Chapter Resources

If you would like to plan an event for your chapter, please fill out THIS form.

Each chapter should host at least two events per academic year, which usually looks like one per semester. Type of event varies by chapter, their mission and their focus, but most fall within professional development, student or department support, and/or social events. Your chapter is encouraged to collaborate with other departments and chapters to support already scheduled events. Investigate whether there is a department/area/college event the chapter could co-sponsor, a community event alumni might want to attend as a group, or a campus activity your chapter may want to support as a group. Below you will find a timeline to follow when you want to host an event.

1. 3 months before the event: Decide on the event you want to host.
   1. The chapter should decide on the type of event they want to host and what the purpose of the event is. Some things to think about are the venue needed for this event, whether it should be on campus or off campus, the size of the event, who the event is catered to, and if there will be a charge.
2. 2 months before the event: Fill out and submit the Event Proposal form.
   1. The Event Proposal Form can be found by clicking the button on the top of this page. This form goes directly to the Alumni Chapters Associate, who will then work with the planning committee to develop a budget and a marketing plan that will work for this event.
   2.  It is important to note that if there are outside vendors being utilized for your event, to submit your recommendations to the Alumni Chapters Associate at the same time you submit the Event Proposal Form. The Chapters Associate will work directly with vendors to set up contracts. Chapter Presidents and boards are not to engage in and sign contracts.
3. 1 month before event: Event webpage made and invitation sent.
   1. Once all the information has been submitted to the Chapters Associate, they will work with Marketing and Communication to develop a marketing plan for the event. Each event will look different, depending on scope. An email invitation will be sent out to participants, at which time they will be able to register for the event. Chapter volunteers should market events to their networks as well.
4. 1 month to 1 week before event: Monitor registration and finalize details.
   1. The Alumni Chapters Associate will send regular updates on registration numbers for the event and will work with chapter leaders to develop strategies accordingly. This is also the time for all contracts to be finalized.
5. Week of event: Final registration due.
   1. The registration link will be closed a day before the event, to allow for accurate counts. At this time, check in procedures will be finalized and chapter leaders and the Alumni Chapters Associate will go through a run-of-show.
6. Day of event: CSUN Alumni support.
   1. Depending on scope of event, the Alumni Chapters Associate will be in attendance at your event, along with any additional support needed from the CSUN Alumni office. We will support with check in for the event and any other logistical duties the day of, as we want chapter leaders to have the opportunity to engage with their audience at the events. It is the chapter's responsibility to ensure event timing and details go according to plan.
7. 1 week after the event: Wrap up and debrief
   1. The Alumni Chapters Associate will create a report detailing attendance that will be sent out to chapter leaders. This is also the time to debrief and take note for future events.

The idea of Speed Networking is similar to the increasingly popular, modern-day activity known as Speed Dating. The room is set-up so that an alumni mentor sits at a table with a group of three to six students. Questions are provided if students are unsure of what to ask mentors. After about 15 minutes the mentors switch tables and students begin speaking with a new alumni mentor. The goal is to have students meet with as many mentors as time permits to gain valuable insight into their future profession.

Chapter leaders should recruit alumni that vary in job positions, companies and even culture or background. Both new professionals and those who have been in the field for quite a while have unique perspectives to share. All mentors don’t have to be CSUN graduates, just anyone passionate about connecting with our students. Alumni enjoy the opportunity to share their wisdom and expertise with students without the long-term commitment of other mentoring programs. This event is a onetime – 3-hour time commitment.

If you want to host a speed mentoring event, but are having trouble finding mentors, the Alumni Chapters Associate can help you identify CSUN alumni that might be interested. This process might take a couple weeks, so it is better to ask for assistance at the beginning of the planning process and not wait to recruit mentors.

Please follow the timeline for events list above for speed mentoring events and submit the Event Proposal Form, which can be found on the top of this page.

For more information on speed mentoring events and resources, click here. 

