Alumni Chapters

Thank you for your interest in joining an alumni chapter! Chapters provide valuable experiences for SUNY Geneseo alumni to connect with each other and the College. Volunteers are at the heart of each group, working closely with the Office of Alumni Relations and SUNY Geneseo Alumni Association (SGAA) to bring the spirit of Geneseo to alumni around the world.

Regional Chapters

We know it's not always possible for you to return to campus as often as you would like. Regional chapter volunteers plan social, networking, cultural, family and other types of alumni events where they live and work. Update your contact information to receive invitations to events near you and connect with Geneseo wherever you are.

Baltimore, MD: Leadership: Carolyn Davin Williams '05 & Anne Irwin Tillinghast '96
Interested in volunteering? Contact the Office of Alumni Relations.
Tell us what you'd like to see next: Take a brief survey
Connect on Facebook: Geneseo Alumni in Baltimore
Make a gift to Geneseo
Boston, MA: Interested in volunteering? Contact the Office of Alumni Relations.
Connect on Facebook: SUNY Geneseo New England Alumni
Make a gift to Geneseo
Buffalo, NY: Tell us what you'd like to see next: Take a brief survey
Interested in volunteering? Contact the Office of Alumni Relations.
Connect on Facebook: SUNY Geneseo Alumni - Buffalo Area
Make a gift to Geneseo
Capital District, NY: Interested in volunteering? Contact the Office of Alumni Relations.
Connect on Facebook: Geneseo Alumni of the Capital District
Make a gift to Geneseo
Denver, CO: Leadership: Paul Peterman '80
Interested in volunteering? Contact the Office of Alumni Relations.
Connect on Facebook: SUNY Geneseo Alumni in Denver
Make a gift to Geneseo
Long Island, NY: Interested in volunteering? Contact the Office of Alumni Relations.
Make a gift to Geneseo
New York City, NY: Interested in volunteering? Contact the Office of Alumni Relations.
Connect on Facebook: Geneseo Alumni NYC Network
Make a gift to Geneseo
Philadelphia, PA: Leadership: Hannah Loo '17
Interested in volunteering? Contact the Office of Alumni Relations.
Make a gift to Geneseo
Rochester, NY: Leadership: Steve Levitsky '89
Tell us what you'd like to see next: Take a brief survey
Interested in volunteering? Contact the Office of Alumni Relations.
Connect on Facebook: SUNY Geneseo Rochester Alumni
Make a gift to Geneseo
San Francisco, CA: Interested in volunteering? Contact the Office of Alumni Relations.
Connect on Facebook: SUNY Geneseo Bay Area Alumni
Make a gift to Geneseo
Southern California: Leadership: Krista Muscarella '12
Interested in volunteering? Contact the Office of Alumni Relations.
Make a gift to Geneseo
Southern Tier, NY: Interested in volunteering? Contact the Office of Alumni Relations.
Tell us what you'd like to see next: Take a brief survey
Connect on Facebook: SUNY Geneseo Southern Tier Alumni
Make a gift to Geneseo
Syracuse, NY: Leadership: Tanya Woldbeck Pellettiere '93 & Larkin Kimmerer Podsiedlik '09
Tell us what you'd like to see next: Take a brief survey
Interested in volunteering? Contact the Office of Alumni Relations.
Connect on Facebook: SUNY Geneseo Syracuse Area Alumni
Make a gift to Geneseo
The Triangle, NC: Interested in volunteering? Contact the Office of Alumni Relations.
Tell us what you'd like to see next: Take a brief survey
Connect on Facebook: Geneseo Alumni of the Triangle
Make a gift to Geneseo
Tampa, FL: Leadership: Dave Miller '90
Interested in volunteering? Contact the Office of Alumni Relations.
Make a gift to Geneseo
Washington, DC: Leadership: Donna Dickinson Breskin '80, Sarah Jane Phillips '19 & Waleed Mahmood '07
Tell us what you'd like to see next: Take a brief survey
Interested in volunteering? Contact the Office of Alumni Relations.
Make a gift to Geneseo
Westchester, NY & Fairfield, CT: Tell us what you'd like to see next: Take a brief survey
Interested in volunteering? Contact the Office of Alumni Relations.
Make a gift to Geneseo

Affinity Chapters

Connect with alumni and students from your campus affinity (academic, class year, club, sport, Greek life). Affinity chapter volunteers plan programs based on a shared interest. Update your information and affinity connection(s) to receive invitations to events based on what you love.

