President's Message

My own experience at University of Calgary has taught me that going to university is much more than going to school. For me, and tens of thousands of other students, going to the U of C is about getting involved.

The Alumni Association exists to help facilitate that involvement and to help build great memories for students from the moment they arrive on campus. We want to get students engaged because engaged students become engaged alumni. And that's why the Alumni Association is involved in activities from Orientation Week right through to Convocation and beyond.

During Orientation Week, the Alumni Association along with Enrolment and Residence Services put up welcome banners, handed out laundry bags of toiletries to students in residence and awarded two prizes of free tuition for a semester. At Kickoff, we handed out "Future Alumni" flip flops, and ran a dunk tank with a very wet UofA Golden Bear.

We're teaming up with the Dinos to create excitement among our alumni and the student communities -- after all, sports teams really help bring students together and create great memories.  Go Dinos go!

In the meantime, the Alumni Association is also helping set up more chapters and branches of our alumni. There are eight or so active chapters now, from Hong Kong to Ottawa to right here in Calgary. It's a great way to connect with former classmates, do some networking, stay involved with U of C and have fun. 

We have 135,000 alumni to keep engaged. I am excited at our plans and prospects to get them -- and keep them -- involved with the U of C.

Kenneth R. McKinnon, BComm'80
President, U of C Alumni Association