Many benefits for alumni who C.H.A.R.G.E. into UAH involvement

C.H.A.R.G.E. is a new acronym that’s a call to action and involvement for alumni of The University of Alabama in Huntsville by the Alumni Association.

"C.H.A.R.G.E. sums up how alumni can plug in to the Alumni Association," says Mallie Hale, senior director of Alumni Relations and executive director of the Alumni Association. "When folks talk about what the purpose of the Alumni Association is and want to know, ‘How can I support my alma mater?’ we want them to connect with us and C.H.A.R.G.E."

C.H.A.R.G.E. means:

C.H.A.R.G.E. opportunities offer alumni the chance to network, establish new friendships, boost careers and help employers while also propelling UAH forward. Find out more by emailing alumni@uah.edu or calling 256.824.2586.

"We want this to be mutually beneficial," says Hale. "This is something that helps engage alumni with the university and each other."

You can C.H.A.R.G.E. by helping power the university’s new Externship program, which in association with UAH Career Services matches organizations and alumni employers with students for month-long career mentoring interactions. "This can aid alumni in their careers and help their employers, as they recruit the very best new employees."

Maybe you’ll choose to become part of UAH’s student recruitment process, working with UAH Admission & Aid to reach out to high school students who have either committed early to attend or who are inquiring about UAH. The idea is to find a student or students who share your interests and then engage them through emails as they prepare to become Chargers.

"We are always trying to find new ways to reach out to these students to answer their questions and make them feel welcome, and we want to keep those who have made early commitments to UAH as actively involved as possible," says Hale. "We would love to have alumni who are willing to reach out to them do so."

Or maybe you have an interest or hobby that might also engage other alumni. You can plug in and gather alumni with similar interests by leading a chapter or affinity group through the Alumni Association. A new leadership manual for these groups promises to make them simpler, less structured and easier to establish.

"If you have an interest or experience in a certain area, why not start an affinity group?" Hale says. The breadth of possible interests extends from gaming to college affiliation to book club and beyond. "If folks who are interested in serving as leaders or getting involved would reach out to us, we will be happy to help them set it up."

While building a more robust and interconnected Alumni Association through C.H.A.R.G.E., you’ll be rewarded with an expanding poll of contacts and friendships, mentoring opportunities, enhanced career development and the fulfillment that comes from enriching others’ lives, Hale says.

"These opportunities provide UAH a great recruiting tool through mentoring students, they provide a great student retention tool, and they especially provide alumni with a great way to get reconnected to their university and to have all the benefits of knowing what’s happening on the UAH campus," she says.

"When you see your alma mater’s enrollment numbers going up, student test scores rising, and graduation and retention rates increasing, you are seeing the value of your degree elevate with it," Hale says. "There are many ways that alumni who maybe are not in a position to give financially can instead give of themselves to help their university to grow and help its future graduates to succeed."