Academic / Departmental

AOP est. 1968-1969
Marcus Watts, Executive Director of Access Opportunity Programs
SUNY Geneseo's Access Opportunity Programs (AOP)

Chemistry/Biochemistry est. 1965
Kazu Yokoyama, Professor of Chemistry
SUNY Geneseo's Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
SUNY Geneseo Chemistry and Biochemistry Alumni LinkedIn Group

Communication Department
Andrew Herman, Associate Professor of Communication
Connect on Facebook: SUNY Geneseo Communication Department
SUNY Geneseo's Department of Communication

Geography and Sustainability Studies
Stephen Tulowiecki '07, Associate Professor
Darrell Norris, Professor
Connect on Facebook: AGOG: Alumni Geographers of Geneseo
SUNY Geneseo's Department of Geography and Sustainability Studies

Geological Sciences Department est. 1970
Amy Sheldon '90, Associate Professor of Geological Sciences
Connect on Facebook: Geneseo Geology
SUNY Geneseo's Department of Geological Sciences

Mathematics Department
Aaron Heap, Sedar Ngoma, Carrie Green, and Douglas Baldwin

Philosophy Department est. 1964
David Levy '94, Associate Professor & Chair of Philosophy
Carly Herold, Assistant Professor
Connect on Facebook: Geneseo Philosophy Alumni
SUNY Geneseo's Department of Philosophy

Physics Department est. 1963
Kurt Fletcher, Distinguished Teaching Professor of Physics & Astronomy
Charles Freeman, Distinguished Teaching Professor & Radiation Safety Officer
Connect on Facebook: Geneseo Physics Alumni
SUNY Geneseo's Department of Physics & Astronomy

Political Science Department est. 1966
Jeffrey Koch, Professor & Chair of Political Science & International Relations
Connect on Facebook: Political Science
SUNY Geneseo's Department of Political Science & International Relations

School of Business est. 1980
Lerong He, Dean of the School of Business
Donna Diver, School of Business Admin Assistant
Golf Tournament Committee: Michael DeBadts '05, Sean Wegman '07, John Olert '88, John Creary '83, and Mike Kaufmann '84
Connect on Facebook: Geneseo School of Business
SUNY Geneseo's School of Business

Class Years

Class of 1975
Kevin Gavagan '75
Dave Scoones '75

Class of 1978
Donna Konieczny Forbes '78

Class of 1979
Kevin Clary '79

Class of 1980
Mark Hamilton '80
Stan Harper '80
Paul Peterman '80

Class of 1981
Sharon Diamond Hill '81

Class of 1983
Kathy Acierno Baron '83
Greg Gian '83
Sharon Moses Wiecek '83

Class of 1984
Denise Reed Lamoreaux '84

Class of 1985
John O'Malley '85

Class of 1988
Jennifer Hatch Kirchoff '88
Patty Graner '88

Class of 1989
Doug Dickman '89

Class of 1990
Sandy Kupprat '90
Dave Miller '90
SUNY Geneseo Class of 1990 Facebook group

Class of 1991
Tami Corbett Ray '91

Class of 1993
Tanya Woldbeck Pellettiere '93
Jennifer Scally Ryan '93

Class of 1995
Colleen Burns '95
Tyger Foster '95
Ella Franklin Leitner '95
Michelle Marecheau '95
Danielle Petteys Moore '95

Class of 1996
Heather Henken Fleming '96
Jamie Vergis '96

Geneseo Class of 1996 Facebook group

Class of 1997
Lisa Decker Schneider '97
Doug Doyle '97
Chris D'Orso '97
Amanda Vergien Hinchcliffe '97

Class of 1999
Mark Fratto '99
Jay Nasella '99
Samantha Langton '99
Rachel Mathieu-Leo '99

Class of 2001
Andrew DiMattina '01

Class of 2004
Kristy Lojko '04
Heidi Butler-St.Onge '04

Class of 2009
Larkin Kimmerer-Podsiedlik '09

Class of 2010
Zach Downing '10
Marissa Lewis '10
Colleen McNamara '10
Gabby Rowland '10

