Georgia State University: Who Are Alumni?

what is alumni student georgia state university mean

Georgia State University (Georgia State, State, or GSU) is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1913, it is one of the University System of Georgia's four research universities. The Georgia State Alumni Association was founded in 1929 and provides a range of programs and services to serve alumni and keep them connected to their alma mater. The association offers 11 different scholarships and hosts events, including an annual Homecoming Tailgate, to encourage alumni to connect with each other. All graduates of Georgia State University are members of the Alumni Association, and membership is also available to faculty, staff, retirees, and degree-holding alumni.

Characteristics Values
Year of founding 1929
Number of graduates worldwide 295,000+
Number of alumni across the globe 285,000
Membership All graduates of Georgia State University are members of the Alumni Association
Membership fee $306 per year or $102 per semester
Benefits 15% discount off ticket purchases at Georgia State's Rialto Center for the Arts; up to 5 books from the University Library for 4 weeks
Scholarships 11 different scholarships
Purpose of events To foster a sense of community and to complete service projects across the metro area
Events Networking events, social events, award ceremonies, international travel packages, homecoming tailgate

shunstudent

Benefits of membership in the Alumni Association

The Georgia State University Alumni Association provides a range of benefits to its members. The association aims to foster lifelong relationships between alumni and the university, keeping graduates connected, informed, and involved with their alma mater. Here are some key advantages of membership in the Alumni Association:

  • Networking Opportunities: The Alumni Association offers numerous networking opportunities through social events, award ceremonies, and casual gatherings. These events bring together alumni from diverse backgrounds and professions, allowing members to expand their professional networks and explore new avenues.
  • Scholarship and Fellowship Support: The Alumni Association provides 11 different scholarships and fellowships to current and future students, helping them achieve their educational and career goals. By becoming a life member, you directly contribute to the Alumni Association Scholarship Endowment, which assists in funding these essential programs.
  • Access to Resources: Members can access exclusive resources such as the Georgia State digital magazine, featuring stories about notable alumni. They also receive the Panther Alumni Weekly newsletter and have the opportunity to share their own updates and achievements with the alumni community through social media platforms.
  • Travel Packages: The Alumni Association offers international travel packages, providing members with the opportunity to explore the world alongside fellow Georgia State alumni, fostering a sense of community beyond campus.
  • Community Engagement: The association promotes a strong sense of community and encourages alumni to give back to the university. Members can participate in service projects across the metro area, demonstrating their commitment to the social and physical environment of Georgia State University.
  • Continued Learning: The Alumni Association believes in lifelong learning, providing educational opportunities for alumni to learn from each other. This includes sharing knowledge about side hustles, the gig economy, and managing multiple income streams.
  • Mentorship and Alumni Boards: The association facilitates mentorship programs and provides access to alumni boards, allowing members to seek guidance and support from experienced alumni while navigating their professional journeys.

shunstudent

Events and activities for alumni

Georgia State University offers a range of events and activities for its alumni community, fostering a sense of connection and engagement with the university and fellow graduates. Here are some of the key events and activities that alumni can participate in:

Social Events and Award Ceremonies:

The Alumni Association hosts social events and award ceremonies that bring together alumni from diverse backgrounds and professions. These events offer alumni the opportunity to reconnect, network, and celebrate their achievements.

International Travel Packages:

Georgia State University organises international travel packages exclusively for alumni. These trips provide a unique opportunity for graduates to explore the world with their fellow Panthers, creating new memories and strengthening their lifelong connection to the university.

Quarterly Atlanta Exploration Events:

In these quarterly events, alumni get to explore some of Atlanta's most fascinating locations, such as the Georgia Aquarium, the Atlanta History Center, and the Football Hall of Fame. It's a chance for graduates to rediscover their own city and connect with other alumni while exploring Atlanta's cultural offerings.

Homecoming Tailgate and Traditions:

Homecoming at Georgia State is a cherished tradition that brings alumni and current students together to celebrate their Panther pride. The annual Homecoming Tailgate is a family-friendly event that occurs before the big game, allowing alumni to reunite and showcase their school spirit.

