SBI Alumni Association Newsletter
The Force Behind SBI
(Volume 3, Issue 1, December 1999)
The Year in Review
Yes, it's been almost 18 months since the last newsletter (Summer, 1997), however 1999 has been a very productive year for the SBI Alumni Association (SBIAA). The organization adopted a charter, incorporated as a not-for-profit organization (making all contributions tax deductible), represented SBI at the National Alumni Convention, hosted the annual meeting with the Dean at homecoming and distributed a brochure outlining our goals and objectives as the start of a membership drive. We’ve come a long way from a small group who met at homecoming and decided to raise $100,000 to have an alumni plaque put on the Big Board. All of these accomplishments have positioned the SBIAA to become a networking organization for alumni, capable of giving back to SBI and FAMU.
What is the SBIAA?
The SBIAA has been created by alumni as a means of connecting SBI grads with other SBI grads, SBI and FAMU. With over 3,000 graduates involved in a myriad of different occupations and ventures, the potential of an SBI graduate network is immense. SBIAA’s mission is to have all SBI Alumni as members and then to facilitate successful networking between members. Additionally, SBIAA will be a central location through which SBI and FAMU will be able to access grads, whether its for high school recruiting, on-campus speaking/teaching, or other potential special projects. Lastly, SBIAA will actively raise funds to support SBI and FAMU to help enable the School to provide a state of the art education and attract a wide variety of students.
Why join SBIAA?
In simple terms: “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know”. This familiar phrase is a not so subtle reminder of the value of networking. SBIAA’s mission is to facilitate networking between alumni.
As someone who attended SBI you are already a member of a group of people who have come through a similar experience and are achieving outstanding accomplishments. The SBIAA is the means for keeping the alumni connected. Connected to each other, so you can find your friends and other alumni; connected to the school for fund raising, recruiting and mentoring; and connected to opportunity – through our priority access to SBI’s executive placement company (Force Finders) and the opportunities available from networking with other alumni.
With over 3,000 existing SBI alumni and an additional 300 graduating per year, we have the critical mass to be a premiere network and the resources to be a powerful contributor to the school. In 1997 we raised over $100,000 from only about 100 alumni. Those funds were contributed to SBI in 1997and resulted in the SBI Alumni plaque being placed on the Big Board in front of the SBI Building. As our membership increases, so does our ability to provide larger, more meaningful contributions to the school and provide more services to alumni.
What Services Do Members Receive?
SBIAA members will receive the following:
Newsletter on a regular basis;
Tax deductions for contributions
Access to the Alumni Database
Services Coming soon in 2000
An interactive SBIAA Website (currently in development) that will become the primary means of communication, and through which members will be able to:
access and update their information on the database;
access career opportunities from Force Finders;
read the most recent newsletter.
Future potential content on the Website includes:
Classified ads posted by members;
Links to other pertinent websites.
Types of Memberships
Many of you received the brochure distributed during the summer of 1999 indicating membership in SBIAA was available for an annual contribution of $50. Based on feedback from alumni who attended our annual meeting at homecoming, this has been changed and SBIAA is now offering two types of memberships: annually renewable or lifetime. Alumni can choose to be annual members for a contribution of $50, renewable each January or there is a lifetime membership available for a $1,000 contribution, which can be paid either in one lump sum or on a three year schedule requiring an initial payment of $500 and two subsequent annual payments of $250.
How Do I Become A Member?
To join, fill out the attached Personal Information Sheet and return it along with your check for either annual or lifetime membership to The SBI Alumni Association, P.O. Box 1158, Chicago, IL 60690-1158.
SBI UPDATE
The Florida Board of Regents and Legislature has approved the renaming of SBI to The Sybil C. Mobley School of Business. Although specific timing of the renaming has not yet been determined, it is anticipated to be no later than the dedication of the new wings of the SBI Complex at Homecoming 2001.
