Alma matters
Are alumni meets just occasions to revive memories? It looks like there is more to it.
College is the place where memories are made. No matter how much one cribs about different aspects of the college throughout the course, when it’s time to leave, there is always a sense of nostalgia. Memorable times spent with friends hanging out in the canteen, bunking classes and the rush to finish an assignment as the deadline approaches, become things to reminisce about. But how can this bond be
maintained even after leaving college? This is where alumni associations come into the picture, bringing together people and facilitating the sharing of knowledge and experience.
Getting together
For the Alumni Association of College of Engineering, Guindy (AACEG), the journey began when a group of CEG alumni met up. “We realised that for the last 15 years, a substantial population (almost 50 per cent) of the College of Engineering, Guindy (CEG), has migrated to different parts of the world. We also realised that like us, other alumni wanted to give back something to the college through their experience and expertise, or assist a startup by a college alumnus. So, our original goal was to create an infrastructure for that,” says A.J. Balasubramanian, an independent business consultant who is a part of the AACEG. “Typically, alumni meets are restricted to a specific batch. Our primary idea was to pool together their experience and expertise, and create a platform to enable interaction between alumni from different batches,” says Vish A. Viswanathan, a 1985 alumnus of CEG, also a part of its core committee.
The alumni association of Madras Medical College, the second oldest medical college in India, restarted its activities in 1994 after a long break. “At the medical college, I got the opportunity to travel to different places across the world. This exposed me to how things work there. We found that alumni associations are really strong in colleges abroad and sought to emulate the same,” says Dr. Arulpitchai Narayanan, president of the alumni association of Madras Medical College (MMC).
Staying connected
The progress of the alumni association of MMC has been phenomenal. “Earlier, we used to circulate posters as other modes of communication were not easily accessible. Then, we moved to SMS and email. Now, we have established a strong virtual network and keep in touch through a Facebook page, email and Whatsapp,” says Dr. Narayanan. What holds this together is a committed group of voluntary members. “We have a website, besides a Facebook page, which helps us stay connected. We believe that it is important to have a connection from across batches rather than just with your batch mates,” says CEG’s Balasubramanian.
The organisation not only encourages alumni who are in the engineering field, but also others who studied engineering but chose to excel in other areas, such as social work, journalism, sports, movies, etc.
Networking
Driven by the tagline ‘secure, strengthen and sustain’, the AACEG has a threefold plan to help students and alumni.
The first plan is to set up a virtual incubator and an angel fund for students who are working on startup ideas. The second plan involves creating a cell and an infrastructure through which alumni who have a job but are looking for a change, or are planning to begin a startup, can get assistance.
“Our third idea was to pool in some money and start a scholarship for physically challenged students. We managed to collect around Rs.10 lakh for this purpose,” says Balasubramanian.
Another advantage of having alumni meets is that students get to showcase their talents. Says Arulpitchai Narayanan, “We have a research support group to aid students and encourage them to do medical research. The alumni are an integral part of this system and help in passing contacts which helps in the development of the college and the students.”
There are several other benefits. “Alumni Association and their Divisions play the role of a mediator in helping the students in their academic/research needs. On the other hand, by getting involved in these activities, the alumni stay emotionally connected to their Alma mater,” says Veeky Baths, faculty Incharge, BITS Alumni Affairs Division.
