Vice Chancellor Susie Stalcup Shares Insight into Development and Alumni Relations
In March, USAC was joined by Susie Stalcup, Vice Chancellor for Development and Alumni Relations (DAR). In her role, Stalcup oversees areas of the University such as alumni relations, annual giving, university development, and campaign operations. During her presentation, she spoke with USAC about the ways the philosophy of “Go, Give, Help” guides DAR’s mission of engaging graduates, families, friends, corporations, faculty, staff, and foundations in the life and inclusivity of the university; ensuring an active and committed alumni community; and encouraging financial investment in Vanderbilt’s programs and scholarship. DAR’s work supports a number of initiatives across the university, including:
Opportunity Vanderbilt: Launched in 2008, this nationally-renowned financial aid program replaces student loans with grants and scholarships, ensuring that the financial needs of every undergraduate student is met and that admission to the university is based on a student’s merit, not their family’s ability to pay. Now celebrating its 10th anniversary, over 10,000 students have benefited from program and it has been supported by over 7,500 donors who have provided more than $400 million in gifts.
Experience Vanderbilt: This student-led initiative provides undergraduates who qualify for need-based financial aid with funding to cover fees associated with extracurricular activities. Launched by Vanderbilt Student Government after a survey of the student body revealed that there were some in the community who could not participate in at least one campus activity due to cost, Experience Vanderbilt is supported by donations from alumni, faculty, staff, and current students. Since 2016, it has distributed over $300,000.
Commodore Closet: Housed within the Career Center, the Commodore Closet was launched in fall 2017 with a seed donation from an alumnus. The program provides juniors and seniors who qualify for need-based financial aid with Career Coaches and gift cards from partnering department stores so they can purchase professional attire for interviewing, Career Fairs, and/or other professional networking events.
In addition to these hallmarks, DAR also offers volunteer opportunities for alumni across the globe, hosts events such as Family Weekend and Reunion Weekend, and offers the Vanderbilt Travel Program to engage Vanderbilt alumni, parents and friends with an exclusive “beyond the classroom” experience.
As Vanderbilt seeks to continue providing world-class opportunities to students and the community at large, DAR invites staff to participate in Vanderbilt Giving Day on April 4. Giving Day 2018 saw over $6 million dollars raised in 24 hours from over 7,000 donors and the team is excited to set a new record this year.
A video of Stalcup’s presentation can be found via the USAC website and more information about Development and Alumni Relations can be found here.
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