Class of 2011
Jon Brotka '11
Phara Souffrant Forrest '11
Meghan Brill McIver '11
Lindsay Pundt '11
Suzanna Reyes-Friedman '11

Class of 2012
Noelle Sirico '12

Class of 2013
Kim Showalter '13

Class of 2014
April Ruiz-Neto '14

Class of 2015
Molly Costello '15
Ali Oster Bryant '15
Joanna Rose-Gross '15

Class of 2016
Madeline Palumbo '16

Greek Letter

AGO/Alpha Kappa Phi Sorority est. 1885
Chapter Volunteers: Stephanie Brown '04 (Chair), Mary Bistrovich '93 & Hong Nguyen '98
Reunion Volunteers: CC Christakos '83, Val Masten-Chafee '84, Patti Pressler-Beardsley '80, Vickie Ruzicka '86 & Sue Stone-Bradt '80
Scholarship Committee: Jacqueline Gentile Erickson '96, Jennifer Kluge Sparcino '87, Lori Maselli Paisley '85, Julia McDaniel '12, Dani Mansi '13, Mallorie Rosenbluth '07, Elizabeth Buccholz Clark '87 & Louise Redmore Finkenbinder '97
Connect on Facebook: Geneseo Ago Alumni

Alpha Delta Epsilon Alumni Chapter est. 1886
Cassandra Bocanegra '17 & Sarah Kohler '14
Connect on Facebook: Alpha Delta Epsilon - Geneseo

Alpha Omega Pi Sorority est. 1985
Liz Nitsky Egan '93 & Elaine Andrew Eller '91
Connect on Facebook: Alpha Omega Pi Alumni Relations

Arethusa/Sigma Gamma Phi Sorority est. 1894
Heather Hoffman Maldonado '95 & Karen Gagnon McMahon '86
Reunion Volunteers: Linda Smits Pisano '64, Kathleen Montemarano Schrader '73, Laurie Mathis Yager '82, Mary Gere-Penna '84, Lisa Hecker Fischer '85, Kisten Smith Giglio '86, Judith Nolan Gallagher '88, Trina Mettler '88, Catherine Gallagher Mondock '88, Jennifer Payne '88, Irene Barber '90, Kristen Cusato '90, Mari Kranock Howard '90, Sandra Kupprat '90, Suzanne Hoagland McNamara '90, Pamela Nitto Kurkoski '91, Lori Papworth Lusk '92, Melissa Mapother Riter '93, Tammy Baker Frisbey '94, Candice Fountain Cosker '03 and Moira Sullivan '23
Connect on Facebook: Arethusa: Gamma Chapter

Clio/Phi Kappa Pi Sorority est. 1872
Abbey Clark '05, Melody McAlister '17, & Sara Scholomiti Rook '95
Connect on Facebook: Clio Alumni

Crows/Alpha Chi Rho Fraternity est. 1980
Michael Chiulli '87, Ken Noto '77 & Jordan Garbarino '12
Connect on Facebook: Alpha Chi Rho National Fraternity Inc.

Delta Phi Epsilon Sorority est. 1986
April Ruiz-Neto '14 & Shauna Meek '11

Delta Kappa Tau Fraternity est. 1871
Bill Cowie '92
Connect on Facebook: Delta Kappa Tau Fraternity

Omega Beta Psi Fraternity est. 1984
Scholarship/Award Committee: Tony Scardino '88, John Olert '88 & Adam Gurian '87
Connect on Facebook: Omega Beta Psi Alumni and Actives [private group]

Phi Lambda Chi Sorority est. 1964
Valarie Scott '82
Reunion Volunteers: Kristi Lee Smith Streamer '91, Laurel Klementowski Burger '73, Donna Burke '91, Laura Ruberto '91, Nina Manson Weiss '91, Lynne Collins Marinello '93, and Michelle DeWald Weaver '92
Connect on Facebook: Phi Lambda Chi Sorority Alumni

Phi Sigma Epsilon/Xi Fraternity est. 1952
Mike Santangelo '69, Mike Kinney '69 & Bill Moloney '87

Pi Delta Chi Sorority est. 1970
Constance Lightfoote Gruner '75

Prometheus | Phi Kappa Sigma/Chi Fraternity est. 1956
Andrew McKenna '92
Connect on Facebook: SUNY Geneseo Phi Kaps

