Alumni Handbook by Wilfrid Laurier University

alumni handbook

Welcome to your new life. It may have felt a long time coming. You may have struggled, been tempted to give up or even changed directions once or five times. Despite this, you carved out your niche and navigated through the rough and calm to arrive at your destination: graduation! Now that you are officially here, we’re excited to welcome you to your next great adventure as a part of the Laurier Alumni community. Life happens, and we’re with you along the way. Your new Alumni status bestows benefits to help you get started and keep you on track. We’ll suggest ways to stay connected and offer services to help you kick-start your new life. In return, we hope that you’ll stay connected, continue to wear your Laurier gear with pride and return to campus at least once a year.

Waterloo Lutheran Seminary officially opens 1911

1926 The Cord publishes first issue

If only the members of the Keystone editorial staff had digital cameras, perhaps they would have been able to achieve the impossible â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a group shot with all members simultaneously looking at the camera with their eyes open.

You are a card-carrying member The Wilfrid Laurier University Alumni Association (WLUAA) welcomes you to the club. There are no contracts to sign, no fees to pay and no fine print. You are automatically enrolled, with full access to all benefits such as the GradVantages program, continuing library privileges, career development support and access to campus pubs, from day one.

How do I get this magical card, you ask? Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what you do: n Visit laurieralumni.ca/card. n Fill out the online form. n Cheer when your card arrives in the mail. n Carry it with you at all times. n Use it!

First edition of Keystone yearbook published 1950

Benefits & perks As a new grad, you may need a lot of things you’ve never needed before – like home, auto, health, dental and life insurance – plus stuff you never knew you wanted, but now can’t live without (think discounted tickets). You can also show your Golden Hawk pride with our BMO Wilfrid Laurier University MasterCard! It pays to be a Golden Hawk. GradVantages are benefits and offers available exclusively to Laurier Alumni and accessed with your Alumni Card. Here’s a sample: n

Discounted membership to the Laurier Athletic Complex.

Special discounts for sports and entertainment.

Laurier Library Alumni borrowing privileges.

Home, auto, health, dental and life insurance offers. Visit laurieralumni.ca/gradvantages for current program details.

1955 First Alumni reunion

Waterloo College Alumni Reunion.

Let’s get together We organize lots of events on and off campus, and in cities such as Toronto or Vancouver where our Alumni tend to congregate. From straight-up celebrations to events that will stretch your mind and connect you to new people and ideas, we love to get together. Homecoming: It’s time to break out that purple and gold and head back to campus. In addition to a spirited good time, we provide a healthy dose of nostalgia even if you’ve just graduated. We’ll also help to make your 5th, 10th, 20th and beyond reunions extra special when they’re celebrated during Homecoming. Glitter is optional. Chapter events: Wear your new Alumni pin to a Chapter event; you’ll be glad you did. Network, learn something new and stay connected to Laurier happenings, services and people that can help you. And if you want to do more, get involved with your local Chapter’s leadership. For more on these and other events, check out laurieralumni.ca/events.

Seagram Stadium cornerstone laid 1957

Cystic Fibrosis Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Shinerama is Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest post-secondary fundraiser involving students at almost 60 university and college campuses across Canada. Shinerama originated at Waterloo Lutheran University in 1961 as an Orientation Week activity that raised money for local charities.

1960 First Winter Carnival

Giving back =

good karma We know that you’ll do it for the warm fuzzies, those happy feelings that arise from giving back, but we’ll also toss in some good karma to boot.

Simply put, you’ve got skills, and we’d love to put them to good use. Here are some of the ways that you can give back to Laurier AND enhance your expertise, all while upping your good karma. n

Volunteer with an Alumni Chapter.

Volunteer for a faculty/department.

V olunteer to network with current students and provide career advice.

Volunteer to speak in the classroom.

Volunteer with WLUAA.

W ear your purple and gold with pride

B e an ambassador for Laurier within your networks.

V olunteer to be a part of the Alumni Sharing Knowledge (ASK) networking program.

