New Undergraduate Alumni Council Supports YU Efforts

Yeshiva University’s Undergraduate Alumni Council (UAC) was established in 2010 to create a vehicle for alumni to take a more active role in enhancing university life and to provide valuable input on University initiatives. The UAC, an invitation-only leadership group, currently has 25 members who are stakeholders in the University and wish to expand their role as ambassadors to benefit current and future students.

Shai Barnea ’03SSB, a commodity trader at Freepoint Commodities, has been instrumental in helping shape the goals of the organization. He declared, “The UAC has the unique role of being both a sounding board for the University and a mechanism for alumni to help charter the course of YU’s future. As the group enters its third year, I am proud to be one of its founding charter members, and I am excited to represent my fellow alumni as we all strive to positively influence student life and provide feedback on future University initiatives.”

The UAC meets quarterly to hear from high-level University officials for an “inside track” report on what’s happening at YU and to discuss new programs and services to enhance student life and further develop the alumni community.

Marc Spear, Senior Director of the Office of Student Life, along with Hezzy Jesin and Adina Poupko, the Wilf and Beren Campus directors, spoke to the UAC at its quarterly meeting in June. They shared the many changes implemented in Student Life during the past year to make the University more student-friendly. The members of the UAC provided much feedback on these initiatives and offered numerous ideas for engaging alumni in the effort.

Barbara Birch, Senior Director of Alumni Affairs and Annual Giving, said “The men and women on the Undergraduate Alumni Council are dedicated members of our alumni community who have a sincere interest in the future of YU and who want to positively impact student life. Alumni are the future of this University, and the more they partner with us, the more successful YU will be.”

Homecoming, which took place in September 2011, was initially proposed at one of the UAC meetings; the event was a success drawing more than 600 participants and instilling a sense of YU pride among alumni.

The group recently created specialized sub-committees to focus on specific areas of need: Student Liaison, University Support, Alumni Engagement, and Career Planning and Placement.

The UAC will continue to grow over the next year with the goal of having more national representation to reflect the diversity of alumni across the U.S.