Programs and Services
Through an annual fund generated by former students and friends of Texas A&M, the Association contributes more than $3.5 million in direct support every year to the university. Those funds are, in turn, applied toward financial aid, student activities, academic enhancement, faculty enrichment and many other key initiatives. In 2001, the Association contributed over $3 million to Texas A&M. Half of the money was given to Texas A&M's Division of Academic Affairs to support scholarship, faculty and staff award programs, orientation and development programs for faculty, and to support the libraries. The other half was provided directly to various school programs, including the campus-wide supplemental instruction tutoring program.
Entering freshmen are first exposed to the Association and its programs the week before school begins their freshmen year. During the university-wide "Gig 'em Week", the Association hosts "Hot Diggity Dog", a free cookout on the grounds of the Clayton W. Williams, Jr. Alumni Center solely for the entering freshmen. Students make the official transition into former students at the Association's "The Next Tradition", a free party where Association members explain the services they offer to former students.
The Association offers many programs for Texas A&M alumni, including career services and a travel program that allows alumni to travel to various destinations around the world. The Association publishes newsletters and sponsors class reunions. Most classes meet every five years, although a single reunion is held each year for all classes which graduated 55 or more years ago. The Association assists in coordination with over 220 local A&M club chapters. The Association maintains a database of Aggie former students, accessible online to members. This online directory is published in book format every three years. For much of its history, the Association received information on students after they graduated. This changed in the early 2000s, and now the Association tracks all students at the university, regardless of whether they graduated. Even students who died before graduation are included in the directory to allow classmates to remember.
All active members of the Association of Former Students receive the Texas Aggie magazine, which is published 6 times per year. As of 2007, it has a circulation of 60,000. The Texas Aggie provides an in-depth look at Texas A&M and the lives of those affiliated with it through feature stories, various departments and full-color photography.
In an effort to capture the history of Texas A&M, The Association has also videotaped numerous former students sharing their experiences with each other as well as with students. Additional recordings of oral histories are being planned and the videos will be incorporated into the enhancements to the Clayton W. Williams, Jr. Alumni Center.
Read more about this topic: The Association Of Former Students
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