Dealing with the pandemic has been complicated and difficult for many of us both professionally and personally. The ability of organizations to pivot and adjust to our new reality will determine how well they recover and adapt.

That is exactly what the Alumni Engagement Office is striving to do: recover and adapt. We have put in place many plans to ensure that our alumni are able to continue to engage with the University community in the weeks and months to come. You will be hearing lots of announcements from us — everything from new networking opportunities to virtual events — in the next few months.

The Mount Allison experience is built on community. Our first priority since the start of the pandemic has been our students. For our office that meant ensuring that the Class of 2020 experience some sort of normalcy with their graduation activities. Thank you to all of you who joined us for the virtual Last Lecture and conferring of degrees ceremonies.

I am happy to let you know that, after consultation with members of the Classes of 2020 and 2021, the next in-person Convocation ceremony will be a double cohort graduation weekend, tentatively scheduled for spring 2021.

The Class of 2020 will have its own ceremony on Sunday evening, so they can experience “walking across the stage” and a final weekend on campus. Those members of the Class of 2020 who are not able to attend will still be able to participate in the Convocation ceremonies in 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025.

The 2021 Reunion Weekend will focus on young alumni (within six years of graduation) with special programming including alumni mentoring, networking, and career development. We are working with Reunion volunteers from classes who were scheduled to return in 2020 and 2021 to make plans for a double cohort Reunion following the Convocation Weekend. Watch for more details to be announced in early 2021.

Another change you will see in how the Alumni Office communicates with you is in the Record. For the 2020-2021 year, the Record will be an online exclusive publication with no print magazine. Our production schedule for the online version will remain the same, three publications annually in summer, fall, and winter and our team will continue to reach out and share Allisonian stories, news, and updates. Each issue will be automatically delivered to your inbox.

Make sure we have your most current e-mail address to receive regular updates including the Record and information on upcoming initiatives and (virtual) alumni events.

Please take care of each other and keep in touch.

Carolle de Ste Croix (’90)
Director of Alumni Engagement, Editor of the Record