Well shut my mouth. I checked the
NIC site and apparently there are Alumni IFCs. (Clicked on "About the NIC" and then "Alumni IFC's")
They seem to be geared toward campuses and not regional. i.e. There might be a UCLA Alumni IFC and a USC Alumni IFC but not a Los Angeles area Alumni IFC.
For all I know, this is something fairly new. (1-2 years?) My guess is that previously, the perception - real or otherwise - was that there wasn't a need for Alumni IFCs. Perhaps now there is a need. The reasons *why* may be found listed under the Mission or Organizational Purpose below.
Again, I haven't heard of anything like this with respect to any specific campus so I don't know where one of these Alumni IFCs may be located or how well they may work.
Quote:
ALUMNI INTERFRATERNITY COUNCIL
Alumni Needs to Keep in Mind
ALUMNI PRIORITIES
1. Family including significant other, children, relatives, and extended family
2. Job or profession (and related peers)
3. Spirituality
4. Local community activities
5. Personal leisure
6. And then the fraternity—maybe
FRATERNITY ALUMNI INTERESTS
• A desire to continue relationships developed in school
• An interest in the status of the chapter
• An interest in the campus
• A desire to see, visit, and volunteer with fraternity friends
• A willingness to actively serve the fraternity
ACTIVITY/EVENT ENHANCERS
• Adequate notice of events
• Starting on time
• Appreciation of time and contributions
• Improving the image of the fraternity and institution
• Being asked to volunteer in specific ways
• Staying in touch with old fraternity friends
• Making new fraternity friends
• Enthusiasm and follow-through of other involved alumni
• Personal and professional networking opportunities
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ALUMNI INTERFRATERNITY COUNCILS
Format and Programming Ideas
Developing a Mission
Alumni IFCs can play a variety of roles in supporting the Greek system on campus. Local Greek alumni, undergraduate chapter leaders, and the campus administration (with leadership from the Greek Advisor) need to determine the purpose for an Alumni IFC.
Membership and Organizational Purpose
1. An Alumni IFC can be made of existing chapter advisors and serve as a network for these volunteers.
2. Membership can consist of those alumni involved primarily in housing corporation operations.
3. A combination of chapter advisors and house corporation officers can be involved, and the Alumni IFC can deal with a variety of issues.
4. Faculty advisors may be included for a diversity of opinion and improved relationships among faculty constituencies.
5. The Alumni IFC may play a purely advisory role and include participation of local fraternity alumni who are not presently involved in chapter advisor or house corporation positions.
6. The involvement of sorority alumnae may be a positive addition, particularly if current issues on the campus require solutions from both men's and women's fraternities.
7. Undergraduates need to be exposed to the Alumni IFC organization. The official or informal involvement of IFC officers and/or chapter presidents should be considered in a liaison capacity.
Meetings
1. Monthly or semesterly meetings with a specific purpose
2. Advance notice and agendas to remind members of the meeting and positively encourage their attendance
3. Use of fraternity chapter houses for meetings
4. Use of campus meeting space to expose alumni to new resources
Projects
1. Chapter house corporation officers workshop utilizing resources of the National Interfraternity Conference
2. Annual officer workshops for undergraduate leaders
3. Scholarship recognition
4. Legal advice and regular educational program on liability, risk management, and social hosting
5. Liaison with college/university alumni office for cooperative programs during alumni events, i.e. homecoming, class reunions
6. Liaison with college/university alumni magazine editor for inclusion of regular Greek news
7. Periodic tours of chapter facilities (perhaps in conjunction with meeting location)
8. Annual interfraternity/award banquet for all undergraduate and alumni members
9. Establishment and maintenance of a low-interest loan fund for chapter house renovations
10. Coordination of an annual fraternity to alumni phone-a-thon to raise funds for loan fund or other predetermined purposes
11. Career development workshops and internship opportunities
12. Assist the undergraduate Interfraternity Council with recruitment issues and events such as Fraternity Forum
13. Assist with senior programming and emphasize the fraternity for a lifetime concept
14. Parents Weekend
15. Utilize resources of the alumni office for special chapter anniversaries
16. Community service activities
17. Provide support and role-modeling for chapter Initiation
18. Academic achievement workshops including time management, stress management, and helpful study hints
19. Greek Week programming
20. Model brotherhood and goal setting retreats
21. All -Greek newsletter
22. Membership directory of all-Greek alumni
Issues
1. Risk management and Interfraternity Council alcohol policies
2. Housing
3. Recruitment
4. Community relations and zoning
5. Leadership training
6. Service learning
7. Fundraising
8. Public relations with faculty and administration
9. Cooperative buying
10. Hazing
11. Scholarship
12. Values and ethics
13. Officer training and transition
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