The Retriever Alumni community is over 100,000-strong and represented by the UMBC Alumni Association, founded in 1970. All UMBC graduates are automatically members of the association for life, and pay no membership fees. The association is led by a board of directors – volunteer graduates who support advancing the mission and vision of the association and, by extension, UMBC, through their visibility as alumni leaders and active participation in the ongoing work of the board and its committees. To learn more about the board, visit alumni.umbc.edu/alumniboard.
The Office of Alumni Engagement works to keep alumni connected and engaged with one another, current students, faculty, staff, and the University as a whole. We accomplish this work by engaging campus partners, alumni volunteers, and beyond, to serve the interests of the alumni community through programs and events and involve alumni in the advancement and support of UMBC.
If you have questions about this toolkit, please contact the Alumni Engagement team at alum@umbc.edu.
Requesting Alumni Swag
Are you hosting an event with alumni attending, or just need to have a thank you gift on hand for when alumni drop by? Let us know, and we can provide you with some fun options! Please be sure to give us at least two weeks notice. Contact Bernadette Darby at darbyb@umbc.edu to make your request.
Alumni Updates
We encourage you to share information about any alumni visit at alumni.umbc.edu/campusupdate.
We encourage alumni to share news of your career, family life, and personal accomplishments with your fellow alumni by submitting a Class Note to UMBC Magazine at alumni.umbc.edu/shareyournews.
Alumni Events
You can find upcoming alumni events hosted either by our office, or other campus partners by viewing our Alumni Events Calendar. You can see (and share!) an archive of past alumni events at flickr.com/umbcalumni.
If you are hosting an event including alumni featured guests or participants, let us know! Send us a list afterward at alum@umbc.edu so we can update our alumni database. As we build profiles of our alumni activity, it is helpful for campus partners to be aware of all the ways graduates have been connected and engaged with the campus.
Honoring Alumni
The UMBC Alumni Association presents annual awards to honor alumni and faculty for their professional and personal achievements and service to the University. Please visit alumni.umbc.edu/alumniawards for more detailed information.
Alumni Communications
The Office of Alumni Engagement communicates with alumni through emails, The Retriever Roundup – a digital monthly alumni news source, UMBC Magazine, social media, and limited print pieces. If you have engagement opportunities to promote to alumni, we are happy to work with our alumni development and communications team to help with promotions. Also, please note:
- If your office produces communications that are shared with alumni, please add us to the distribution list at alum@umbc.edu.
- Add, follow, or like the UMBC Alumni Association social media linked below.
- Please include grad years and majors for alumni on departmental websites and other messaging. Also, if any members of your department or colleagues are alumni, we encourage them to include their grad year in their email signature line and business cards.
- For more information about alumni style including ways to reference alumni, listing of grad years and majors, publications, and more, visit the UMBC Style Guide at styleguide.umbc.edu.
Giving and Fundraising
UMBC’s Annual Giving Program actively reaches out to alumni and parents throughout the year. If you are interested in raising funds for your department or program, we can help with developing language, facilitating approval processes with the UMBC Foundation, and strategizing the best approach through direct mail, phone, or online engagement. For more information, contact Carl Fowlkes, Director of Annual Giving, at cfowlkes@umbc.edu. Questions about major gifts and planned gifts should be directed to Kim Robinson, Director of Major Gifts, at trowbrid@umbc.edu.