Who is a member of the University of Tennessee Alumni Association?
Everyone who graduates from the University of Tennessee from any of its campuses is automatically a member of the UT Alumni Association. In addition, anyone who completes at least 24 credit hours at any of the University of Tennessee campuses is a member of the UT Alumni Association.
Can people who never attended the university attend a chapter event?
Yes. Many people feel a tremendous amount of loyalty to the University of Tennessee even though they may never have attended a class.
Can an alumni chapter charge membership dues so we can have more activities?
Alumni chapters can not charge dues for membership. Chapters need to build the expenses of the chapter into their event costs. Some chapters may elect to charge $1-$5 extra to help provide a cushion for the chapter to pay for that and future events, or a chapter scholarship.
Who can obtain a list of alumni in our area?
Lists can only be released to the lead chapter volunteer who is directly involved in the planning of an alumni event. The lists cannot be given to any outside person or organization, nor can they be used for commercial or political purposes.
Who will be invited to events that our chapter sponsors?
For most events, invitations will be sent to all alumni and friends within a designated chapter area. Mailers will be sent to those who do NOT have an email on file with the UTAA. Anyone who has an email on file will receive the invitation by email (they will not receive a paper mailer). Chapter events are published on the Alumni Association’s calendar and university personnel may attend an event if they are in your area.
What types of programming options are available for our chapter?
There are three categories of speakers: academic (Faculty member, Research expert, Scholar, etc.), administrator (President, Chancellor, Vice President, etc.), and athletics (Coaches, Athletics Administrators, Athletic Director, etc.). Chapters must rotate between these three areas to ensure that you are providing your community with a well-rounded understanding of the University of Tennessee, as well as provide programming which appeals to your diversified constituency.
Will the Alumni Association send a representative to our event?
For annual events, the UTAA will send the Director of Alumni Programs who works with your chapter or another member of the UTAA for the meeting, as the budget allows. When they attend, the UTAA will pay for their travel costs to/from the meeting. In addition, the Director will pay for their registration and the UT Speaker’s registration for the event.
What is the UTAA’s response to “an academic speaker doesn’t bring as many people to an event as an athletics or other speaker”?
The UTAA’s purpose is to support all aspects of the University of Tennessee. Diversified programming allows for this and academics are at the very core of the university. The UTAA would rather you have a smaller crowd of interested attendees or a group of new attendees than a large number of people.