Other good giving-back ideas: n

Hire a co-op student or recent graduate.

Make your ‘Class of 2015’ donation to the Student Emergency Bursary Fund in honour of someone special who helped you graduate. Visit: wlu.ca/classgiving n

Convinced? Please visit laurieralumni.ca to get involved.

First-year students launch first Shinerama 1961

8 The bed push was one of the activities held at the 1961 Winter Carnival. A group of Willison Hall students pushed the hospital bed 114 kilometres, from London to Kitchener, in 8.5 hours.

Alumnus? Alumna? n n n

Alumnus: singular male graduate. Alumna: singular female graduate. A lumni: male plural, but is also a collective term for graduates of both genders. A lumnae: female plural and would only be used to refer to female graduates. The Latin noun alumnus means “foster son, pupil” and is derived from the verb alere “to nourish”.

Laurier Alumni

Around the country <25 Alumni

>500 Alumni

25-100 Alumni

>1,000 Alumni

100-500 Alumni

>50,000 Alumni

Laurier Alumni

Around the world A ntigua & Barbuda: 3 Argentina: 1 Australia: 96 Austria: 3 Bahamas: 16 Bahrain: 1 Bangladesh: 3 Barbados: 8 Belgium: 6 Bermuda: 40 Brazil: 4 B ritish West Indies: 3 Brunei: 2 Cayman Islands: 11 China: 76 Colombia: 1 Croatia: 1 Cyprus: 5 Czech Republic: 4 Denmark: 1

Ecuador: 1 Egypt: 2 England: 61 Estonia: 3 Ethiopia: 2 Fiji Islands: 1 Finland: 4 France: 18 Gambia: 1 Germany: 54 Ghana: 9 Greece: 6 Haiti: 1 Hong Kong: 143 Hungary: 2 India: 23 Indonesia: 11 Ireland: 4 Israel: 5 Italy: 1

With Alumni in over 100 countries, wherever you go, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll never be far from a Golden Hawk!

Jamaica: 11 Japan: 25 Kenya: 4 Kuwait: 1 Latvia: 1 Luxembourg: 1 Macao: 1 Madagascar: 1 Malaysia: 66 Mauritius: 2 Mexico: 11 Mongolia: 1 Mozambique: 1 Namibia: 1 Netherlands: 21 New Zealand: 18 Nigeria: 11 Norway: 6 Pakistan: 14 Panama: 1

Peru: 2 Philippines: 6 Poland: 3 Portugal: 2 Qatar: 4 Romania: 1 Russia: 5 Saudi Arabia: 7 Scotland: 11 Sierra Leone: 1 Singapore: 50 Slovak Republic: 1 Slovenia: 2 South Africa: 8 South Korea: 25 Spain: 9 Sri Lanka: 2 St. Kitts & Nevis: 1 St. Lucia: 1 Sweden: 6

Switzerland: 21 Taiwan: 14 Tanzania: 1 Thailand: 3 T rinidad Tobago: 67 Turkey: 2 Turks & Caicos Islands: 1 U.A.E: 20 U.S.A: 1360 Ukraine: 3 U nited Kingdom: 144 Vietnam: 2 V irgin Islands (British): 1 V irgin Islands (U.S.): 1 Zambia: 1

Accelerate your career 12

As alumni, Laurier Career Development Centre programs and services are available to you – for life. They include the Alumni Employment Service, the ASK networking tool, workshops on career topics such as resumé writing and job searches and individual appointments with a career consultant. When you need a new job or want to make a career change, we’re here for you.

Getting real about getting a job You made it! You’ve graduated. Now it’s time to take the next step. How will you make that happen? By pouring yourself a cup of coffee and looking for job postings online? Maybe. But Laurier’s Career Development Centre says that relying on the internet is only part of the answer. Up to 75% of available jobs may never be posted online. And research shows that for every 200 resumés submitted to a job posting online, only one job offer results. So how do you increase your chances? Start meeting as many people as you can. Explore the “hidden” job market.