Royal Lady Knights Alumni Chapter est. 1990
Ali Oster Bryant '15, and Niki Gaiter Stonelake '08
Connect on Facebook: Royal Lady Knights Alumni

Sigma Alpha Mu Fraternity est. 2003
John Etu '12
Connect on Facebook: Sigma Alpha Mu at Geneseo

Sigma Delta Tau Sorority est. 1991
Rachel Mathieu-Leo '99

Sigma Kappa Sorority est. 1989
Tracy Young Gagnier '93, Tracy Sawicz Pearce '96, and Mel Cerra '14
Connect on Facebook: Sigma Kappa Alumnae SUNY Geneseo

Sigma Nu/+Chi Fraternity est. 1985
Neil Hymowitz '93, Richard Pulvino '08, Kevin Weir '92, & Dan Zea '92,
Connect on Facebook: Sigma Nu Chi Fraternity (Sig Nu)

Sigma Phi/Theta Epsilon Fraternity est. 1980
John O'Malley '85
Connect on Facebook: Sig Ep @ Geneseo

Sigma Tau Psi Fraternity est. 1963
Dave Dugan '88
Reunion volunteers: Tom DeBello '65, Bob Hussey '67, Tom Wega '71, Phil Connery '84, Jake Jankun '84, Terrie Clarke '87 & Kevin Foody '91
Connect on Facebook: Sigma Tau Psi - SUNY Geneseo or Sig Tau Alumni & Friends (Chuck Curatalo)

Sisters Making a Change est. 2005
Molly Costello '15
Connect on Facebook: Sisters Making A Change

Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity est. 1989
Mark Nagi '94 & Tony Cirincione '93
Connect on Facebook: TKE Geneseo [private group]

Zeta Beta Xi est. 1993
Joe Occhino '00

Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. est. 1979
Carla Littrean Facey '94
Connect on Facebook: Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc: Zeta Iota Chapter
Instagram: zetaiota_zetas

Identity-Based

Alumni of Color Affinity Chapter est. 2019
Clifton Harcum, Director of Multicultural Affairs and Interim Chief Diversity Officer
Marcus Watts, Executive Director of Access Opportunity Programs
Joanna Santos-Smith '14, Nikko Garmendiz '19, Mark Broomfield '94, and Bancha Srikacha '96
Join the Alumni of Color Affinity Chapter!

Jewish Alumni Affinity Chapter est. 2019
Gwyneth Jones-Wenninger, Interim Hillel Program Coordinator
Suzanne Miller, Assistant Director of Admissions (staff volunteer)
Evan Panzer, 22, Toby Ring '12 & Barak Stockler '19
Connect on Facebook: Geneseo Hillel Alumni Network
Join the Jewish Alumni Affinity Chapter!

LGBTQ+ Alum Affinity Chapter est. 2018
Genevieve Labe, Asst. Director of Multicultural Affairs for LGBTQ+ Life
Brian Balduzzi '09, Adrienne Braico '22, Emma Celt '22, Laura Fraher '98, Emily Ludwig '20 & Michael Venturiello '13
Join the LGBTQ+ Alum Affinity Chapter!

NCAA Athletics

Men's Ice Hockey est. 1975
Kris Heeres '06, Director of Development/Asst Coach, Chris Schultz '97, Head Men's Ice Hockey Coach & Dan Loughran '86
Connect on Instagram: geneseoiceknights
Twitter: @GeneseoHockey

Men's Lacrosse est. 1968
Drew Bezek, Head Men's Lacrosse Coach & Pablo de Rosas '00
Connect on Instagram: geneseomenslax
Twitter: @geneseomlax

Men's Soccer est. 1947
Mark Howlett, Head Men's Soccer Coach & Christian Valentino '95

Swimming & Diving (Men's est. 1962 / Women's est. 1970)
Paul Dotterweich, Head Swim Coach & Aquatics Director, Clint Sugnet '09 & Don McLoughlin '15
Connect on Facebook: SUNY Geneseo Swimming and Diving

Women's Basketball est. 1974
Alyssa Polosky '12, Head Women's Basketball Coach
Connect on Facebook: SUNY Geneseo Women's Basketball
Instagram: geneseobasketball
Twitter: @CoachPolosky

