UBC Reports | Vol. 49 | No. 1 | Jan. 2, 2003

UBC Alumni

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