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President's Corner

Annual Report Auburn Alumni Association 2006-07 Annual Report (PDF)

Membership Matters

As President of the Auburn Alumni Association Board of Directors, I would like to personally invite you to join our association. Membership is the best way to stay connected to your alma mater and show support of the programs, services and spirit of Auburn University. Through membership you’ll get valuable communication from Auburn and from the Auburn Alumni Association…that is the key. Aside from that, we offer many benefits to our members. Did you Know that the Auburn Alumni Association raises money for student scholarships? Find out more about scholarships. Join the association in support of Auburn University. On behalf of our Board of Directors, thank you for your interest
in Auburn.

- Ralph Jordan, Jr.

Q & A with Alumni Board President
Ralph Jordan Jr. ’70

As Ralph Jordan Jr. ’70 prepares to retire after 32 years as a Tennessee Valley Authority environmental scientist, he takes up new responsibilities as president of the Auburn Alumni Association. Jordan, 59, who lives in Norris, Tenn., with wife Eve Schlesinger ’71, inherited his passion for the Auburn family from his parents, Evelyn ’66 and the late Tigers football and basketball coach Ralph “Shug” Jordan ’32. Jordan—who also chairs the AU College of Science and Mathematics advisory council—talks about his vision for your alumni association.

Q. What are the biggest challenges facing Auburn University?

A. In the near term, finding a new chief administrative officer for the university. Selection of a new president will crystallize our vision and start us toward implementing a strategic plan. Auburn faces many challenges, including financing growth and refining our academic scope. How we address those issues is wrapped up in who that new president will be.

Q. How about in the long term?

A. The biggest issue is whether Auburn will continue to be “state-supported” or just be “state-located.” Alumni have a wealth of experience, knowledge and understanding of issues that the university should tap in the decision-making process. It’s time for a new era of cooperation and collaboration here.

Q. How will enrollment caps affect alumni who want to send their children to AU?

A. For me, the most important prospective students are the sons and daughters of Auburn alums, and the grandsons and granddaughters of Auburn alums. Recruiting a National Merit Scholar from Minnesota is a worthy goal, but let’s not ignore the child of an Auburn alum down in Houston County.

Q. What are the immediate opportunities and challenges for the alumni association?

A. The alumni association is the interface between the university and its alumni. Our role should be to focus the attention of the national alumni on this institution in a positive way. We have to make sure that they are plugged in to help Auburn be all that she can be. I do not believe our organization was set up in an oversight role. We have to be representative of our membership, but we are not an accrediting body or a body set up to review decisions of others.

Q. How can the alumni association serve alumni better?

A. The association must continually review all programs and services to make sure they’re effective. We need to, at every opportunity, freshen the scope of services we provide. I’m all for tradition—except when it ignores the obvious need for improvement. For example, I’m very concerned about the clubs program. We probably have to rethink paradigms and create opportunities outside the traditional club approach.

Q. What is your vision for the association?

A. Two words: cooperation and collaboration. I want to work with the administration and the board of trustees to enhance and improve their relationship with alumni. We have gone through an injurious period, one in which we have not all been on the same page and, in fact, at odds over a number of issues. We need to set differences aside and recognize that everybody’s common goal is the betterment of this wonderful institution.

Q. What are you personally going to do to implement that vision?

A. I’m going to get out there and meet alumni. Until I understand the things that are important to Auburn alums and friends of Auburn, I can’t be a very effective liaison between them and the board of trustees and others who make decisions.