Calling All Alumni

New Director of Alumni Engagement Tiffany Davis and Alumni Council Envision Former Warriors Supporting Current Students

by Lori Gilbert

They’re in Turlock, Ceres, Modesto, Stockton and other points north, south, east and west.

As Stanislaus State’s director of alumni engagement, Tiffany Davis’s mission is not just to find those who attended the University but to bring them back into the fold.

“Sometimes it’s just letting someone know you’re welcome here,” said Davis, who assumed her role in March.

Welcoming back those who’ve been away is only part of it, of course. There are challenges, as her position was vacant for two years.

“Right now, it’s about rebuilding alumni programming and understanding how alumni want to be connected,” Davis said. “How can we provide services for alumni that are meaningful? How can we provide ways for them to stay engaged? How is that aligned with the University’s mission, and how are we supporting our students who are our future?”

Today’s students are more than tomorrow’s alumni.

“Our students’ goal is to become alumni,” said eighttime Alumni Council Chair Adrian Harrell. “What better way to help them with that success than by being visible and helping them along their journey as much as possible, because their success, ultimately, will be our success.”

Davis, who was a first-generation college student, had no idea at the time what an alum was or that one could help her as she juggled three jobs to earn her psychology degree in 2013. It wasn’t until she was hired by the Division of University Advancement in 2022 that she began to understand the role they can play in students’ lives. She was inspired, she said, by the many alumni who work in University Advancement and various offices across campus.

Now, working with the Alumni Council, she envisions endless possibilities.

“I’m seeing opportunities for alumni to come back, whether that’s for events or to participate in workshops and career panels — finding ways for alumni to support students and connect to the places that were important to them as students,” Davis said.

Since stepping into her role, Davis has embarked on a “listening tour,” visiting department chairs and student organizations to learn ways in which alumni can engage with them.

Faculty, Davis said, would like to not only bring alumni to speak to their classes about their experiences but also help students gain internships.

Students who sit on the Alumni Council and student organization leaders she’s met have shared with Davis that they are interested in how alumni can be a part of their journey at Stan State and how alumni can help support the initiatives that are important to them.

On the flip side, Davis’s office and the Alumni Council are “educating our students about what it means to be an alum and knowing you have a community and a support system that extends beyond graduation,” Davis said. “Your journey doesn’t end when you cross the Commencement stage.”

Davis and Harrell want the Alumni Council to have greater visibility on campus and to be present at student events as a partner or supporter.

Being visible extends beyond the University’s boundaries. Davis and Alumni Council members are tabling at Turlock Farmers Markets to engage with alumni, students, parents and prospective students’ parents.

Harrell carries with her Warrior pins that she hands out to alumni she encounters. The reaction, she said, is always the same. They smile and immediately put the pin on, proud to show that they are Warriors for life.

It’s a small gesture, but impactful, and starts by being present, an idea Harrell references often.

That presence could be strengthened by increasing the number of council members to its maximum of 23.

Starting pre-pandemic, Harrell said the council has sought to find representatives from each of the seven decades of the University’s history and from a variety of cultural and professional backgrounds.

Additionally, Davis said the council is partnering with the Black Faculty and Staff Association and Black Student Union to launch a Black Alumni Network.

Your journey doesn’t end when you cross the Commencement stage.

- Tiffany Davis

Other plans for the coming academic year include supporting the GALAX-E program (Guiding Alumni and First-Gen in Mentoring and Science Excellence), a College of Science initiative to support first-generation college students in the sciences.

Alumni homecoming festivities also are being planned.

The Alumni Council’s signature events — Vines, featuring area wines and food, and the First-Generation Alumni/Scholars Dinner — returned during the 2023-24 academic year. It also helped organize an event at Gallo to celebrate Stan State graduates who are employed there.

Harrell wants the council to support Dinner with Scientists, featuring alumni telling students about working in STEM fields, and Dinner with 12 Warriors, in which an alum hosts a dozen students in their home to share stories of the University’s impact.

Working to improve the experience of students is part of the greater goal, with the University landing an Office of the Chancellor grant to support mentorships through an alumni-student connection initiative.

Davis, though, hasn’t lost sight of serving alumni.

“We’re working on rebuilding alumni programming and understanding how alumni want to be connected and how we can provide services for them,” she said.

Alumni Association members have free access to the J. Burton Vasché Library and discounts at the Bookstore and Campus Recreation Center.

Davis wants engaging as alumni to be rewarding.

“I hope they get a sense of belonging and renewed community,” Davis said. “We want to bring back events that were special to alumni and our community.”