Dear IIT Alumni,

Greetings.  The outlook for the Fall 2009 term remains very promising, and though we are mindful of the challenges presented to many of our families as a direct result of the global economic climate, we have ambitious and exciting goals outlined by the president and the provost, which include:

• bringing in 535 new first-year students and 160 new transfer students;



• increasing the number of female students and underrepresented minorities in the entering class.

One of the strongest themes among many of our new students has been their positive feedback about their interaction with members of our alumni community—they learn from and are often inspired by those of you who have walked the path before them.  Therefore, we are asking for your help in an unprecedented outreach campaign to continue bringing in the best and brightest students from around the country.

Here are a few ways in which you can assist:

 • Reach out to new students with congratulatory and welcome
     efforts.

Our goal is to ensure that EVERY admitted student gets the opportunity to have a substantial and meaningful conversation with an alum.

1. Call an admitted student and their family in your geographic area.
   
   Our current students and their parents RAVED about the calls they received from alumni last year.  Parents reported how wonderful it was to talk to an alum about his/her experiences at IIT and career after graduation.



2. Call an admitted student who is interested in your academic discipline.
   
   We recently hosted an admitted student reception in the suburbs of Chicago where parents and students gathered around IIT alumni to learn first-hand about their experiences in the aerospace engineering, computer science, and chemistry programs.  Students and their parents are eager to hear about your experiences and learn from you.



3. Email (or call) an admitted student from your home country.
   
   It would be great to have every international student contacted by an IIT alum who shares their country of origin.  If you would like to reach out to students from regions of the world where you have lived, have worked, or hold citizenship, please let us know.

 • Spread the word that IIT is still accepting applications for
     first-year and transfer students.

There is still time to apply!  Help us build up our student applicant pool.

1. Forward the electronic versions of our materials to prospective students, colleagues and friends with a personal note from you.
   
   Offer them a story about how your alma mater is making a difference in the world, and invite them to think about a young person who might be a good match for IIT.



2. Adopt a local secondary school, your former school, or a local community college.
   
   Another one of our goals is to have a network of 100 IIT alumni volunteers participating in the IIT Adopt-a-School Program within the next three months.  We are looking for volunteers who will provide direct outreach by contacting a school(s) routinely, providing them with information about IIT's open houses and other events and happenings, including Women's Day and the FIRST Robotics Competition.



3. Share the best kept secret on the South Side of Chicago!
   
   We encourage our IIT alumni, staff, faculty and students to "tell the world" about IIT and share what we do and how we impact the world.  We call this the "10 minutes a day for IIT."  Share your idea and outreach effort with us!  We will select the best or most innovative idea and if yours gets chosen, we will send you the newest IIT sweatshirt from the bookstore.

We welcome and thank you for your support and energy; we look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

To volunteer: Email Jill Sifuentes at sifuentes@iit.edu.
To share ideas about recruitment: Email Gerald Doyle at doyle@iit.edu.