The Daily Bulletin Archive

By Tony Astran

The Alumni Affairs Office has launched a new online community with the goal of better connecting alumni to Buffalo State. The site has a variety of features that allow users to easily learn what is happening at the college and discover ways to offer support.

The community answers multiple alumni needs, according to Kelly Mazella, staff assistant for alumni affairs. Mazella will manage the community.

“Many alumni have told us they’ve wanted a lifetime Buffalo State e-mail address and an online directory to connect with each other and the college,” she said. “They’re going to see that and a lot more, such as alumni chapter pages, news feeds, event listings, and career development opportunities.”

The online community will allow alumni to create personal profiles, post photos, share accomplishments, and participate in forums and polls to share ideas on topics. It will also link to Buffalo State’s Facebook, Flickr, LinkedIn, and Twitter social networking sites. The College Relations Office designed the online community and works with outside vendor Harris, who hosts the site.

Alumni will also find it easier to give back to Buffalo State by registering and paying for events online and by donating via the community’s “Giving” section.

“I think there is a symbiotic relationship between friend-raising and fundraising,” Mazella said. “More than anything, we want to get alumni engaged and bring more of them back to campus.”

Mazella hopes alumni will give back in other ways, too. The online community will allow them to sign up as event volunteers or guest lecturers in classes. Alumni will also find volunteer opportunities with the Alumni Association as well as off-campus organizations such as the Asarese-Matters Community Center.

A mentoring program will link alumni to those who are registered for classes at Buffalo State, allowing former students to offer current students advice for career paths.

The community will also help alumni with their own career planning. The Alumni Affairs Office, College Relations Office, and Career Development Center have worked together to establish online functions for job searching, résumé building, and business networking. Alumni will be able to search and apply for local and national jobs, find or become a mentor, and post information about their businesses through a “yellow pages” section.

Mazella is confident the online community will “take off” once alumni begin to join the site. She is not only contacting current alumni but also would like graduating seniors to get connected. She hopes faculty and staff will help spread the word and also consider joining the community.

“Some of the strongest bonds alumni have to Buffalo State are through faculty and staff,” Mazella said. “The online community will let alumni know that there are many ways they and Buffalo State can mutually help other. We also want them to know how much we appreciate their staying connected to us.”

To join, users will need to set up their accounts using unique ID numbers they will receive in the mail or via e-mail. For more information, contact the Alumni Affairs Office: 878-6001 or alumnicommunity@buffalostate.edu.