Update From The Annual Meeting With the Dean
The Dean was very excited this homecoming about several significant happenings at SBI. The most obvious event was a groundbreaking ceremony for the final two wings of the SBI Complex held the morning of homecoming. Dr. Humphries and Dean Mobley presided over a public ceremony announcing the start of construction for the West and North wings of the SBI Complex, scheduled to be dedicated at Homecoming 2001. These wings will be the third and fourth SBI buildings and will be the homes of SBI’s for profit businesses and a Great Presentation Center, that will include state of the art videoconferencing equipment, capable of providing live presentations to companies anywhere in the world. When completed, the SBI Complex will form a circle of buildings with a central plaza that will be enclosed.
SBI is now recruiting and graduating more students than ever. The national prominence of SBI and FAMU continues to attract top candidates from all parts of the country. Total enrollment in SBI exceeds 1,600 and the School is anticipating over 300 students in the year 2000.
The Dean emphasized the importance of preparing the students for the globalization of business. She was particularly proud of the number of international internships currently available to students. Each member of the current freshman class will have the opportunity to intern abroad before they graduate.
The Dean continues to boast about the almost 100% placement rate amongst graduates. More companies than ever are recruiting on campus and the starting salaries/compensation packages are approaching levels that would make many alumni jealous.
FAMU National Alumni Convention
The FAMU National Alumni Association convened the First Bi-annual National Alumni Convention in Orlando this past summer. SBIAA had representatives at the convention and hosted a hospitality suite during the evenings. The convention was an overwhelming success and extremely worthwhile for SBIAA, enabling us to have direct exposure to hundreds of alumni and establish a presence with the National Alumni Association (NAA). At present we are working towards becoming an affiliate of the NAA, and anticipate resolving the matter in the near future. However, we continue to support their efforts and encourage all SBI Alumni to join and be active in the local alumni chapters.
Membership Drive
SBIAA has as a goal inclusion of 100% of the SBI alumni. In order to attack this goal we have decided to seek alumni by graduating class. For each year we are seeking a person who will be responsible for identifying and recruiting their classmates for SBIAA. That person will be the Class Champion. We will enlist both SBI and the SBIAA database to assist the Class Champions in locating alumni. Class Champions will also be responsible for soliciting suggestions and feedback from their classmates. SBIAA thrives on the input from alumni. All of our accomplishments to date have been the result of a suggestion that was followed-up with active participation by members. We anticipate that tradition continuing.
If you would like to be a Class Champion or would like to suggest one for your class, please respond to the SBI Alumni Association address on the personal information sheet or e-mail the SBIAA Membership Director, Ken (Kage) McIntyre at: KageMack@aol.com.
SBIAA 2000
Currently SBIAA has several projects underway that are shaping the organization. Specific projects include: the membership drive; the interactive website (including access to the Force Finders Executive Placement Database); affiliate status with FAMU’s National Alumni Association; and expanding the database. Upon completion of these projects, SBIAA will have a critical mass of members and the resources to focus on providing more and greater networking services for its members.
Currently SBIAA is being managed by an Executive Board that has met via conference call no less than quarterly. The existing Board has committed to continue through the year 2000, however we are seeking alumni to help the organization continue to run smoothly. If you have specific ideas for SBIAA or an interest in becoming active in SBIAA’s current or future projects please indicate so on your personal information sheet or contact us at: SBIAlumni@netscape.net or the SBIAA address.
SBIAA Shirts
SBIAA is offering its members polo shirts with the FAMU Rattler emblem and the words "SBI Alumni Association" for the price of $30.00 per shirt. The shirts are 100% cotton and are available in small, medium, large, extra large and XXL. The white shirts with green trim were proudly displayed by SBIAA members at the National Alumni Association Convention and at homecoming this past year. The shirts are pictured in the SBIAA brochure (which is available upon request).
SBI Alumni Association Personal Information Sheet
The Force Behind SBI (please e-mail the following information to SBIAlumni@netscape.net)
Name:
Graduation Year:
Maiden name:
Credentials (i.e., MBA, JD, CPA, etc.):
Home Address:
City:
State:
Country: Zip/Postal Code:
Phone:
Fax:
Email:
Work – Employer:
Title:
Functional Responsibility:
Address:
City:
State:
Country: Zip/Postal Code:
Phone: Fax:
Email: