The Doctor Is In
Special Teams
Posts: 875
Joined: Oct 2012
Reputation: 20
I Root For: Old Dominion
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RE: This crappy product and then Permanent Seat Licenses in 2019
(10-28-2018 06:57 PM)ODUalum78 Wrote: There is are monumental disconnects at the University.
As many of you know I was an Alumni chapter officer/President from 2010 through 2017.
In those eight years, the chapter and ODAF had but one joint venture, a watch party in 2015.
In all of those years, I (nor to my knowledge any chapter officer), was ever formally introduced to the any member of the alumni board or it's president.
The sad truth is that, through charity and local chapter initiated projects, I am more familiar with VCU, VT, GMU, and W&M alumni associations than I ever was with my own.
Relationships I had with big name ODU alumni were actually developed through ODAF.
I run into young alumni all the time in this area. I give them a chapter card and invite them to participate. Not only are they surprised that there is a local group, they are unaware of any alumni organization.
Employee turnover in the Office of Alumni Relations has been extremely high, and I suspect the same for ODAF, as whenever I spoke to an ODAF rep, either about my personal account or representing the chapter, it was always someone different. The Coaches Caravan people are different every year as well.
IMHO, ODU needs to address the compartmentalization, and have some sort of a coordinating umbrella that includes ODAF, ODUAA, Sports Properties, Branding, Monarch Media, Marching Band, Dance Team, Cheerleaders, All the Big Blues, Sports Marketing, etc.
Ten years into the football program the band shouldn't play over the offense, the PA system shouldn't be crap, and those who paid big bucks to have access to 4400 at the TED shouldn't now find out that their donation was unnecessary.
I take it to heart when good folks such as Smitty, ODUalum78, and others speak. A wise person once advised me to seek first to understand and then to be understood. In that connection I’m thinking about each of the valid points that each of you are raising. Perhaps it would be be good if ODAF strongly encouraged the President of the University to provide his vision (sooner rather than later) for education in what I refer to as “Decade 2020” and yes, specifically how our “larger” sports will contribute going forward. Some food for thought that they/he may want to consider in planning for the evolution of our beloved university!:
1. A forum(s) for explanation of our major athletics program decisions. I would prefer for it to be in public and include strong email (ok, I’m old school) and social media components each tailored to graduates, to athletics support groups such as ODAF and the Alumni Association, to our state elected leaders (local representatives take notice, you need to be engaged, proactive, and “change-makers”), and to the students who will be “tomorrow’s graduates”, contributors, and beneficiaries of upcoming athletics endeavors.
2. A Project Management Plan (PMP) should be developed (and used) for Game Day activities (who does what to/for whom, when, where, and how). This should include all steps involved. The PMP should be doctrine for all current and future employees and volunteers. It’s not hard to develop and shouldn’t be hard to use.
3. Establishment and publication of quantifiable metrics to judge progress in meeting the athletics vision and how adjustments will be made.
This is a start and I hope that it stimulates additional thought and more importantly, actionable outcomes from those who are leading the way. I trust that this will make its way to the appropriate folks. Go in peace, my Monarchs!
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