Women's Field Hockey est. 1997
Margaret McConnell, Head Women's Field Hockey Coach & Kerri Friel '14
Connect on Facebook: SUNY Geneseo Women's Field Hockey
Instagram: geneseofieldhockey

Women's Lacrosse est. 1996
Marykate Edmunds, Head Women's Lacrosse Coach
Connect on Facebook: Geneseo Women's Lacrosse

Women's Soccer est. 1981
Nate Wiley '99, Head Women's Soccer Coach
Connect on Facebook: Geneseo Women's Soccer

Women's Softball est. 1976
Dave Sylvester, Head Women's Softball Coach
Connect on Facebook: Geneseo Softball

Women's Volleyball est. 1971
Hunter Drews, Head Women's Volleyball Coach
Connect on Facebook: SUNY Geneseo Women's Volleyball

XC & Track (Men's XC est. 1967, Men's Track est. 1970, Women's XC and Track est. 1980)
Dan Moore '06, Head Cross Country Coach/Assistant Track Coach
Chris Popovici, Head Track & Field Coach
Connect on Facebook: Geneseo Cross Country and Track Alumni

Connect with Geneseo Athletics on Facebook: Geneseo Knights
SUNY Geneseo Athletics website: https://geneseoknights.com

Other

Brodie Alumni
Jessica Partch-Blair '00 (Reunion 2023 Chair)
Reunion 2023 committee: Michael d'Estries '00, Bettina Pollard DeBell '87, Joe DeBell '85, & Stephanie Palmer Straub '02
Reunion 2023 staff volunteers: Melanie Blood and Johnnie Ferrell

Chamber Singers est. 1958
Gerard Floriano '84, Professor & Chair of Music
Kath Borden '82, Doug Dickman '89, Evan Panzer '22, Brian Smith '80 & Gary Turner '79
Connect on Facebook: Geneseo Chamber Singers Past and Present

Club [Mudcat] Baseball est. 1992
John Keene '98
Connect on Facebook: Geneseo Mudcats Baseball Alumni

Crew Club est. 1990
Jonathan Crist, Coach
Dan Greer '05, Melissa Hartlip '19 & Tom Keegan '13
Connect on Facebook: SUNY Geneseo Crew Club Alum Network

Geneseo Area Gaming Group (GAGG)
Shawn Plummer '99 & Laurie Fox '90
Connect on Facebook: Geneseo Area Gaming Group (GAGG)
Join the GAGG Alumni Chapter!

Geneseo Dance Ensemble est. 1968
Jonette Lancos, Professor of Theatre & Dance
Anne Irwin-Tillinghast '96

Geneseo First Response (GFR) est. 1974
Kelsey Costello '17 & Scott Ewanow '06
Connect on Facebook: SUNY Geneseo First Response Alumni
Join the GFR Alumni Chapter!

Rugby Alumni Advisory Council/Men's & Women's Rugby est. 1982
Shivan Chopra '13 & Mia Ferraina '15
Connect on Facebook: Geneseo Warthog Rugby Alumni Advisory Council (RAAC)

SGAA Young Alumni & Students Committee
Ben Conard '16 - Chair
Committee: Daniel Matthews '14, Kelly Preston '16, Cassidy Siebert '20 and Mary-Margaret Dwyer '20

WGSU est. 1963
Sarah DeVito '23, WGSU Operations Manager
Connect on Facebook: WGSU-FM Alumni

Start an Alumni Chapter

Don't see a regional chapter near you or an affinity chapter that reflects your interest? Learn how to start a chapter.

Getting Started

Define the affinity or region you wish to organize around.
- Regional data is maintained by the Office of Alumni Relations.
- For some affinity groups, student membership rosters are maintained by the College (academic major, NCAA Athletics, Greek Life, Resident Assistants, Jazz Ensemble, Chamber Singers, certain leadership activities, etc.). Alumni affinity chapters that do not have student membership rosters maintained by the College, can work with a staff liaison to build a member database (see below).
Identify a core group of passionate fellow alumni willing to help.
Contact the Office of Alumni Relations to determine if a similar chapter already exists. If not, a staff liaison can help identify the number of alumni possible for the chapter, work with you to determine next steps, and share success stories from other chapters.
Select chapter leadership.
Complete the SGAA Alumni Chapter Application. Chapters will be reviewed and approved by the SGAA on a rolling basis.
Once your chapter has been approved:
- Plan a first meeting or event to announce the chapter, introduce volunteer leadership, brainstorm chapter events and activities, start planning your first event, and set a date for the next meeting.
- Following the first official meeting, touch base with a staff liaison to recap the discussion.

