SAA, HOTlanta Edition: CASE ASAP National Conference 2016

Posted on August 19, 2016 by klavery

Five of our SAA members and adviser Lindsay had a blast at the CASE ASAP National Conference in Atlanta this August, hosted by Georgia State University and Appalachian State University. We enjoyed networking with students from across the country and trying some local flavors (chicken and waffles, anyone?). The theme this year was “Share an Experience”, which truly captured the spirit of the conference.

You might have heard about CASE ASAP from some of our be wondering exactly what that long acronym means. The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (that’s a mouthful), more commonly known as CASE, is a professional organization that serves both students and advancement professionals who work in alumni relations, communications, development, and marketing.

ASAP (Associated Student Advancement Programs) is the branch of CASE that includes student alumni associations and student foundations and works to foster student involvement in educational advancement. It also provides resources to student who are considering a career in advancement, like our own Colleen Madden who agreed to share her experience at the National Conference. Read on below to get her insights!

: With our pals from URI SAA. Go Rhody!

: This year’s theme was “Share an Experience”

: D1 advisers represent

: Presenting on professional communication tips to a full house.

: Skyview Atlanta at sunset

: Sam loves him some bacon

: With Tricia, our District 1 Student Rep

: VIP tour at Coca Cola World was so much fun!

It was an absolutely amazing experience to have attended the 2016 CASE ASAP Conference this past weekend in Atlanta, Georgia! As a newer member of the UMass Student Alumni Association, I felt lucky to have the opportunity to get further involved with the organization and network nationally.

One of my favorite parts of the conference was being able to meet and share ideas with students across the country, from Rhode Island to Kansas to California! I attended several sessions run by other schools and loved hearing about their traditions, community service events, recruitment processes, and more. With that, my head is flooded with new ideas that can be used to better our own alumni association and I cannot wait to share them with other UMass SAA members.

Even further, I found a passion for advancement. I was actually able to attend a session that explored careers in advancement, which greatly helped me see the different paths I can consider for the future. Along with that, I was able to network with professionals within the field. I now hope to become even further involved with CASE ASAP and all that it offers.

I truly enjoyed being able to explore Atlanta and create closer bonds with UMass SAA members, Helen, Katie, Mei and Sara, as well as our advisor Lindsay! This bonding time made me excited to come back to UMass in the Fall and take part in the SAA Fall Retreat, where I will meet new members and create even more friendships within the organization!

UMass Alumni Welcome SAA to D.C.

Posted on August 18, 2015 by lkazin

Guest blogger Lauren Richardson ’17 writes:

While SAA was visiting Washington D.C. last weekend for the CASE ASAP National Convention, we were lucky enough to meet up with area alumni for dinner at Clyde’s, a buzzing pub located in Chinatown. Our alumni group, including Klyde Siegfriedt ’80, David Garriepy ’04, Philip Bakerman ’07, and Susan McCarthy ’05 were kind enough to share their Friday evening with us, but also their suggestions for making the most of our UMass connection both now and when we graduate.

Time flew by at our table, as we discussed our UMass experiences, our favorite Amherst restaurants, “Deflategate,” and our plans for the future. Our alumni shared their career paths from graduation to present, and they advised us how to tackle the real world after UMass. They encouraged us to frequently ask questions of ourselves and others to ensure that we are on the right track to achieving our goals. As we plan our future classes, internships, and ultimately the career we will each seek after graduation, this advice will remain helpful and relevant.

Leading by example, they suggested taking advantage of the UMass Alumni Networks. These Networks span the entire country, providing opportunities for professional development, as well as provide an avenue for athletic, social, volunteer, and family engagement. The D.C. chapter even plays intramural sports on the National Mall lawn together! It was comforting to know that no matter where we move in the country, the nearby Alumni chapter can help us get settled in a new city and make connections both personally and professionally.

I found our dinner to be a very rewarding experience. The alumni were amazing people (even though David was a Buffalo Bills fan and I am a staunch Patriots supporter). We bonded over our love for UMass and made plans to meet up at the Homecoming football game this fall. I’m grateful for this opportunity because the connections we formed at dinner were personal, not just professional. The alumni made achieving success in the real world seem a little less daunting, and a lot more possible. Go UMass!

Prepare for Monumental Success: CASE ASAP DC!

Posted on August 14, 2015 by lkazin

Guest blogger Ali Lampson ’17 writes:

This past week I had the privilege of joining my fellow Minutemen (Minutewomen) in the wonderful Washington, DC for the CASE ASAP national conference. CASE ASAP is a very large international organization. The goal of this organization is to enhance student participation in advancement at our schools. There were over 800 people at the convention and six of us from UMass SAA were able to attend.

We had the opportunity to spend our first day in DC exploring the city and walked over 10 miles! While sleep was lacking, we were excited to learn about the other organizations from across the country. This conference not only helped us share our own events, but taught us about the many new events and marketing best practices we could introduce on our own campus! We learned a great deal of information and got a lot of new ideas about homecoming, recruitment, budgeting, fundraising, and so much more!

Out of all the schools in attendance, we were able to spend some extra time with Smith College, Rice University, Penn State, URI and others too. CASE ASAP was an awesome experience for UMass Amherst. As leaders of our campus, it is our job to make sure that students have a positive undergraduate experience so they become active alumni. Once graduated, we are responsible for building a bridge between those alumni and current student body. It was great to have the opportunity to talk with other organizations that share the same values and goals as we do.

Attending CASE ASAP reminded us that what we do is important for the campus community and our university as a whole. Not only did this past week at the conference get me excited for the upcoming year, but it brought our group closer! This was a great bonding experience and I know we are all very excited to bring back our new ideas and tools to our campus and start planning for the upcoming school year! Look out UMass – SAA is ready for fall!

CASE ASAP

Posted on March 10, 2015 by alevine

Two weekends ago, six of us SAA members attended the 2015 District 1 CASE ASAP conference at Fairfield University in Connecticut. We represented UMass Amherst and the SAA here, and were one of eighteen schools present from across the Northeast. It was an eventful two days packed with school spirit, SAA pride, and inspirational ideas – not to mention great food and fun!

The gist of the conference is to get Student Alumni Associations or their counterparts from across the region talking – networking, sharing their successes, and exchanging their tips and tricks about how to build a successful organization. Between the six of us attending on behalf of UMass, we attended about 25 different seminars and presentations about recruitment, engagement, and traditions at other universities. Specific topics ranged from comprehensive social media training to creative recruiting of new members, and everything in between. Our very own Sara Hickey and Maddy Monahan hit the ball out of the park with their presentation on Commencement Ball. All of us took away valuable skills that we are excited to share with the home group, and we hope to see the inclusion of some new ideas in the coming semesters!

Other highlights included a thought-provoking keynote address by Karen Donoghue, Fairfield U.’s Dean of Students; a healthy dose of spirit- and mascot-based competition between the schools in attendance; and a jaw-dropping three-course lunch that closed out the weekend. Fairfield University’s SAA and Stags Give Back groups did an impressive job hosting all of us on their beautiful campus.

The last event before headed back to Amherst was the annual District 1 Awards Ceremony. The UMass SAA received two awards: first, for Outstanding Internal Program, we were recognized for our stellar Fall Retreats. Then, for Outstanding External Program, we were highlighted for our exceptional Commencement Ball tradition.

The CASE ASAP conference was truly a spectacular experience. Not only did we gain fantastic skills and insights into the best ways to present ourselves and our organization, but we also had a great time doing it! We shared of our successes, got great ideas in return, all while making valuable connections. We are eager to impart what we have learned – and to attend the national conference this summer!

Dan Riecker

Check out some pictures from the conference