Yes, the Board of Trustees and the College administration engaged in extensive discussions and meetings with the Williamson Alumni Association leadership to develop a viable new organizational structure and transition plan. All planning for this transition was done with the utmost transparency among all representatives involved in the process.

Timeline of meetings regarding the transition:
· 4/26/2021 – Board of Trustees host meeting with Williamson Alumni Association leadership to share national alumni association data and review status of Williamson Alumni Association’s membership and resource data.
· 7/27/2021 – Above group reconvened to continue discussion and review proposed transition to new organizational model. Post event: notes and slide deck were shared. Feedback from attendees was requested.
· 7/27-9/1 – Outreach to Williamson Alumni Association past leaders for feedback on proposed changes.
· 9/1/2021 –The above group reconvened to refine proposed transition to new organizational model. Post event: notes and slide deck were shared. Feedback from attendees was requested.
· 9/9/2021 – Proposed transition was presented to Young Alumni Advisory Council for feedback.
· 9/16/2021 – Proposed transition was presented to the alumni body at Williamson Alumni Association meeting. Post meeting: Williamson Alumni Association formed a secondary committee to review proposal.
· 11/22/2021 – Association review committee chairs met with school representative.
· 1/14/2022 – Board of Trustees meet with Association review committee chairs.
· 1/20/2022 – Williamson Alumni Association review committee presented update to the alumni body at the association meeting. The committee recommended a vote be made on the proposed transition at the March 24, 2022 meeting of the Williamson Alumni Association.
· 1/25/2022 – Presentation on the proposed transition was made to the Board of Trustees special meeting which included the Williamson Alumni Association President.
· 3/22/2022 – The Board of Trustees voted overwhelmingly in favor of supporting the transition to the new alumni organization.
· 3/24/2022 – The Williamson Alumni Association votes unanimously to support the transition to the new alumni organization. The Association will hold its activities in abeyance for the 2022-2023 fiscal year. The Association will reconvene in June 2023 to determine next steps for their organization.

Williamson has a responsibility to embrace all of our alumni as vital members of the College community and offer meaningful engagement opportunities that alumni enjoy and in which they find value. The data collected by the College showed that alumni engagement at Williamson has been dropping significantly over the last two decades. In addition, the Williamson Alumni Association has experienced a steady decline in membership, lack of representation within the association leadership, limited revenue streams and increasing need for school support and resources to maintain operations. A new, more modern, and relevant alumni organization is needed to better connect alumni to the College and each other.

Making the shift to a modern alumni organization will allow the association to welcome all graduates as full, lifetime members upon graduation from Williamson without a monetary fee, thus building an inclusive and welcoming alumni association. In addition, the reorganization and integration with the College will allow the WAA alumni leadership to:
1. provide centralized points of service for alumni resources and experiences;
2. support personalized and consistent relationships between the individual alumnus and the College community;
3. ensure responsible utilization of the College’s resources that result in a high level of impact for all Williamson alumni.

The College is confident that there will be a seamless transition to the new alumni organizational model. The WAA intends to offer traditional alumni events, while also opening the door to new activities and opportunities for all alumni.

The Williamson Alumni Association officers and members are solely responsible for decisions regarding future operations and financial assets of the organization. For more information regarding how the assets will be handled, please contact the Williamson Alumni Association officers directly (https://www.williamson.edu/alumni-association/).

Recognition of Williamson Alumni Association members is at the discretion of the officers of the Williamson Alumni Association. The College is willing to assist the Williamson Alumni Association in recognizing those alumni that supported the organization with a lifetime membership in a manner mutually agreeable to the College, WAA, and Williamson Alumni Association.

The WAA is committed to hosting two general membership meetings a year for all alumni, as well as Town Hall meetings with College leadership as needed. These meetings will be accessible in-person or via an online platform like Zoom or LiveStream. In addition, the WAA will post and share annual goals and an annual end-of-year report. The best way to be involved in the WAA is to volunteer for a leadership position or to be on a committee.

All alumni are welcomed and encouraged to get involved! Alumni leadership is critical to building a robust association of alumni. Please visit the WAA webpage at www.williamson.edu/WAA for information on available leadership roles and the nomination process, or to volunteer for a committee.
 
Not looking to take on a leadership role? Alumni are encouraged to attend alumni events, engage with electronic communications and social media, or get involved in alumni volunteer programs to stay involved. For more information visit www.williamson.edu/WAA or email alumni@williamson.edu.