Notes from Charlotte Focus Group - February 23, 2005

Attendees
Dana S. Alligood (A&S, 1993)
Susan Alexander Aulebach (A&S, 1980)
Kristina C. Brockmeier (A&S, 1975)
Denise Cullum Burkard (Commerce, 1986)
Gail M. Burton (Education, 1976; Darden, 1981)
Barbara Gell Carroll (A&S, 1976)
Mary T. Crowder (Medicine, 1986)
Patricia L. Faris (A&S, 1976)
Anne M. Flint (host) (A&S, 1977)
Kathleen P. Foster (A&S, 1976; Law, 1980)
Lisa O. Gardner (host) (A&S, 1979)
Anne-Marie S. Gilliam (A&S, 1990)
Annette M. Imbrogno (Commerce, 1981)
Tracy Croxton Jenkins (A&S, 1994)
Ann W. Kim (Commerce, 2003)
Mary R. Long (Darden, 1988)
Catherine Maxwell
Carolyn Phipps Meade (A&S, 1994; Law, 2001)
Miriam Grace Mitchell (GSAS, 1985)
Linda K. Montgomery (Law, 2002)
Cynthia G. Oates (GSAS, 1982)
Denise Pagano
Sophia L. Paige (A&S, 1987)
Anne Walker Poole (host) (A&S, 1990)
McHale Collins Poole (A&S, 1994)
Renee V. Preece (Commerce, 1998)
Karen C. Reid (A&S, 1980)
Mary S. Sample (Commerce, 1980)
Anne Carter Smith (A&S, 1995)
Barbara S. Strickland (GSAS, 1971; GSAS, 1976; Law, 1983)
Diane D. Thomas
Irma Aboy Turner
Ann H. Watkins (A&S, 1977)
Sharon Weaver (Commerce, 1998)
Edith H. Wyatt (A&S, 1983)

U.Va. Staff in Attendance
Charlotte H. Crystal (Senior Writer, U.Va. News Office)
Robyn B. Dietter (Intern, Women in Leadership & Philanthropy)
Scott M. Karr (Associate Director of Regional & Reunion Development)
Nancy P. McIntyre (Director of Annual Giving, College of Arts & Sciences)
Charlotte Nelson (Asst. Director of Clubs, U.Va. Alumni Association)
Cindy Reynolds (Health System Development, Director of Development-Medical Research)
Yoke San L. Reynolds (Vice President for Finance)
Jennifer Wyss-Jones (Asstistant Campaign Director)

Main Questions
How do we increase the influence of alumnae and women friends at the University and regionally?
Can you suggest ways of staying connected to other U.Va. women locally, regionally, and nationally?

Reunions

• Involve students from the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences (GSAS) and other graduate programs at reunions
• Reunions should focus on small groups, more meaningful cohorts from college days (e.g., RAs, Intramurals, Debating Societies, etc.)

Local Events

• Women want to attend events locally; the draw is someone coming from the University
  • Women are already very busy; having someone come to them makes the most sense
  • Lunch time meetings work well for women
    • Possible speakers/topics:
      • Career services
      • U.Va. strategies (e.g., financing, strategic priorities, etc.)
      • Focus on parents of students getting ready to apply to college--at U.Va. and other colleges
      • Stress management
      • Local guest speaker (e.g., Dawn Staley)
      • Faculty members
      • Women-helping-women opportunities

Charlotte Alumnae Club

• Broader age involvement in the Alumnae club would generate broader programming
  • The Charlotte Alumnae club is good at reaching alumnae 5-10 years out; but different generations are interested in different types of programming

University Connections

• Invite alumnae and women friends to speak to students at Reunions or other University events; this will help forge personal connections
• In terms of communication, email is effective; email is most easily reviewed or discarded

Philanthropy

• Include a line on pledge cards to ask donors what is happening in their life. The University can use this information to generate and update data about alumnae
• Find a cause that could bring together a number of the Charlotte alumnae to make a donation as a group, rather than as individuals
• Engagement is important--find areas/issues to which women are personally motivated to give
• U.Va. as a "monolith"--showing areas where giving can make an impact is effective to motivate women's giving