Setting up an alumni association
Alumni associations are groups of University of Melbourne alumni, usually self-managing, which offer regular opportunities for alumni to renew their contact with each other and with the University, for personal and professional reasons.
Alumni associations may be organised as:
• regional groups (focusing on alumni in a given city, country
or region), or
• on the basis of faculty or academic discipline, or
• as interest groups.
There are a few basic steps you should take when forming a new alumni association:
1. Find out about already existing alumni associations
Many University of Melbourne alumni associations currently operate in Australia and around the world. You may find that the group you want to start already exists. Similarly you may find a group in the same area or with the same interests who are willing to offer advice and assistance.
2. Contact the University of Melbourne Advancement Office
The Advancement Office coordinates the University’s alumni program and is the first point of call if you wish to form an alumni association. Staff in the Advancement Office will help you to identify the appropriate people within the University to provide ongoing support.
The Advancement Office
University of Melbourne
Victoria 3010
Australia
Email: alumni-office@unimelb.edu.au
Phone: 61 3 8344 1751
Fax: 61 3 9348 0013
3. Download and read the University’s Alumni Association Guidelines
These guidelines (165KB pdf) provide many tips and suggestions about starting an alumni association.
4. Download and read the Agreement for Alumni Associations
All University of Melbourne alumni associations are asked to sign this agreement (31kb pdf), which covers issues such as use of the University name, logo and access to contact details of alumni.
Once you have read the example agreement, please contact staff in the Advancement Office (details above) who will create an agreement for your association and send it to you for your consideration.
If you are comfortable signing the agreement, you will be asked to return two signed copies to the Advancement Office. Staff in the Advancement Office will arrange for an authorised officer of the University to sign the agreements and return one to you for your records.
