UBC Reports | Vol. 49 | No. 1 | Jan.
2, 2003
The Loved and the Lost
We reported in the last issue of UBC Reports that a number
of alumni have been “lost.” While such a statement
might evoke images of confused graduates wandering down the
soap aisle looking for their mommies, it just means we don’t
know how to contact them. Sometime since graduation they have
moved and not sent in a change of address. Of the 208,981
individuals who have graduated from UBC over the years, 45,210
have gone missing. At nearly 23 per cent of the total, this
is about average for a database the size and age of ours.
Just the same, staff in the Records department at Advancement
Services work diligently to locate these alumni. Each year,
they find about 1,000.
Finding our lost alumni is important. Addressable alumni
get Trek magazine delivered to their doorsteps, receive notification
of reunions and other class events, and have an opportunity
to volunteer as mentors, members of faculty committees, class
representatives and more. It’s also important for the
university to know what’s become of graduates. UBC’s
reputation depends in part on how well our grads do in the
world, and that demographic data needs to be as thorough as
possible. As well, being on the “active” list means
grads will have an opportunity to give something back to the
university.
Some of our lost alumni will have passed away, but most are
still out there, using their UBC degree to make a splash in
the world. At a recent family wedding gathering in Leavenworth,
Washington, one UBC staff person reports doing a rough poll
of the guests, most of whom originated in Canada, to find
out how many were 1) UBC grads and; 2) still on the mailing
list. The staffer found five lost alumni, three still living
B.C. and two living in California. Those five alumni are now
found, and up-to-date on the university database.
If you are a UBC grad working on campus, make sure you’re
on the “active” list. Call the Alumni Association
(23313) and check yourself in. You’ll be glad you did.
Chris Petty, Communications Manager, Alumni Association
