Share Your Talents - Be an Alumni Volunteer!

Tap into your Shippensburg University Network!

Ship Connects makes it easy for alumni, faculty, staff and students to leverage the power of connection across the Shippensburg University community to achieve professional goals. Ship Connects is the university's official online platform for networking bringing together alumni, advisory boards, faculty and staff in support of other alumni and students. Alumni and students can connect to share and seek career advice from alumni, faculty and staff.

Alumni self select ways to engage with the Ship family via avenues of mentorship, job shadowing, industry insight, or professional development. Ship Connects enables connections, networking and mentoring by giving advice to student(s) and fellow alumni who aspire to be where you are. 

When you join the community, you can:

• Connect with alumni in your city or industry of interest
• Join discussion groups based on your interest
• Support students and fellow alumni through mentoring
• Find a mentor
• View the job board or post opportunities

Connect Now

The Alumni Admissions Program helps maintain our tradition of academic excellence by encouraging academically talented students to apply and attend Shippensburg University. As part of the program, you will provide the "personal attention" and "encouragement" that can make the difference between a student choosing Ship or another institution. Providing your perspective as an alumnus/a is the most important component to the success of this program and is an invaluable element that helps the University reach and possibly exceed its overall undergraduate enrollment goals.

College Fairs

There are hundreds of organized college fairs throughout the U.S. and Shippensburg University's admissions team covers a limited geographic area. With dedicated alumni, working both alone and alongside an admissions rep, this is a huge opportunity for us to branch out and increase awareness of Shippensburg University. College Fairs can last anywhere from 1-4 hours where you would be speaking with prospective students, parents, coaches, principals, etc. and providing them with information about what Ship offers. Recruitment materials can be mailed directly to your home prior to the events in which you are covering.

Open House and Admitted Student Days

Who best to promote Ship than Shippensburg University Alumni! Volunteer at Open House at the Alumni Association table and greet prospective students and their families. There are also opportunities for alumni to volunteer at our admitted student days.

Present a scholarship to a student at your local high school

In the spring, high schools across the state host scholarship nights for their graduating seniors. Present a Shippensburg University scholarship to a graduating senior at your local high school.

Admitted Student Letters

Receiving an acceptance letter to continue their educational endeavors is one of the most exciting times for a student. The goal of these letters will be for you to craft a short, welcoming and congratulatory message together that you may share with our admitted students. For some students, they may still have questions, while others may not have visited campus yet. We hope that this initiative will add a personal touch from a non-admissions Ship family member. Envelopes and university letterhead will be mailed directly to your home prior to beginning your letters.

Confirmed Student Note Cards

Maximizing our yield percentages by holding on to students through each phase of the admissions cycle is key. Once an applicant submits their enrollment confirmation deposit, our next step is to engage with them until their Summer Orientation day where they select their classes and officially enroll. These post cards are to welcome them to the Ship family. We also want to thank them for choosing Ship and tell them we are excited to see them at orientation. Postage paid envelopes and post cards will be mailed to your home.

Do you have a passion for Shippensburg? Then consider applying for 1 of 26 board director positions. Directors are elected to a four-year term and meet four times a year. Alumni board members work together and collaborate with the Alumni Relations Office to increase the visibility and vitality of Shippensburg University and the Alumni Association.

More specifically, the alumni board assists with advising the Alumni Relations Office on alumni programming and activities, evaluates programs, brainstorms new initiatives, and promotes the common success of alumni and Shippensburg University. Board members volunteer with Alumni Weekend, Homecoming, the Alumni Admissions Program and much more. Nominations are accepted each fall with a cut-off of February 1 of the following year. Newly elected board members begin July 1 of that year.

The president and president-elect of your alumni association is Caryn (Long) Earl '98 and Bobby Sisock '05-'06M respectively. If you are interested in becoming a candidate for the Alumni Association Board of Directors, contact the Alumni Relations office at alumni@ship.edu or 717-477-1218 with questions or to express your interest. You may complete a Board of Directors Nomination Form on-line or Print a Nomination Form. Information in the form will be used to further review potential candidates for the Alumni Board. Fax to 717-477-4071, or mail to Alumni Relations, 1871 Old Main Dr., Shippensburg, PA 17257.

Additional Information

• Alumni Board of Directors
• Mission and Purpose
• Roles and Responsibilities

Do you consider yourself to be an expert in your field? Do you have in-depth knowledge on certain topics or have a keen interest in anything from collectibles to current events? Be a part of our alumni experts/resource list. We are often tasked with identifying alumni who are knowledgeable on certain topics or in a specific career field whether it be to provide a reference in an article in the SU Magazine or to assist with a question/project. Let us know what your knowledge base and interests are.

GIVE ADVICE

• Answer questions about specific career fields
• Talk with students individually or speak to a class or club
• Offer a 1 day shadowing opportunity or internships
• Provide a resume critique or conduct a practice interview with a student

HOST A JOB SHADOWING OPPORTUNITY

Job shadowing is an opportunity for a student to shadow with an alum who has specific knowledge about an occupation or career in which the student is interested. The student will observe the responsibilities and tasks associated with your career and have the opportunity to ask questions about knowledge, skills, talents and level of education required for your job. The purpose of shadowing is to allow the student to gather career related information and expand their networking connections, it also allows them to build interviewing skills and become aware of trends in the field. Students are given a chance to “test drive” a career for a day (shadow experiences typically occur over the course of 1 day).

If you are interested in assisting students and fellow alumni with career related questions email alumni@ship.edu. Interested in providing a shadowing opportunity for a student, complete our interest form.

Recruit Ship Alumni & Graduating Seniors: Is your place of employment hiring for entry level positions or experience necessary positions? List the positions with us for advertisement to the applicable audience. Please e-mail a posting of the position with a contact name to alumni@ship.edu or fax the posting to 717-477-4071.

Internships: The job market is competitive and internships provide students with a leg up on the competition. Send information to alumni@ship.edu or call 717-477-1218.

Participate on a panel during new student orientation in June. A panel is held each day comprised of current Ship students and alumni. The audience is parents of our new students. The role of alumni on the panel is to talk about how Ship helped you get where you are today (we want to show parents how your Ship education and experience has helped you excel in your career and showcase our successful alumni!)

Volunteer with our 2 signature alumni events - Alumni Weekend and Homecoming. Help coordinate and/or host regional alumni events.

To be a part of the annual thank-a-thon where we personally call and thank alumni and parents for their financial support, contact Justin Forget, Annual Fund Director.