The BUAA Board “gathered” virtually for our winter meeting February 26-27, a productive and fulfilling event featuring:
- a University update on financial sustainability with President Bravman and Bucknell’s new VP for Finance and Administration, Eileen Petula
- a student panel on the campus climate, including food security, diversity and inclusion, and alumni support
- approval of our strategic plan
- fostering Board community
We hope you enjoy our improvised Board photo this year, including a special guest!
A few updates:
Strategic Plan: After months spent defining our priorities and values and perfecting our execution framework, the Board approved our 2020-23 strategic plan. To provide transparency, ensure accountability and promote sustainability, the plan lives here for all to view.
Challenges and Successes During COVID-19: We’ve had to pivot, but we’ve identified orange and blue linings along the way.
Student engagement
- Hosted by the Campus & Community Committee, our Distinguished Ambassadors Award reception occurred virtually on January 26. This event honors senior students who volunteer for Bucknell in various ways: reunion ambassadors, tour guides, student callers, orientation aides and our very own student Board members. We had a great turnout of 78 students, and since the event occurred during winter break, our honorees’ family members were able to join us in celebrating their contributions to Bucknell.
- The Career & Transitions Committee supported the Bucknell Center for Career Advancement to repeat our successful summer pilot program by hosting student mentorships during winter break. More than 90 students and 60 volunteers — current and emeritus Board members, the Bucknell Engineering Alumni Association, the Parents Board and the Board of Trustees — participated. Feedback showed students thought the program was highly valuable, and volunteers found it to be a fulfilling way to give back.
- BUAA Board members will support Bucknell Admissions by volunteering to be moderators and panelists for regionally-focused events for newly accepted students and their families through Bison to Bison, a virtual network.
Alumni engagement
- If you’re familiar with the Bucknell Table events hosted in cities throughout the country, the BUAA Board is excited to continue to engage the alumni community virtually. Sponsored by the Campus & Community Committee, the Bucknell Table: Conversations with Bucknellians brings alumni together in an informal Zoom format. For more information, or if you’d like to host, please email Patricia Perazzini at pperazzini@fairfield.edu.
- We are all becoming social media gurus thanks to the efforts of our Communications & Marketing Committee. They design and push content to us to post to our networks to help engage alumni in Bucknell events and to improve awareness of BUAA Board initiatives. We also took over the Bucknell Alumni Instagram account for a week in January and again during our winter meeting.
- Our Alumni Awards Committee worked diligently in January to review and deliberate upon nominations. We look forward to announcing and celebrating our winners soon.
Board community and culture
- Developing relationships with one another has been challenging to replicate virtually this year, especially for our newest members, but we have gotten creative: trivia night became a virtual event, a scavenger hunt was held via Zoom in between meetings, and the recent Cocktails & Concert event featuring Christopher Williams ‘92 was a big hit.
- We have worked to foster better communication among and with our student members as well. Each month, an executive officer hosts a “coffee” with them; student members created a video for our Board meeting showing life on campus during the COVID-19 pandemic; and we’ve carved out a special role for them in the strategic plan.
Affinity group collaboration
- We all know there is strength in numbers. There are many affinity groups volunteering to support Bucknell, including those who co-signed our statement against racism and social injustice last summer and more recently, our statement of support for Asian students, families and alumni: the Bucknell Engineering Alumni Association, Bucknell Black Alumni Association, LGBTQA Alumni Committee, and Bucknell Parents Board. An at-large Executive Committee member coordinates our partnerships with these affinity groups on topics such as diversity, equity, and inclusion; student needs; the mentorship program; and improving efficiency during COVID-19.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Since our Homecoming meeting, we have continued to make progress on the promises we made in our statement against racism and social injustice:
- We posted to our blog a list of DEI-related funds compiled last summer by the Development & Volunteer Relations Committee.
- In addition to hearing from student representatives about the campus climate at our winter meeting, the Board is launching a book and film discussion group to continue our education on diversity, equity and inclusion. Members of Bucknell’s on-campus community will assist by recommending selections to us. Marcus Scales, Director of Multicultural Student Services, will kick off our series.
- We had an inspiring conversation with Ed Robinson ‘86 on Wednesday, April 7 about his “Open Letter to My White Friends.” Ed is a former BUAA Board member and Trustee, Young Alumni award recipient, and the founder of the Bucknell Black Alumni Association.
- The BUAA Board stands with our API students, families and alumni and reaffirms our commitment to making the Bucknell community, on and off campus, a safe and inclusive place for all. You can read our statement, co-signed by our Bucknell affinity partners, here.
While there is no replacement for meeting on our beautiful campus, we are using the tools we have to connect with one another and to advance our mission.
‘ray Bucknell!