1966 First Faculty of Social Work class

13 James Kitchen, assistant professor of economics, provides a student with instruction on the university’s new IBM computer.

You’ll need to get comfortable with “informational interviews” – meetings where you do the interviewing. Create a great contact list by identifying friends, friends of friends, finding people through LinkedIn (you have a profile already, right?), using ASK, joining a relevant professional association, or even cold-calling. Your goal is to gather insight and information about your future field from people who really know what it’s like. next steps

wlu.ca/career/alumni

SBE becomes first faculty in Ontario to use a computer for general undergrad education 1967

Accelerate your career

Next steps: n

A sk contacts only for their time. They are more likely to tell you what you really need to know if they don’t feel pressured by a job request.

Present yourself as prepared and professional.

Ask informed questions.

A sk about the day-to-day work, the qualifications needed, the best way to break into their industry, the top organizations to approach and the salary to expect. Why did they get into the field? What do they like best? What was their best-ever day, and why? What’s the worst part of the job? And now that they’ve heard a little about you, are there skills you need to polish? B efore you leave, ask for other contacts in the industry. Follow up with a thank-you note and include a resumé. (Hey, you made a great impression!)

If asking strangers for free career advice makes you want to run the other way, remember this: one in 12 informational interviews turns into a real job. Now, that’s impressive.

1973 Waterloo Lutheran, Canada’s last private university, goes public as Wilfrid Laurier University

15 Checking out the job board on campus.

Need more? Laurierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Career Development Centre staff can answer specific questions and help you develop a workable career plan. If your career goals are fuzzy, this is the place to start! Drop in and discover the best job-search strategies, including resumĂŠs, cover letters and interview skills. Ask for help and craft a step-by-step plan for finding employment the first time, and the time after that. The advice is free for the rest of your life. Happy hunting!

wlu.ca/career/alumni

The Turret opens for business 1974

Keep in touch! Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sad to lose touch, so let us know when your contact information changes. That way, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be sure to receive event invitations, your copy of Laurier Campus magazine, and newsletters specific to your faculty and department. Reading them will help you make the most of your Alumni status and keep you in the loop. Visit laurieralumni.ca to update your profile.

1999 Brantford campus opens

17 The Carnegie Building, a vacated 1902 Carnegie Library, was the first building for Laurier’s Brantford campus, and is now the cornerstone of the campus.

Celebrate the new We’d love to hear about the “new” in your life, like new jobs and relocations. Tell us about them via phone, email or in person and, if you are ok with it, we’ll share it with the Laurier Campus magazine. n n n

By phone: 519.884.1970 x3180 By email: alumni@wlu.ca By by mail or in person: Alumni Hall, 75 University Avenue W., Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3C5

Lyle S. Hallman Faculty of Social Work opens in Kitchener 2006

Waterloo College freshmen get a senior surprise in front of Willison Hall during Initiation Week 1947.

2008 Laurierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office in Chongqing, China opens

( Above) Waterloo Lutheran University pin. ( Left) The Golden Hawk Circa 1986.

Get social! Find us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Join a group, share a tweet and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;like usâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to stay on top of the new and noteworthy! LinkedIn: Laurier Alumni (Official Group) Twitter: @LaurierAlumni | #LaurierAlumni Facebook: facebook.com/LaurierAlumni

Laurier celebrates its 100th anniversary 2011

Welcome to WLUAA The Wilfrid Laurier University Alumni Association (WLUAA) welcomes you to the club. In addition to connecting you with a growing network of over 89,000 Laurier Alumni, WLUAA offers programs and services that can help you with your personal and professional growth. We encourage you to take advantage of your life-long membership by getting involved and staying connected. Find out more: 20

laurieralumni.ca/wluaa vision An inspiring community of engaged alumni.

Mission To engage and represent a community that supports and enriches our alumni, students and the University.

values We value our alumni, our heritage, and our culture of leadership and service.

2015 Laurier voted top Volunteer school by LinkedIn survey

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