Students Considered As "Alumni"

[popnbrown]

All,

Our team has gone through quite an enormous flux (for our 3 person team) from build season to now.

For members who leave the team on their own will, rather than forced out due to other reasons (failing school, or behavioral issues).

If one of those was a senior, would you consider him an alumni of the team?

To extend that, would you consider all who have left the team, ex-members of the team? Would you include them in post-season surveys or post-season celebrations?

[Mark McLeod]

We consider anyone who joined and has survived a season in the trenches to be an alumnus.
While students may not rejoin due to other commitments, heavier school workloads, personality clashes, and so on, teams are often like families. Their friends are usually still members and they will always be welcome back. It's still nice to hear about their outside accomplishments and endeavors.
It's really just like when they leave after graduation. You still love to hear about where they've been and what they've been doing.

If they've left the team for personal reasons I'd what a survey to shed light on why in case there are team issues that can be addressed to improve.

[popnbrown]

Originally Posted by Mark McLeod

We consider anyone who joined and has survived a season in the trenches to be an alumnus.

What's your definition of a season? Build season or build season + competition season?

[Mark McLeod]

Originally Posted by popnbrown

What's your definition of a season? Build season or build season + competition season?

Build season, but that's just me.
A lot of students that I've worked with just like the building aspect.
Really, anyone I've spent long hours with working side-by-side forms connections.

If you want to have the question answered, "I wonder why so-and-so isn't around anymore?" or "I wonder what so-and-so has found to be their spark?"

[popnbrown]

Email sent to ex-members of the team. Thank you for your help!


Consider this thread closed.

[Kpchem]

My team's been around a while, and one of our sayings is that "You never leave 360". I just finished my third year of college, 3-4 states away (Washington --> Colorado) from my team. Ever since I graduated, I've been invited to the team's dinners and events. I volunteer at FTC and FRC events here in Colorado wearing my team's apron (think Home Depot apron, just with a different logo). I still attend kickoff with the team if I'm in town, and I'll support them at every event I can. This partially stems from the strong community at the high school, and partially stems from the fact that 360 is really more than a team, it's a family.

To directly answer your question, I consider anyone who was on a team and then left, no matter the reason (graduating, by choice, forced out, etc.) an alumni of that team. And yes, I would include them in post-season surveys/celebrations, unless the questions being asked in those surveys strictly pertain to events that occurred during build/competition season that the alumni would not know anything about.