Welcome, University of Miami Alumni!

It is my pleasure to welcome you to the University of Miami Alumni Association (UMAA). Since 1930, the UMAA has been proud to welcome each and every graduate as a lifetime member and to keep all of our alumni connected with the University.

Accelerating Ambition is the title of the University of Miami’s strategic plan, which calls for a decade of dramatic growth with the goal of building “the next great American university.” With help from your UM Alumni Association, UM Provost Thomas J. LeBlanc visited nine cities in our 2011-2012 fiscal year to share this visionary course. This is just one of the ways we've been a primary partner in getting the message out to all University family, including alumni, parents, students, and friends.

Behind the scenes, we’ve worked tirelessly to complete our own strategic plan for growth, the third in UM Alumni Association history. Through a two-year process, 33,000 alumni participated in a survey either online or by phone. This input, coupled with an extensive planning process, enabled us to develop seven key initiatives that will make your UM Alumni Association stronger for the future. Thank you to all alumni who participated in the surveys, and a special thank you to our alumni leaders who worked on the plan through a subcommittee or task force.

We will share the survey results, as well as the final Alumni Association strategic plan, with you in 2013. Preliminary survey findings reveal that alumni want their Alumni Association to provide an array of career services and access to a strong alumni network. In response, we launched a comprehensive alumni career website complete with listings for career coaches, career webinars, alumni spotlight features, a career resource library, an expanded alumni business owners and patrons listing, and a direct connection to the official UM Alumni Association LinkedIn group. Further, we strengthened our national alumni network through various events hosted by our 40 alumni clubs across the country.

The UM Alumni Association is your lifelong connection to the University. Remember, as an alumnus you are an automatic member. There are no annual membership dues; only benefits for you to enjoy and memories for you to create by getting involved.

For the University of Miami,

Donna A. Arbide, M.B.A. '95
Associate Vice President of Alumni Relations and the Annual Fund and
Executive Director of the University of Miami Alumni Association