Creating an Affinity Chapter Database

In the event that an alumni chapter does not have a current database, volunteers can work with a staff liaison to build one:

By memory and personal outreach by email, phone or social media.
Review of student organization group photos in college yearbooks (1943-2000).
Review of historic college memorabilia (photos, programs, news articles, etc.).
Review of historic student organization recognition paperwork. (This can only be used to identify leadership, and is available on a limited basis).
The Office of Alumni Relations asks graduating seniors to complete individual affinity affiliation as they update their non-student contact information, a new affinity can be added to this form.
The Office of Alumni Relations can use all-alumni newsletters and our social media platforms to promote self-identification in a new affinity, when appropriate.
If there is an existing relationship between the alumni affinity chapter and the student affinity organization, the chapter should encourage student members to self-report their affinity upon graduation.
The Office of Alumni Relations hosts an online form for alumni affinity data collection where alumni can self-identify affinity chapter(s) of their choice. Volunteers should actively encourage alumni to complete this form.
The Office of Alumni Relations maintains the most up-to-date data for alumni. Volunteers who collect updated data must share it with a staff liaison.

Plan an Event

We look forward to partnering with you on your next alumni event.

Event Planning Guidelines

The alumni in your chapter are a diverse group of individuals with different interests and passions. When planning events, remember to choose a variety of programs to meet the needs of your audience.

Planning for an event should occur as far in advance as possible; we recommend you submit an Alumni Event Request form eight to ten weeks prior to obtain approval and the appropriate support from the Office of Alumni Relations. At the discretion of the Office of Alumni Relations, events planned by alumni chapters may be staffed by College personnel.

Date/Time: Choose a date at least eight weeks in advance and work with your staff liaison to avoid conflicts with other events. Be sensitive to religious dates and other special days of celebration. Weekends and weekdays vary in success based on affinity or region. Weeknight events should allow commuters time to return home or be early enough to allow alumni to stop in before going home.

Venue: Event venues should be welcoming and accessible, and should not have any discriminatory membership or attendance policies. New or unique places are often a draw for alumni to attend an event. Where possible, venues should be centrally located, provide ample parking and/or be accessible by public transportation.

Cost: Attendance fees should be as reasonable as possible and should offset the anticipated event expenses.

Promotion: The Office of Alumni Relations will design and send all invitations and related correspondence. Events can be advertised on the alumni website, via email and social media. Volunteers are encouraged to also promote events on their personal or chapter social media page(s), and to conduct personal outreach to encourage attendance (via email or phone).

Supplies: The office will provide host supplies that you may need for an event. This may include name tags, registration sheets, giveaway items, banners, etc.

Photographs: Volunteers are encouraged to take photos at events and share photos with their staff liaison for social media or other college publications.

Event Request Form

Please note that we receive many requests for event assistance each year and we will make every effort to support your event. In order to strategically schedule events, a minimum of eight to ten weeks advance notice is required. Complete the Alumni Event Request form.

Examples of Successful Events

Social Alumni Gatherings (low-key events where alumni can informally connect)
Career and Networking Events (more structured opportunities for alumni to network)
Geneseo Forum (expert or panel addresses a current topic)
Alumni Achieve Series (featured alum shares their Geneseo story)
Cultural Events (museums, theatres, musical performances)
Great Knight (regional simultaneous event occurring in multiple cities each year)
Reunion (celebrate your affinity’s milestone anniversary during Reunion Weekend)
Alumni Day of Service (volunteer groups host service opportunities one day/year in the fall)
On-Campus Affinity Specific Events (host an alumni athletic game or watch current athletes take on a conference rival, celebrate an academic department milestone, attend a show or concert, connect with students, or attend an annual dinner)

Timeline for Event Execution

Eight weeks prior:

Determine basic event details and submit an Alumni Event Request form
Requests for funding should be submitted eight weeks in advance (see Financial Policies below)

