Most Improved Alumni Relations Initiative Award

Prior to COVID, Mendoza threw 3-6 lavish Saturday afternoon tailgates each football season. In 2023, the alumni relations team pivoted these events from their existing structure to focusing more on having an impact on students, and transformed the Saturday tailgates into a Friday afternoon tailgate-style networking and social event called the “Mendoza Rally”. The transformed event has now become a focal point for the college’s fall programming. These events have a measurable ROI to the college, specifically, the number of student-alumni interactions, or “Alumni Impact Points.” Now, all Mendoza alumni are invited and graduate student attendance has been much higher, giving them an opportunity to connect directly with their alumni each week.