This past Thursday, the Syracuse University LGBTQ Alumni Alliance hosted its first official launch event in Boston.

The SU LGBTQ Alumni Alliance aims to create a connection with the university, as well as advocate and support the policies and initiatives involving diversity and inclusion for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning students, faculty, staff and alumni, according to the group’s official mission statement.

The alliance is the brainchild of Robert Mitchell, who is currently the vice president of the SU Alumni Association.

Some specific goals of the alliance include using Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites to create an online presence with alumni; raising awareness using programming; holding fundraising events; and connecting directly with SU LGBTQ students through mentoring or partnering with the LGBT Resource Center on campus, Mitchell said.

Mitchell currently works at Harvard University in Diversity Relations and Communications, which assists campus groupssuch as the Harvard Gay and Lesbian Caucus, he said.

“It made me wonder about Syracuse University and why we didn’t have a similar group,” Mitchell said.

After some investigating, Mitchell said he found many colleges and universities similar to SU have alumni organizations focused on the LGBTQ community.

This motivated him to write a proposal to create an alumni group at SU that specifically affects the LGBTQ community and its allies, he said. Mitchell presented the proposal to the SU Alumni Association Board last August, where it was overwhelmingly approved.

“As a member of the Alumni Association Board, it is very important to me that alumni try to create an environment that is open and welcome to everyone,” he said. “I am thrilled the university and the alumni have embraced this.”

To spread the word about the new alliance and its events, the SU LGBTQ Alumni Alliance reached out to SU’s Division of Advancement and External Affairs and the Office of Alumni Relations to coordinate the outreach strategy, said David Murray, executive director of special campaigns and initiatives at SU.

The office coordinates with any group that approaches it, he said, but the office was very excited about helping the LGBTQ community, particularly since several staff members are a part of the community.

The office sent thousands of emails to every alumnus in its database living in the Boston area for their first event, Murray said.

Murray said about 40-50 people attended the launch event in Boston, adding the feedback was “very positive.”

Future plans include holding similar events for the SU LGBTQ Alumni Alliance across the country in areas such as Chicago and Los Angeles, Murray said.

But the main focus right now is forming a core structure of leadership within the group in order to expand, he said.

“Over next year we can find a core group of people to make the LGBTQ Alumni Alliance stronger,” Murray said. “A steering group would then be able to set goals and challenges.”

This alliance is an opportunity to continue and improve the LGBTQ community within the SU network, he said.

“The most important thing is that we really recognize how much better we are when alumni step up and contribute,” he said. “When alumni have a vision, the entire university is better.”

Published on February 26, 2013 at 11:52 pm

Contact Jen: jbundy@syr.edu