campus-globe-flowering-trees

 

Alumni Association

Get Involved with the WSAA

The Westfield State Alumni Association currently has 41,000 members located around the world and provides opportunities for all Owls to be active, involved, and engaged. 

WSAA Mission

The mission of the Westfield State Alumni Association is to assist with the outreach to engage alumni with the University; to communicate with alumni regarding activities, benefits and campus information; and to actively support the student experience and fundraising efforts in partnership with the Westfield State Foundation, Inc. and the University.

WSAA Governance 

The Westfield State Alumni Association is governed by an Executive Council comprised of 17 representatives including the Alumni Trustee to the University. The term of office for a council member is three years and may include terms as committee chair, president, past-president and president-elect.

WSAA Leadership Committees

There are 6 committees in the association and each has a focus and strategic priorities to work through each year to bring the best programs, events and activities to our alumni constituents. Please see the committee descriptions below and contact Ryan Meersman '12, M'18, Associate Director of Alumni Relations if you are interested in joining one. You do not have to be an elected member to join most of the committees!

Academic and Life-Long Learning Committee

The Academic and Life-Long Learning Committee shall assist with events related to collaboration with the University’s Office of Academic as they relate to the members of the Association in such manner as may be requested from time to time by the Office of Alumni Relations (or such similar position or office as the President of the University shall designate) and its staff. The Committee is responsible for developing and supporting educational initiatives that support and promote continued life-long learning opportunities for alumni and for overseeing service projects for the Association.

Association Events Committee

The Association Events Committee shall assist with Homecoming and other Association programs of the University as they relate to the members of the Association in such manner as may be requested from time to time by the Office of Alumni Relations (or such similar position or office as the President of the University shall designate) and its staff.

Awards, Scholarship and Recognition Committee

The Awards, Scholarship and Recognition Committee shall be responsible for securing and reviewing names of potential recipients of awards and honors to be conferred by the Association acting by and through the Executive Council. The Awards, Scholarship and Recognition Committee shall make recommendations to the Executive Council concerning all awards, scholarship and recognition to be conferred by action of the Executive Council. Members of the Awards, Scholarship and Recognition Committee shall not be eligible for awards or honors conferred by the Association during their term of service on the committee.

Development and Marketing Committee

The Development and Marketing Committee shall assist with the various development programs of the University (including but not limited to alumni giving clubs, the Westfield Fund, etc.) and with the promotion of alumni relations as they relate to the members of the Association in such manner as may be requested from time to time by the Office of Alumni Relations or the President of the University. The Committee will be responsible for oversight of all fundraising activities pursued by the Council, including outreach, events, and marketing campaigns.  This may include working closely with the Foundation Board, the University, or other entities as appropriate to coordinate fundraising activities.  All Council activities and/or events that have a fundraising component must be submitted to the Committee for consideration and approval.  One member of the Committee will be designated by the chair as liaison with the Events Committee to insure proper coordination.

Diversity Committee

The Diversity Committee shall be responsible for encouraging and recruiting members of underrepresented groups to participate in Association events, including but not limited to elections to the Executive Council.  The Committee shall also coordinate with the appropriate University departments, divisions, and groups to promote and develop initiatives to increase diversity and inclusion on campus and amongst the alumni.

Finance Committee

The Finance Committee shall be responsible for maintaining the financial record of the Association in conjunction with the Westfield State Foundation, who holds the funds.  The Committee shall be responsible for presenting a budget to the Executive Council, approved by a simple majority of the Committee, by the first day of May of each year.  The Executive Council shall vote to adopt the proposed budget at the next scheduled meeting of the Executive Council.  If a budget is not presented or not approved by the beginning of the fiscal year, the previous fiscal year budget shall be continued.

The Committee shall meet at least one (1) time per quarter to discuss the current balance of the Association’s accounts and review any expenditures that may need to be made.  Any Member-at-Large, standing committee, or officer who needs funds allocated in the budget for the upcoming fiscal year must make all proposals to the Finance Committee by the first day of April to be considered for the new budget.  Expenditures not included in the budget, proposed by a member of the Executive Council or of the Association, or an external party, may be approved by a simple majority of both the Finance Committee and the Executive Council as needed.  The Committee shall maintain records of proposals made and votes taken on such proposal, for review upon request.

The committee shall be chaired by the Foundation Rep.  The membership shall consist of no more than seven (7) voting members of the Executive Council, who shall be the Chair of each of the standing committees, unless a Chair is unable to serve in this capacity due to a conflict of interest identified by either the individual or the Association President. In the event that a standing committee Chair is not able to serve on the Finance Committee, then that standing committee's vice chairperson will serve in their place on the Finance Committee, unless the vice chairperson also has a conflict of interest as defined by the individual or the Association President. If neither the Chair nor vice chairperson is able to serve, then the Association President may select the any member of that standing committee to serve on the Finance Committee

Governance Committee

The Governance Committee shall be responsible for the election process, maintaining the Articles of Organization & bylaws, appointment and removal of all members of the Executive Council (consistent with Article V, Section 5.05), and any other powers conveyed to it by these bylaws.  This committee shall consist of five (5) members of the Executive Council.  Any member of the Executive Council may present the name of a Member-at-Large for nomination as a member of the Governance Committee to the Secretary.  The Secretary shall then submit the names of the nominees to the Executive Council, who will choose four (4) by a simple majority using a secret ballot.  The chair of the Governance Committee shall tally the votes and announce the winner to the Executive Council.  In the event that there are not enough nominees to fill the committee or there is a vacancy, the President may nominate a Member-at-Large to be elected by the Executive Council by a simple majority vote.  The election for members of the Governance Committee shall occur simultaneously to the election of all other officers.  The term shall be one (1) year and commence on the first day of November and end one (1) year later on the thirty first day of October.  There are no term limits for Governance Committee.  The President, President Elect, Past President, Foundation Rep, and Alumni Trustee shall not serve on the Governance Committee.

The Governance Committee shall have sole jurisdiction to review the entirety of the bylaws & Articles of Organization with the intent of proposing amendments, which shall be presented to the Executive Council.  A full review process shall occur on years ending in zero (0) and five (5).  The process shall commence at the earliest convenience of the Governance Committee but must conclude by the May meeting in any year ending in zero (0) and five (5) so the Executive Council may review the proposed amendments for ratification as outlined in Article XIII.