Alumni are not required to remit a membership fee to join or affiliate with a chapter. All alumni are eligible to affiliate with up to three alumni chapters using the chapter designation form found on the Alumni Chapters homepage. Membership packages and pricing levels are set by the Alumni Association Board of Directors. Chapters may not discount the cost of membership dues without prior approval. Chapters may not collect additional membership dues above those collected by the Alumni Association. However, they may raise other funds for scholarships and special projects.

Each chapter has their own account, where program revenue and donations are allocated. Reports on chapter finances can be provided by the Alumni Chapters Associate upon request, but are only updated on a quarterly basis, so the report that you receive might not be fully updated to the date that it was requested.

For financial reports request or to get help understand the financial reports, please contact the Alumni Chapters Associate.

Chapters are managed by volunteers, so chapter leaders should always be searching for qualified and dedicated volunteers. Chapter leaders should recruit volunteers for one-time events and for longer-term volunteer roles like serving on the chapter board.

Once you have found a volunteer who is dedicated and wants to join the chapter board, you can ask them to complete the Volunteer Agreement Form

It depends on what role and level of responsibilities you choose to commit to. There are many different volunteer opportunities within each chapter for you to explore. At the highly involved level, a chapter president can expect to spend about 5 hours a week making phone calls and managing the work of other volunteers. At the basic level, a general board member can expect to spend just a few hours every other month attending a meeting or event, mentoring a student or sharing their talent and expertise with others. To help in your "assessment," most chapter leadership positions have job descriptions you can review to determine the specific responsibilities attached at each level.

Yes. An annual stipend of $250 is directed to the chapter account for use by chapter leaders in support of programs and initiatives determined by each individual chapter board. In addition, the general Alumni Association has funding set aside to help enhance chapter programming and to assist chapters. In addition, the Alumni Association pays outright for many of the administrative services and costs associated with chapter management.

Yes. CSUN Alumni employs an Alumni Chapters Associate, a dedicated point of contact for chapter leaders available to help chapters organize and charter, market and plan events and train volunteers. Along with the Alumni Chapters Associate, CSUN Alumni has a myriad of experts in growing membership, volunteer development and professional development available to chapters. Click here for a full of list CSUN Alumni staff.

Contact:

Hannah Labra
Alumni Chapters Associate
(818) 677-7580
hannah.labra@csun.edu

1. Search for your successor right away
   It takes longer than you might think to find a suitable replacement. Begin planning and idenitfying as soon as you take over the group's leadership.
2. Don’t overstay your own welcome
   If you love the job, you may want to stay in your leadership role as long as possible. Doing so, however, may create the impression that a leader has to serve for years, which can scare away likely successors. See also number 14 below.
3. Don’t try to do every job yourself
   Sometimes it's easier to do things yourself than to recruit helpers to whom you can delegate. But you might send the message to your potential replacements that a leader has to do all the work alone.
4. Consider a structured "order of succession"
   For medium and large volunteer groups, structuring succession (e.g., with a "president-elect" or a vice president who always succeeds the president) can stabilize succession further into the future.
5. Seek guidance from past volunteers and current staff
   Don't do the searching by yourself. You have valuable, experienced resources who can provide eyes and ears, as well as names of likely future leaders. Use these resources.
6. Add – don't merely "replace"
   If you have someone ready and able to step up and contribute, you don't have to wait until the leadership role is vacant. Add them to the leadership ranks, creating a role if necessary.
7. Consider co-leader roles
   Related to the the "add, don't just replace" idea is the option of having co-leaders. You don't need just a single person at the helm, especially if you have two people with complementary characteristics (e.g., a charismatic public speaker paired with a behind the scenes organizer).
8. Document your plans and achievements
   A listing of what the group has accomplished, and a road map showing a vision for the near future conveys a sense of structure. This makes new leaders more confident in their own prospects for success.
9. Have a back up candidate when possible
   Smaller groups may not have many volunteers to choose from, but if possible, identify second and even third choices (but don't necessarily let them know they're backups!). Plans change, and people can be transferred away, end up with family responsibilities, or face other unexpected demands that will cut into their volunteer time.
10. Thank and recognize volunteers
    Reinforcing the value and importance of volunteers' efforts is a key to making them feel that volunteerism is a privilege, not an obligation. Thank all levels of volunteers (not just leaders) publicly and sincerely.
11. Create clear and finite roles
    Simple job descriptions can make volunteers feel like their roles are manageable. Ending dates, or task-based finish lines will reinforce this feeling. If volunteers feel that their jobs are too open-ended, they will worry about whether they can ever step down – and won't necessarily know when they have succeeded.
12. Attend as many alumni events as possible
    Volunteer leaders are usually front and center at their own group's events. But not always. Working a room to meet new people is a valuable way to identify people with an interest in volunteering.
13. Remember the power of peer-to-peer relationships
    People are more likely to donate financially when asked by a friend or other person they know personally. The same is true of volunteering. If comfortable doing so, a leader who asks a friend or acquaintance for volunteer help is more likely to get a "yes" than when asking a relative stranger. Volunteers can reach out to friends and classmates when seeking successors.
14. Be willing to stay during a transition
    Volunteers are often so relieved (and sometimes, burnt out) that when they step down they can disappear completely for a while. A volunteer leader should offer to be accessible to a successor, so that the new leader has a source of information, history, advice and – perhaps most importantly – encouragement.
15. Use the Golden Rule
    Treat other volunteers the way you want to be treated. Did you get the support and aid you needed from other alumni and from staff? Were you treated with respect and professionalism?