Six weeks prior:

Alumni Event Request form will be reviewed and approved by the Office of Alumni Relations
Determine any additional event details

Four weeks prior:

The Office of Alumni Relations will send an email invitation and create online registration form
Begin personal outreach (via email, phone, social media)

Two weeks prior:

Review event with a staff liaison (RSVPs, any outstanding details, volunteer/staff roles, etc.)
The Office of Alumni Relations will send an email reminder
Continue personal outreach (via email, phone, social media)

One week prior:

Typical RSVP deadline
If needed, the Office of Alumni Relations will send an event kit

The day of:

Arrive at least 30 minutes early to set-up, meet staff members or volunteers and review duties
Welcome guests, hand out name tags, track attendance and gather business cards
Interact with attendees, gather feedback for future events and recruit new volunteers
Post real-time social media updates
Have fun!

The day after:

Send event notes, attendance and pictures to your staff liaison
Post pictures to chapter or personal social media group(s)

Chapter Guidelines

The Office of Alumni Relations works with volunteers to manage several alumni chapters, and we want all chapters to succeed. We strive to provide high-quality programming and events and meaningful opportunities for alumni to connect. Please review the chapter guidelines and partner closely with a staff liaison as you work with your chapter.

Chapter Criteria

All Chapters:

Support the mission, vision and values of the College and the SGAA.
Have in common some affinity, be it current geographic residence; educational, professional, social or other designations officially recognized by the College.
Have identified leadership and meet at least once a year in person, via the web and/or teleconference.
Participate in programs and events driven by the Office of Alumni Relations as applicable (i.e. Reunion, Welcome to the City, Great Knight, Alumni Day of Service, Geneseo Forum and Alumni Achieve Series).

Affinity chapters:

Are open to all SUNY Geneseo alumni except where student membership is required to join the associated chapter (e.g. Greek organizations and NCAA athletics).
Affiliate with a current student-run college registered organization, a student organization led by faculty or staff, an NCAA athletic team, or a recognized college department or office. Exceptions may be made for chapters associated with student organizations that no longer exist.
Partner with current undergraduate affinity leadership, maintain open lines of communication and provide support and encouragement for undergraduate members and activities whenever possible.

Regional chapters:

Have a base of at least 500 alumni living within 50 miles of the chapter location.
Organize at least two events or programs per year (participation in programs and events driven by the Office of Alumni Relations, like Great Knight, Day of Service, etc. qualifies).

Chapter Policies

Chapters must be approved by the SGAA.
Support will only be provided to chapters that promote regular activity (see Support from the Office of Alumni Relations).
All alumni chapter volunteers abide by the rules and policies of the College, SGAA and Office of Alumni Relations, as well as state and federal laws. The SGAA and Office of Alumni Relations reserve the right to terminate a chapter or event that is in violation of these policies and laws.
Alumni information shared with chapter volunteers may not be used for any non-college purpose (private, professional, commercial or otherwise).
Chapter volunteers actively promote their group and encourage alumni to get involved. All communication by chapter volunteers must be professional and is subject to approval by the Office of Alumni Relations.
Chapter leaders work closely with a staff liaison to provide regular updates of chapter activities and plans (no less than once annually by June 30), discuss best practices and create a succession plan for chapter leadership.
Chapter leaders agree to have their name and email address shared with current and potential chapter volunteers, and to have their name posted on the alumni website.
Volunteers conducting outreach to fellow alumni will complete a Volunteer Confidentiality Agreement and abide by the Volunteer Information Sharing Guidelines.
The Office of Alumni Relations maintains the most up-to-date data for alumni. Volunteers who collect updated data must share it with a staff liaison.

Support from the Office of Alumni Relations

Participate in conference calls to help brainstorm ideas, plan events and strategize for the chapter.
Provide alumni chapter rosters to the chapter leadership (a signed Volunteer Confidentiality Agreement must be on file).
- If you find an alumni record that needs to be updated, please reach out to that individual and ask them to update their information via this link: go.geneseo.edu/alumniinfo. We cannot accept third-party data updates.
- Volunteers can use the "comment" feature on the shared Google Drive spreadsheet to indicate alum records that are no longer accurate.
- The shared Google Drive Spreadsheet is set up so users can’t share access, change or delete any information, download, print, or copy the list. These features are enabled to keep alumni data safe and secured.
Assist alumni affinity chapters building member databases.
Design and send approved messages on behalf of the alumni chapter.
List upcoming events as part of the Event Calendar on the alumni website.
Accept reservations and payments for approved chapter events or programs online, by phone and in person.
Share chapter information such as events and affinity milestones in the Scene, One College Circle or social media channels.
Where appropriate, attend events and/or provide event materials (name tags, swag, banners, etc.).
Where applicable, invite campus leadership to speak at or attend an event (certain college protocols apply).