Georgia State Magazine and Alumni Stories:

The university publishes the Georgia State digital magazine, which features stories about outstanding alumni making an impact in their fields and communities. Alumni are encouraged to share their own personal and professional milestones, such as promotions or new additions to their families, to inspire and connect with their fellow graduates.

Learning and Professional Development Opportunities:

The Alumni Association provides learning opportunities for continuous education. This includes workshops on topics like starting a side hustle, managing multiple income streams, and balancing productivity with organisation. Additionally, alumni can connect with HR professionals for resume reviews and mock interviews, as well as access financial management workshops offered in partnership with Regions Bank.

Panther Involvement Network (PIN):

The Panther Involvement Network offers alumni the chance to stay engaged with the university community. Through PIN, alumni can explore various events, academic calendars, and networking opportunities to connect with current students and fellow graduates.

Alumni Association Membership Benefits:

Lifetime membership in the Alumni Association comes with exclusive benefits, such as discounts on ticket purchases at the Rialto Center for the Arts, access to the university library, and insurance partnerships. Membership fees directly support scholarships and advocacy efforts, helping current and future Panthers achieve their educational goals.

These events and activities demonstrate Georgia State University's commitment to fostering a strong alumni community, providing networking opportunities, and encouraging lifelong learning among its graduates.

shunstudent

Scholarships and fundraising

Georgia State University's Alumni Association offers several benefits to its members, including networking opportunities, social events, and international travel packages. The association also provides resources and support to its alumni, helping them stay connected with their alma mater.

The Alumni Association offers 11 different scholarships to students. These scholarships are funded through donations and life memberships, with the association matching the dollar amount of life memberships paid in full as a contribution to the Scholarship Endowment. This initiative helps current and future students overcome financial barriers and achieve their educational dreams.

The Young Alumni Club, for instance, is an organization that connects Honors College alumni after graduation and awards scholarships to students who exemplify the club's core values, particularly service orientation. This scholarship is open to all majors, and applicants are evaluated based on their service and volunteer experience within the Honors College, Georgia State University, and the greater Atlanta community.

Another scholarship, established in 2017 by Petrina and James McDaniel, recognizes high-performing, first-generation students from underrepresented groups enrolled in the Honors College. This scholarship provides financial assistance for tuition, fees, study abroad expenses, and course materials.

The Panther Blazer Project is another initiative that helps students financially by providing career blazers to juniors and seniors preparing to enter the workforce. This project aims to remove the financial barriers associated with purchasing professional attire for interviews, internships, and employment.

Lifetime memberships in the Alumni Association are also a form of fundraising for the university. These memberships offer benefits such as discounts on ticket purchases at Georgia State's Rialto Center for the Arts and exclusive savings on home and auto insurance through partnerships with Liberty Mutual Insurance.

The Alumni Association at Georgia State University plays a crucial role in providing scholarships and fundraising opportunities to support students financially and help them achieve their academic and career goals. These initiatives foster a sense of community and demonstrate the university's commitment to its students and alumni.

shunstudent

Networking and mentorship

The Georgia State University Alumni Association provides a range of programs and services to keep alumni connected, informed, and involved with their alma mater. The Association believes in developing effective relationships throughout the university community to advance its mission. This includes engagement through events, programs, online communication, social media, networking, mentorship, and alumni boards.

Alumni and friends of Georgia State University gather on the third Thursday of select months for networking, casual conversation, drinks, and light bites. These events are held at various venues, including local eateries, breweries, corporate headquarters, and rooftops. The Alumni Association also offers quarterly events where alumni explore interesting locations in Atlanta, such as the Georgia Aquarium, the Atlanta History Center, and the Football Hall of Fame. These events provide opportunities for networking and mentorship between alumni and current students.

Georgia State University's Center for the Advancement of Students and Alumni (CASA) also plays a crucial role in promoting networking and mentorship. CASA aims to increase the representation of Georgia State graduates among leaders in academic and professional careers, enabling alumni to create a more just and equitable society. They offer professional development workshops, resources, and research opportunities. The Research Recruits program, for example, helps students explore their research potential and connect with the academic community. Students who complete this program gain access to an exclusive, invite-only lunch during research week, where they can interact with faculty and representatives from various research programs, expanding their networks and gaining insights into their future trajectories.