The chartering process for alumni chapters grants recognition by the Alumni Association Board of Directors entitling the group to official CSUN status, use of the University name and campus facilities, event funding, and eligibility for other services and recognitions approved by the CSUN Alumni Association. Charters and activities are reviewed regularly for congruence with the mission of the University and the mission of the California State University, Northridge Alumni Association. All alumni chapters operate under the umbrella of CSUN Alumni Association.

Mission of the California State University, Northridge Alumni Association

The mission of the California State University, Northridge Alumni Association is to foster positive alumni relationships with each other and with the University in order to support the mission of the University and enhance the well-being of alumni. 
The goals and objectives of the CSUN Alumni Association are to develop and sustain interaction with alumni, students, faculty, staff, and the community, thereby enhancing a sense of tradition, affiliation and pride in support of the mission of the institution.

Mission and Values of California State University, Northridge

California State University, Northridge exists to help students realize their educational goals. The University’s first priority is to promote the welfare and intellectual progress of students.

Committment to Teaching, Scholarship, and Active Learning. We demonstrate excellence in teaching. We honor and reward high performance in learning, teaching, scholarship, research, service, and creative activity. Because the quality of our academic programs is central to our mission, we encourage intellectual curiosity and protect the multiple expressions of academic freedom.

Commitment to Excellence. We set the highest standards for ourselves in all of our actions and activities and support the professional development of faculty, staff and administrators. We assess our performance so that every area of University life will be improved and renewed. We recognize and reward our efforts of greatest distinction and through them provide state and national leadership.

Alliances with the Community. We seek partnerships with local schools, community colleges, businesses and government and social agencies to advance the educational, intellectual artistic, cultural, and economic aspirations of our surrounding communities.

Respect for all people. We aspire to behave as an inclusive, cooperative community. Our behaviors, policies, and programs affirm the worth and personal dignity of every member of the University community and contribute to a campus climate of civility, collegiality, tolerance, reasoned debate.

Encouragement of innovation, experimentation, & creativity. We seek to provide an environment conducive to innovation, experimentation, and creativity. We encourage all members of our community to take intellectual and creative risks and to embrace changes that will enhance the fulfillment of the University’s Mission.

 To support and enhance the growth and development of alumni constituencies the Alumni Association provides a host of privileges to chartered chapters. In exchange for these privileges, minimum standards are required to be upheld by all chartered organizations. These privileges and responsibilities are outlined below: