the need to adapt programming developed in DC for different regions across the country. They emphasized the importance of aligning regional chapter activities with initiatives like 4-7 Day activities.
Planning FY 2024-25 Events and Budgets: Ryan Kolter has requested that chapters begin planning for next year's events and budgets. There may be opportunities for additional funding as chapter events grow larger, and there is potential to expand the number of chapters with the support of new AFE staff like, Monika Moore, Director of Alumni and Family Engagement.
FacultyReport: The Alumni Board Faculty Representative, Victoria Sancho-Lobis, was absent and no report was given.
Career Development Office (CDO): Kerry Martin, Assistant Director for the CDO provided updates on various activities and initiatives from the Career Development Office (CDO) and emphasized their recent website changes. Kerry discussed the following topics:
Post-Graduation Plans: Kerry highlighted key findings from the 2023 graduating class report, including an 80% knowledge rate regarding their post-graduation plans. Out of 452 graduates, 393 provided information, with 91 having secured opportunities, comprising 67% jobs and internships and 23% education pursuits.
Industry Breakdown: Among the 230 graduates with industry information available, 13% secured positions in management consulting, followed by higher education, investment banking, healthcare, and others.
Importance of Alumni Support: Kerry emphasized the significance of alumni connections for students navigating a challenging job market, thanking the Alumni Board for their continued support.
CDO Programming: Kerry discussed various programming themes such as liberal arts in business, entertainment, arts, media, government policy, STEM education, social justice, and nonprofit sectors.
- Sagehen’s in Residence: Successful in bringing alumni from various fields to share their experiences with students.
- Alumni Path Workshops: Upcoming workshops, with a focus on liberal arts in sustainability.
- Chirp and Chat Event: Upcoming event during Alumni Weekend ‘24, encouraging board members' participation to provide valuable insights to students.
Advancement Communications: Kristen McCabe Romero provided key updates regarding alumni engagement, upcoming events, reminded about the alumni survey, and opportunities for involvement within the alumni community.
New Stories and Blog Site: Kristen introduced new stories published on the alumni blog site. A story featuring Robie Ganguly ’00 is now published.
- Smart Start Fellows Program was a highlighted story, noting increased alumni participation and the program's growth.
- Upcoming Stories with Faculty featuring Professor Sam Yamashita and Professor Marjorie Cricket, showcasing their contributions to the college and their respective fields.
- Call for Alumni Stories: Kristen invited suggestions for alumni stories, emphasizing the diversity of alumni experiences and encouraging members to share potential stories with her via email.
Alumni Weekend Updates: Details about the upcoming Alumni Weekend were shared, including the schedule's online availability and the development of an event app.
Annual Giving: See comments for Development Committee above.
Admissions: Tray Hammond ’22, from the Admissions department, shared updates on recent Admissions decisions, celebrating the release and ongoing efforts to secure commitments from admitted students. He noted the diversity in admissions, with students accepted from all 50 states and increased offers compared to previous years. Tray also mentioned Seth's departure and the interim Vice President of Admissions, Ray Brown, as well as the upcoming filling of the Vice President role. He invited alumni to engage with potential students through various activities and expressed openness to suggestions or involvement in alumni interviews or panels.
ASPC: Timi Adelakun ’24 was absent.
New Business:
LDC update
- 9 members will be reaching term and rolling off the Board.
- The LDC will meet to discuss those board members with expressed interest to extend their term by one year.
- New slate of PCAAB members are currently being identified.
Ad Hoc Meeting:
- To be scheduled before Alumni Weekend ’24, based on board availability, by Alfredo Romero ’91
Reminders:
- Next AB Meeting @ Seaver
- In-Kind Gift receipt requests
Old Business: Action Items and Next Steps were discussed.
Alumni Weekend Hotel Room Block for alumni board AW ’24 volunteers.
Next Alumni Board Meeting:
Sunday, April 28, 2024 (in-person, during Alumni Weekend!)
Key Dates: 2023 - 24
7/22/23 Alumni Board Meeting - New Member Onboarding 8/12/23 Alumni Board Meeting #1 - August
8/19/23 New Student / Family Orientation
10/6/23 Oct. Alumni Board Retreat: Senior Class/AB Mixer
10/6/23 Oct. Alumni Board Retreat: New Faculty Dinner (Faculty Award) 10/7/23 Alumni Board Meeting #2 - October
10/27/23 Family Weekend 2023
12/2/23 Alumni Board Meeting #3 - December 1/27/24 Alumni Board Meeting #4 - January 3/16/24 Alumni Board Meeting #5 - March 4/25 – 4/28/24 Alumni Weekend 2024
4/28/24 Alumni Board Meeting #6 - April
6/22/24 Alumni Board Meeting #7 - June