Frequently Asked Questions

QWhat changes will this represent?

AA new structure will be created to interface more directly with the new colleges and schools as well as areas that provide services of relevance to alumnae. The University is looking at investing more resources in reaching out to alumnae in new ways. The Alumnae Association would become a fully integrated part of the University, and alumnae across the country would have opportunities for connection available throughout their lifetimes.

QMy own connections with St. Catherine University have included working on fund drives and reunions, donating money, attending functions such as Conversation with Books, giving application cards to prospective students and being a class representative. I receive the e-newsletter and SCAN.  How would those activities change, and who would be handling them?

AWe will still have fund drives, reunions, functions such as Conversation with Books, application cards for prospective students, class leadership team members, lifelong learning opportunities, news and information sent via e-mail, and a three-times-a-year SCAN. These activities will continue to be coordinated by Alumnae Relations, under the umbrella of External Relations. Ruth Brombach will lead that area in the first year of the transition.

In addition, we hope to greatly expand programs available to alumnae in distance learning, webinars and continuing education through other parts of the University. We are not trying to eliminate things people love, but rather to expand the ability of the University to engage our alumnae.

QWhat specific roles would alumnae have in the new structure? Will there be real opportunities to volunteer? 

AAlumnae will have many roles in the new structure, and there will be numerous opportunities to volunteer in real and meaningful ways. Alums will continue to be tapped as mentors for our current students and as coaches and job shadowers to learn about jobs in their industries. Additionally, there will be new opportunities to participate in advisory councils and even expanded opportunities in the classroom, both as guest speakers and as students.

As always, we will offer opportunities for our retired alumnae, alumnae who are homemakers and those in transition, as well as those who are employed. St. Kate’s could benefit in many ways from expanded volunteerism. As these develop, we will be sure to engage alumnae in discussions about how to make these opportunities meaningful. We want you!

QWhat would we give up by losing our independent status 501(c)(3)? What is the advantage of the “all in one” approach? Iit seems some separation is healthy.

AThe whole purpose for this change is to dramatically change and increase how alumnae are engaged with St. Catherine. That means greater access to many services and advantages within the University for our alums.

Some changes will occur as a result of the change in status. Specifically, decisions will be made by the University rather than by the Association on its own. However, just as the Association has always consulted the University as it made decisions, the University will have many ways of consulting alumnae as it moves forward.  Remember, this is not an initiative to diminish the role of alumnae. It is to enhance the participation of alumnae.

QSCAN used to have more news about graduates. I miss that.

AA great deal of work has gone into upgrading SCAN. We have so many alumnae now (36,500) that not all of the information about all alums can be contained in one magazine. However, we are exploring a number of options for SCAN and will have a survey in either the fall or winter issue to get input from alums about how that could be most effectively done.

Another option under consideration is to have “Class Notes” so alums can get more information about the lives of friends and classmates.

QWhy is this happening so fast?

AThis is happening in about the same amount of time it took for us to explore becoming a University.  The biggest driver for doing this now is that the Schools and Deans are so new. It’s better to get in on the ground level of shaping activities of the Schools before they are overrun with activity.

QWill there be fundraising activities for which people can volunteer? Would our fundraising remain the same? If we gave money to the Alumnae Association, would it remain with the association’s work?

AAs long as our students have as much financial need as they do, we will always have fundraising activities. However, we hope to spend less time raising money for alumnae activities and more on financial aid for our students.  If you directed money for the Alumnae Association, it would remain with Alumnae Association work.

QWill the Council of 200 become the Alumnae Association? How representative will the Council be?

AThe Alumnae Council of 200 is meant to be a representative group that provides input into and support for University activities of which they are a part. The Council will meet once annually and will not take the place of the Alumnae Association, since the Alumnae Association is comprised of all alumnae.

The Council of 200 will have an executive committee that will meet monthly. In the first year, the current Alumnae Association board will serve as the transitional executive committee.

As the Council of 200 takes shape, alumnae can volunteer to serve on the Council and others will be asked, to ensure that we have broad representation. That representation will include all degree levels (associate, baccalaureate and graduate), all Schools (Henrietta Schmoll School of Health, School of Business and Leadership, School of Professional Studies and the School of Humanities, Arts and Sciences).

We also will take care to ensure that St. Mary’s and St. Joe’s alums are represented in the Council of 200.  Here is the breakdown by area:

  • 105 representatives by degree program (60 for traditional Baccalaureate Day program, 15 for Weekend Baccalaureate program, 15 graduate and 15 associate)
  • 50 “Super Volunteers” (former trustees, past Alumnae Association presidents, loyal donors)
  • 25 chapter representatives
  • 20 University representatives, including administrators, faculty, CSJ’s and students

It would be great to have at least one class rep from each year participate in the Council. Many have suggested that we still need some kind of annual meeting for alumnae, which is highly possible. Also, reaching out to those who have “left the fold” will be an important way to ensure the ongoing vitality of St. Catherine University.

QHow will the academic departments involve alumnae?

ADepartments will be encouraged to provide continuing education opportunities for alumnae and opportunities to engage in discussions with faculty. We don’t have much detail about this yet, but these opportunities will emerge as the Schools take shape. They likely will differ slightly from school to school.

QWhat is the overarching vision behind this proposal?

AThe University wants to embrace alumnae as partners for a lifetime, as lifelong learners, as collaborators and as active participants in our community. We see this as a two-way interaction, one in which alumnae participate with us and we listen closely to them. St. Kate’s has always been interested in that, and the Alumnae Association has done creative work around lifelong learning. However, with the growth of graduate programs and distance learning, St. Kate’s will have new ways to serve the needs and interests of alumnae.

QWhat values will inform the concept of alumnae engagement?

AOur task force has spent considerable time discussing the core values behind the concept of reaching out more deliberately to alumnae and inviting them to engage with us in new ways. Those core values include personal connections, lifelong commitment (a reciprocal relationship), excellence and inclusivity. At its heart, alumnae engagement is about how the entire University embraces alumnae in new ways and provides more personal experiences, more opportunities to connect.

QIs this about getting more alumnae to give more?

AAlthough donations from alumnae are important, this initiative is about much, much more. The task team agreed it’s about participating, learning and connecting.

  • Participating might mean volunteering, interacting with students, “coming home” to the St. Paul campus for reunion, coming back to campus to speak or helping to recruit students.
  • Learning includes participating in continuing education or taking part in new graduate, undergraduate and distance learning opportunities.
  • Connecting is about continuing to develop what our Alumnae Office does so well now — helping our alumnae develop personal ties with other alumnae, with faculty and with students. With the formation of four Schools, the University can more easily engage alumnae in its ongoing work.  That was much harder when we had more than 40 academic departments that operated independently.

Stay tuned as this initiative develops! 

Feel free to tell us what you’d like to see as an alumna or what you want to make sure we continue to do.  Also, we welcome your questions and comments, and will post answers on this site. Send us your feedback or pose a question using our online form.