Positioned for Success

It’s possible that an unforeseen silver lining of the global coronavirus pandemic has been a slower pace, more time for personal reflection and the need to create new ways of managing our daily lives: work, school, social interaction, recreation, relationships, and so much more. The same is true for the Alumni Association. We have worked hard to figure out new ways to reach our alumni community virtually, to stay connected, to broaden our reach and continue to support the University and Acadia’s students, our future alumni. During these challenging times we have been very grateful for the support of our alumni community as we have shifted our attention to a virtual outreach agenda. Homecoming 2020 was a fantastic example that has really set the tone for our virtual events initiatives going forward. I hope you have been able to take in one or more of the bi-weekly Acadia Alumni virtual events hosted by our Executive Director of Alumni Affairs, Oonagh Proudfoot (’93, ’06). Personally, I have enjoyed these sessions immensely: who knew fish lived in trees, or that Acadia’s own Dr. Ian Spooner was part of ‘The Curse of Oak Island’ television show. We have lots more in the works, so stay tuned and in touch by visiting our updated Events page here. The Alumni Association has been working also on our foundation for the future, which will take us well beyond the pandemic. Our Strategic Plan 2020-2025, Mobilizing Connections, was released in our Annual Report presented at the May 2020 Annual General Meeting. Moving forward, the Alumni Association will be guided by three strategic goals: providing leadership in the transformation of career services and mentorship; creating impact throughout the Acadia journey; and building upon the success of our alumni communications. We strive to provide meaningful lifelong engagement and connections to members of the Acadia family from the time they are prospective students. With the University administration and the Acadia Students’ Union, we are working to develop and implement a holistic career services, skills development and mentorship program that will contribute to the success of Acadia’s students and inform their choices when they become members of our alumni community. We are building on the success of the Bulletin and the increased use of social media to share our ongoing and rich Acadia alumni experience. The Acadia Alumni Association’s work supports students during their time at Acadia and beyond, and encourages members of our alumni community to stay connected. By fostering relationships between current students, recent grads and other Acadia alumni we hope to encourage lifelong learning, career development, leadership capacity, mentorship and volunteerism. In closing, I would like to thank our outstanding alumni community for its ongoing support. You make the work we do meaningful and rewarding, and we appreciate your tremendous commitment to Acadia. I hope you enjoy the inaugural digital edition of the Bulletin. Be safe, stay well and Stand up and Cheer!

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