What can your affinity chapter do when not planning a milestone reunion event?

Work with the current student officers and leaders in your affinity chapter (if applicable). This could include:
- Leadership training and goal setting
- Local history resource
- Chapter advocacy and alumni advisors
- Alumni Panels (career exploration, officer training, grad school, how to ?, etc)
Organize virtual and/or in-person alumni (or alumni/student) networking events (based on region, decade, hobby, etc – smaller scale than all chapter events)
- Remember to offer some virtual opportunities for alumni who may want to stay connected but are not able to attend events in person
Assist with alumni/chapter communications/newsletters/updates
- An annual email with chapter updates and alumni news is a great way to keep your members connected and thinking about the next reunion. This will also help to keep your alumni feeling connected to the current chapter and active members.
Work to enhance chapter social media outreach and engagement
Encourage alumni and students to use the Alumni Career Advisor Network for one-on-one career and professional networking
- Alumni and students can select their college affinity(s) to potentially be matched with a mentor/mentee with similar interests (a small sample of college affinity options are listed below):
  - First Generation
  - Access Opportunity Program
  - Alumni and Students of Color
  - Club Sports
  - Geneseo First Response
  - Greek Letter: Professional, Service, and Social
  - Jewish Alumni/Students
  - LGBTQ+
  - Music/Dance/Theater
  - NCAA Athletics
  - Residence Life
  - Student Association
Survey your alumni to determine what programs and projects interest them; this is also a great tool for recruiting more volunteers
Fundraise (in partnership with SUNY Geneseo’s Content Marketing Director).

Financial Policies

The Office of Alumni Relations may allocate funds for approved alumni chapter programs. Funding is limited and will be approved by the office on a case-by-case basis. Requests for funding should be submitted eight weeks in advance.
In most cases, alumni chapters are expected to charge guests a fee to attend events to offset expenses.
All contracts must be forwarded to a staff liaison for approval and signature(s). Volunteers are not permitted to sign contracts on behalf of the office, SGAA, the College or the Geneseo Foundation.
Funds may not be used or distributed to support or endorse political activities, including any religious or social action, or any illegal actions.
Volunteers are not expected to personally pay for any expenses related to a chapter event. In the event that a volunteer seeks to be reimbursed for qualifying out-of-pocket event expenses, they must obtain approval in advance from their staff liaison and submit the appropriate receipts. Alternatively, volunteers may receive a receipt for a gift-in-kind contribution through the Geneseo Foundation as allowable by the tax code.
Alumni chapters that are not separate 501(c)(3) organizations are not permitted to maintain financial accounts, charge dues or conduct fundraising activities of any kind.

Social Media Guidelines

Social media can help build a sense of community and connectedness among members in your alumni chapter. Chapter leaders are encouraged to work with a staff liaison to determine if launching a social media presence is a good approach for their group.

If you manage a social media account on behalf of your chapter:

We recommend you share content related to your chapter activities, college news, posts from the SUNY Geneseo and Geneseo Alumni Facebook pages, student affinity organization updates (as they relate to your chapter), event information, photos, videos and links. Your page is a great tool for authentic conversations, so feel free to ask questions to encourage dialogue or poll alumni for their interest. You may also wish to follow other chapter pages for ideas.
Ideally, chapters should strive to post content at least once a week.
Regularly monitor the page and promptly respond to comments and questions.
SUNY Geneseo, the SGAA, and the Office of Alumni Relations recognize alumni have a right to express their opinions on social media. However, personal opinions should not give the impression they represent the opinions of SUNY Geneseo, the SGAA or the Office of Alumni Relations.
If you encounter questionable comments, sensitive questions or other issues on your page, please feel free to forward to your staff liaison to help formulate the best possible response.

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