Keeping You Connected to Your Mountaineer Family
By James Gardill, Chair,
WVU Alumni Asociation
Communication is one of the keys to the success of any organization. The WVU Alumni Association is proud to keep you connected to your Mountaineer family through print and online publications.
Last year we conducted a survey of alumni throughout the country. We received many wonderful compliments on the services and programs offered to our more than 165,000 alumni worldwide. But one area where we didn’t make the grade was in technology. Our Web site was outdated, and it was difficult for people to find information about the WVU Alumni Association.
Hearing the call, we took all of the comments and suggestions and started working with the University’s Web Services team to build a new Web site that would better meet the needs of our ever-changing alumni base, as well as the University community. In July, we launched a newly designed site that offers a wealth of information ranging from memberships in the Alumni Association to the Academy of Distinguished Alumni.
In addition to regular features, you will also find some unique links. On the front page is an “Alumni Spotlight” where we feature a member of the Alumni Association. I encourage you to take a look at this wonderful section that promotes all of the achievements of your fellow alumni. And, if you know someone who has a great story to share, let us know. We are always happy to hear about the successes of our WVU grads.
The WVU Alumni Association has been helping students achieve their dreams at WVU. In 2004, we awarded more than $400,000 in scholarships to deserving students through our Loyalty Permanent Endowment Fund (LPEF). On this new site, you will find a section devoted entirely to our Legacy and LPEF scholarship funds, including information about eligibility and an application.
WVU is a school steeped in tradition. As part of this new site, you will find an area dedicated to all of the proud traditions maintained at the University, including photos that will remind you of your days as a student.
We’ve also added a great calendar of events for University and alumni events throughout the country. This online calendar not only provides you with the date of the event, it also provides you with contact information and the location of the event. You can easily forward the information to a friend through e-mail using the online calendar.
Alumni and friends will also find a new “e-card” feature located on the front page of our site. These e-greetings allow you to send an e-mail to a friend using photos of campus buildings or special events. This is a fun way to stay connected with your friends and classmates.
The best can always get better. In the future, we will continue to enhance our Web site, including offering an online “Find-a-Friend” database where alumni can sign up to look for lost classmates, as well as the ability to join the Alumni Association online. We also plan to add a photo album of alumni activities and events. We are counting on you to help us make this Web site even better. This is your online connection, so if there is a particular feature you would like to see, let us know. Please be sure to visit the new site: http://alumni.wvu.edu. We hope you enjoy your visit.
James Gardill, ’73 JD, is a partner in the law firm of Phillips, Gardill, Kaiser & Altmeyer, PLLC, with offices in Wheeling, West Virginia. He has been associated with the firm in commercial, tax, and estate planning practice for more than 30 years. He is now Chair of the Board of Directors of the WVU Alumni Association. Jim, his wife, and three children are all WVU graduates. Collectively, they hold five graduate degrees and three undergraduate degrees.