Alumni Magazine

Firetrap

Have the alumni association stopped producing The Bridge magazine? I know some of the other colleges (e.g. WIT) still send newsletters out to their graduates

r3nu4l

Don't get me started!

The University alumni office went through a serious problem last year and appears to be only now getting back on it's feet, not sure how tied to the office the alumni association is but I'm getting pretty sick of both.

I emailed the new alumni officer twice offering to help and to setup a UK affiliate branch...I know at least 7 graduates in Cambridge alone, all with PhDs from Maynooth and 5 with degrees! I got no response at all.

I shared a house with a Cambridge grad until recently and she got a magazine (Cam) at least once a month from the alumni associaton. I know NUIM is no Cambridge in terms of finance and history but at least we could get some feedback from them. Even a lousy email!

Gizzle

Are you automatically made an alumnus or do you have to request it?

r3nu4l

It should be automatic but if in doubt then you can register by email. I don't want to post the email address here but check the NUIM website (still under construction after months of waiting :rolleyes: ) and you will see an email address towards the bottom of the page.

EDIT: Officially, the moment you graduate you are an alumnus, you should become a member of the association but as I said...register yourself anyway...you probably won't get a reply :mad:

Firetrap

It's automatic afaik.Unless you tell them otherwise, they post stuff to your home address. It's a dreadful pity alright that the alumni association isn't as it should be. I'm gone out of the place 10 years now but still have a soft spot for it. I'm sad enough to have gotten the alumni credit card - wonder where the money for that's gone?

r3nu4l

I graduated from NUIM with a BSc in 1997 and then a PhD in 2001. I worked as a post-doc in NUIM until 2004! In all that time I got two issues of "The Bridge" and a note about the credit card...which I didn't take up as protest over how "that bank" treats students in Maynooth!

Well, I'll try emailing the office again to find out what's happening but as before I'll probably not get a reply. If not, I'll phone although the three or four times I did phone it rang out...:rolleyes:

ClareBear

r3nu4l wrote:

In all that time I got two issues of "The Bridge" and a note about the credit card...which I didn't take up as protest over how "that bank" treats students in Maynooth!

What's so bad about the bank?

r3nu4l

ClareBear wrote:

What's so bad about the bank?

Well I don't know about them these days but back then I found that the staff at that branch of that bank treated students quite poorly. I closed my account and moved my millions (I wish ) to the bank across the road opposite the Roost The staff there always treated me with respect, despite my normally empty bank balance and were very helpful when I came to them looking for a loan

A number of my friends also did the same thanks to two particular members of staff who treated regular customers with smiles and treated students as if they were sh!t on their shoes. Complaints to management were made and nothing changed.

Anyway ClareBear, are you an alumnus? Any experience of the alumni association?

ClareBear

r3nu4l wrote:

Well I don't know about them these days but back then I found that the staff at that branch of that bank treated students quite poorly. I closed my account and moved my millions (I wish ) to the bank across the road opposite the Roost The staff there always treated me with respect, despite my normally empty bank balance and were very helpful when I came to them looking for a loan

A number of my friends also did the same thanks to two particular members of staff who treated regular customers with smiles and treated students as if they were sh!t on their shoes. Complaints to management were made and nothing changed.

Anyway ClareBear, are you an alumnus? Any experience of the alumni association?

Ah right, to be honest I never dealt with that bank anyway, always went to the one on the Main Street.

No personal experience of the alumni association myself....when I left college I didn't bother with the newsletters or anything like that, probably because I still live in Maynooth...but I can see how annoying it must be for you.

r3nu4l

Well it's more that I see what the Cambridge graduate network is capable of and how much the grads do for the university as well as each other upon leaving.

I would be very willing to help any NUIM grads thinking of moving to the UK and willing to support the University in it's endeavours. As it is I am alread a committee member and website admin for an Irish Scientists (living in the UK) group

r3nu4l

Update:

I see that NUIM are looking for a new Alumni Officer so either the office is expanding (doubtful) or the yet another alumni officer has left...if that's the case then the job is a poisoned chalice

Firetrap

What a pity there's such a dreadful attitude in there. I think it's safe to say that most people who went to Maynooth have fond memories of their time there and wouldn't mind something as simple as getting a newsletter every now and then.

Katied

Hi,

I'm doing some research in preparation for interviewing for the NUIM Alumni Officer position. I would appreciate any input from Maynooth board members on what they want from the Alumni Office (and what they used to get)
What kind of thing was in The Bridge magazine for instance?

Either PM me or post on the board.

Thanks

Katie

r3nu4l

Well I'd appreciate being involved in some official "Chapters" such as an "East Anglia" chapter or even just a "UK chapter". I know 4 other NUIM PhD grads in Cambridge alone! I know three other BSc and H.Dip grads in London.

I'd like graduates who are thinking of moving to the UK to have a network of support over here. A UK chapter could offer advice and support as well as supplying leads for jobs etc

The Bridge was a simple PR device, letting graduates know of new developments in the University, The 5-year plan etc. It provided details do reunions etc. "Where are they now?" features about former graduates or lecturers etc.

Magazines like The Bridge allow opportunities to showcase the University to former graduates who may wish to engage in a bit of philantropy as well as preserving that sense of Community and belonging.

If you get the job let me know and we may be able to network

Firetrap

It would be nice to know what's going on in the college these days, maybe some spotlights on some of the Departments and who's doing what these days. Maybe even interviews with lecturers who've been around for donkeys years. I for one would love to know what Fr Micheál MacGréil who used to be in the Sociology Dept. is up to these days. He was an interesting character. Think he might be involved in trying to get a railway in the west of Ireland. The old "Where are they now?" is always interesting too.

I pottered around the two campuses last year and was amazed by all the shiny new buildings that had sprung up. They've certainly given the Arts Block a makeover since my time there.

It would be nice to get newsletters by email either. I'd happily receive a PDF file rather than a hardcopy magazine.

r3nu4l

Yep I second the PDF option (as if my vote would make a difference:D), far less expensive! My company produces these for large pharma companies all the time and in fact they are far more useful as they can be quite interactive for the user and carry more information than a printed item...