Frequently asked questions about alumni events and engagement opportunities:
What upcoming events are happening for alumni?
Each year, Alumni Relations hosts several events for alumni and friends of the school. Below are examples of events you can expect. To see the upcoming slate of events, please visit our website.
- Homecoming Bash: Each fall we host a tailgate here at Grainger Hall for WSB alumni and friends to reconnect with the School and each other. The event is prior to the Homecoming football game and features family-friendly activities.
- Regional alumni events: We visit our major alumni markets each year to host events for alumni to engage with the school and build the Business Badger network.
- Webinars: To continue providing value to our alumni, even long after they have left WSB, we offer free professional development webinars in partnership with the Center for Professional and Executive Development (CPED).
What are ways alumni can be involved with the school?
One question we receive often is “how can I get more involved with WSB?” In addition to attending events, there are several key areas that alumni can get involved:
- Attending events: Alumni can find upcoming events on our website.
- Alumni Voice Panel: More than 1,000 WSB alumni are currently participating in the Alumni Voice Panel, a digital engagement opportunity for alumni to share their opinions on topics of importance to WSB.
- Mentorship: Although Alumni Relations does not facilitate specific mentorship opportunities, we recommend anyone interested in being a mentor or a mentee signs up for BadgerBridge. This tool allows alumni the change to volunteer as a mentor, and gives students a database for finding a willing mentor in a specific role, field, or region of interest to them.
- Class Notes: We encourage alumni to share their news with us
- WSB Advisory Boards: WSB has several advisory boards throughout the school. Although these opportunities are fairly limited, they can be a very in-depth way for dedicated alumni to get engaged with the School.
Alumni can find the most up-to-date engagement opportunities on our website.
What resources do we provide alumni?
We provide several types of resources to our alumni such as professional development, access to our alumni directory, networking opportunities, etc. The most up-to-date resources can be found on our website.
How can I find alumni to volunteer for my department?
Throughout the year, we receive many inquiries from alumni interested in volunteering within the School. If you are looking for alumni speakers, mentors, mock interviewers, company connections, board members, or other volunteers, please reach out to Lauren Mittelstedt. We have a Stay Connected form for our alumni to fill out how they are interested in connecting, and can often find alumni to fit your needs.
What is the Alumni Voice Panel?
In an effort to gain insight from our alumni audience, the Alumni Relations team reached out to Business Badgers to gauge interest in lending a hand. More than 1,000 WSB alumni are now members of a new online initiative called the Alumni Voice Panel. It’s an opportunity for WSB alumni to share their insights and opinions on alumni programming, events, and communications. You can find out more information here.
Alumni are invited to join the panel annually each winter (typically December or January) and participate in monthly activities. If you are in need of specific insights from a large group of alumni, we may be able to collaborate on an upcoming panel activity. Please contact Lauren Mittelstedt with your ideas.
How can I leverage the events that Alumni Relations is hosting?
Alumni Relations typically hosts events that are open to all alumni and friends. In an effort to be collaborative and good stewards of the School’s financial resources, we encourage you to leverage these events if they are helpful for you. Some ideas from past partnerships are below:
- Utilizing our Homecoming tailgate as the pre-game meeting spot for your unit-specific alumni or board members
- Forwarding on regional event invitations to certain alumni as a touch-point for those you are interested in reconnecting with
- Attending regional alumni events when you are traveling to those areas for other work purposes
- Hosting mini-gatherings right before or after larger alumni events with specific alumni or donors you are interested in meeting with
- Sharing alumni events with your audiences in communications throughout the year