Another class of future alumni has arrived, and by all standards, the Class of 2013 is a historic one. As we learned at the Summer Send-Off Parties, where we welcomed new students into the Vanderbilt community, there were nearly 20,000 applicants for the fall class. For those of you who missed them, the Summer Send-Off Parties were a huge success and are among my favorite traditions at Vanderbilt. They bring the university out into the communities and introduce new students to current students and alumni.
As I watched members of our entering class run onto the field at the opening football game against Western Carolina, my heart filled with pride and affection for this great institution. And I am not alone in those feelings. As you will read in the article about the results of our recent alumni survey (“Alumni Survey Provides Insights”), alumni love this institution and give much credit to it for their success. Your Vanderbilt Alumni Association is charged with providing opportunities in which alumni may continue to be connected and engaged. The survey says many of you already are. Our goal is to inspire even more.
However, we also discovered in the survey that only about half of alumni (53 percent) agree that Vanderbilt benefits greatly from the involvement of its alumni. I disagree, but I know we need to do more. If you’re looking for more ways to get involved, the article “There’s Plenty You Can Do to Stay Connected” will give you some areas to consider.
In whatever way you choose to stay engaged with Vanderbilt, we thank you for it!
Billy Ray Caldwell, BA’85
President, Vanderbilt Alumni Association