this year I'm very excited we have had over 45,000 alumni participate at UBC and our goal by 2015 is to have 50,000 alumni particip why do you think you know 50,000 and more alumni would choose to engage every year with the university the personal rewards that you get as an individual as an alumni for either helping a cause that you feel p passionate about or helping a student be successful uh along the way it's a tremendous feeling it stays with you and I know when I speak with young alums they often talk about that networking
function they're often looking to make connections it's it's a tough World sometimes and having the leg up of of someone that you can call because they're an Alum really makes a difference you know they can connect through online communities or they can connect through their Regional groups the alumni reach is so Global now there's an opportunity for all alumni to participate what about the role of the Alumni Association is independent from the University as you know it is self-governed in fact we together collaborate we have a joint strategic plan and what I love is is
what we've called it alumni forever UBC and of course we have a joint Flagship project which I think everyone's excited about at the University and that's the creation of a new Alumni Center we're hoping that that will open in 2015 it'll be really a dramatic change a home away from home for alums uh here on the Vancouver campus they can visit they can meet one another it's an opportunity for a gathering of networking socializing entrepreneurship I think there's endless opportunities when we get that Alumni Center built and developed I don't I think it's going to
be a reality sooner than later so do I