To: All Faculty/President Jill Tiefenthaler/Vice President Sean Pieri/Dean Sandi Wong/Director of Alumni Jay Engeln/et. al.
From: Salvino Bizzarro, Chair Faculty Advancement Advisory Committee (FAAC)
Re: Faculty/Alumni Relations and Development
Date: September 22-Inauguration Day
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On this inauguration day, I am writing to you because after a successful search for a new position created by Jill for an Advancement Vice President, and the successful hiring of Sean Pieri to hold that post, the faculty members of FAAC (Megan Anderson, Aju Fenn, Judy Laux, and myself), working with Jay Engeln and the other members of the committee (Josh Bailey, Dianne Benninghoff, Jane Turnis and our administrative Assistant Dolores Moon) are seeking to find ways to improve faculty/alumni relations. We need your cooperation and also would like to hear your concerns about money raised and money spent. The Strategic Planning for future Fund Raising, begun this year by our new President, is also designed to make the faculty active in raising our endowment and determine our faculty priorities to maintain and advance our academic excellence.
At our last meeting of the committee on September 10, Vice President Pieri expressed the wish to meet with every department to find out what are the concerns about gifts given to department for specific use and how that money has been spent or will be spent. As of last year, we have also introduced ways of making faculty members engaged in research or conference attending meet with alumni in the cities they are visiting. The alumni office can provide information, and even buy a first drink, with a program that has been denominated "Murphy's On The Road" and has facilitated many such informal encounters with former CC students.
The FAAC was pleased in participating in discussions for our new Fitness Center, unveiled also today, and to play a role in advancing faculty participation in the 1874 Society, which last year sponsored two main events: 1) the lecture by Kaui Hart Hemmings, alumna and author of the book The Descendants, made into an Oscar-nominated film; and, 2) the lecture by Marcia McNutt to discuss the state of the Colorado Basin as part of the college's "State Of The Rockies" annual series.
Besides these achievements, our new Vice President for Advancement sees as very valuable and indeed exciting the making of a new development team with the hiring of many new faces after both Development and Alumni offices were reduced to 66% of their original personnel numbers last year with the departure of Steve Elder, Jay Malone and many others. Any help that can be given to this endeavor is welcome.
Many challenges still await us, and moving away from past practices, we would like to see a faculty active in all matters of the college and are here to serve as liaison and to hear your concerns. Please feel free to contact any of us with your apprehensions or with your insights. We are for a pro-active faculty and invite you to join us.
Respectfully submitted,
Salvino Bizzarro, Megan Anderson, Aju Fenn, Judy Laux
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