The Leadership Alliance, founded at Brown University in 1992, is another initiative that provides mentoring and networking experiences. This consortium has grown to over 30 partners and has served more than 4,000 scholars, addressing the shortage of individuals from underrepresented groups in doctoral training programs, academia, and the research workforce.

The Alumni Association also fosters mentorship and career guidance by connecting graduates with current students. Alumni can "pay it forward" by sharing their experiences and perspectives, offering invaluable guidance to young Panthers. This may include resume reviews, mock interviews, and financial management advice.

Through these various initiatives, Georgia State University creates a strong network of alumni and mentors, ensuring that graduates remain connected and invested in the university community while also supporting the growth and development of current students.

shunstudent

Georgia State University's history

Georgia State University (Georgia State, State, or GSU) is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1913, it is one of the University System of Georgia's four research universities. It is the second-largest institution of higher education in Georgia by enrolment, with around 50,000 students, including approximately 33,000 undergraduate and graduate students at the main campus downtown. Georgia State is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research spending and doctorate production".

The university has evolved from an evening school of commerce to a dynamic urban university. The growth of Atlanta, the diversity of its population, and the city's status as a major hub for communication, transportation, international trade, and finance have all contributed to the university's new destiny in higher education. Georgia State University was founded in 1913 as the Georgia Institute of Technology's "Evening School of Commerce." The economic circumstances of the 1930s brought about Georgia State's first period of independence. When the reorganisation of state government created a Board of Regents to govern the University System of Georgia, the Regents decided that the Georgia Tech Evening School of Commerce should be an independent college.

Independent throughout the Great Depression and World War II, the Tech School of Commerce was incorporated by the Board of Regents into the University of Georgia's program in 1947. The institution became the "Atlanta Division of the University of Georgia." By 1955, the Board of Regents recognised that the Atlanta Division was developing its own distinct identity. The Regents separated Georgia State from the University of Georgia, and because its specialty was business, it was renamed the "Georgia State College of Business Administration."

Under the leadership of President Noah Langdale, Jr., who became the second president in 1957, the academic program of the institution expanded. Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees were offered in addition to the undergraduate business degree, and the Master of Business Administration degree marked the beginning of the advanced degree program. These degrees were soon joined by other master's and doctoral programs, with the first doctorate conferred upon a student in 1965. In recognition of this expansion, the Board of Regents changed the name to "Georgia State College" in 1961.

Georgia State University's campus has undergone significant growth and expansion over the years. In the 1990s, the university expanded Alumni Hall, opened the Natural Science Center, and acquired the former C&S Bank Building on Marietta Street, which now houses the Robinson College of Business. Georgia State's first move into the Fairlie-Poplar district was in 1996 with the acquisition and renovation of the Standard Building, the Haas-Howell Building, and the Rialto Theater. The university's campus is served by three MARTA rail stations, providing easy access to the main campus and various facilities.

Frequently asked questions

The Georgia State University Alumni Association was founded in 1929 to provide a comprehensive array of programs and services to serve alumni and keep them in touch, informed, involved, and invested in their alma mater.

The purpose of the association is to engage and enrich the lives of alumni and students through lifelong relationships with Georgia State University. They also aim to unify the global university community and encourage loyalty, involvement, and investment in advancing the university.

All graduates of Georgia State University are members of the Alumni Association. Faculty, staff, retirees, and degree-holding alumni of Georgia State can also become members.

The Alumni Association offers many benefits, including scholarships, mentorship, career guidance, and professional development opportunities. Members can also take advantage of social events, international travel packages, and networking opportunities. Lifetime members may also borrow up to 5 books from the University Library for 4 weeks.

Membership costs $306 per year or $102 per semester. Lifetime memberships are also available, ranging from $500 to $1000.

Written by
Reviewed by
Share this post
Print
Did this article help you?

Leave a comment