Fresh Perspectives from Around the Country
The National Alumni Board of Visitors gathers in Nashville.
PDS/USN alumni are spread out across the country, with interests and experiences equally dispersed. The National Alumni Board of Visitors (NABV) is composed of PDS and USN graduates from areas with large numbers of alumni. They will be able to act as points of contact for alumni who live in these areas and help us understand what we can do to better meet their needs and expectations. They are people whose life experiences make them ideal resources for giving us fresh perspectives on what we are doing every day here at USN.
In November six members of the NABV came to Nashville. Their first evening, NABV shared a meal with members of the USN Board of Trustees, the PDS/USN Alumni Board, and some of USN’s faculty and staff at the Buhl House, the USN Director’s residence.
The next morning, in addition to a school overview, classroom visits and a tour, they met with a panel of students who answered questions about their academic work and life at USN. After lunch, they had a group discussion of USN’s program, meeting the needs of students and faculty, school funding, and the potential role of the NABV.
The discussion was wide ranging, with members of the NABV asking about and commenting on every aspect of the school and its own role. Libby Hirsh Heimark '72 envisioned the NABV's becoming an "additional lens to the national discussion on education" and an aid to USN in understanding what students will need to know to meet the ever changing requirements for life after school.
Jim Coddington '70 noted that: "The school has invested a great deal of effort and money into the facilities in ways that augment the curriculum and not just in gold plating for public consumption."
Jim Coddington '70 noted that: "The school has invested a great deal of effort and money into the facilities in ways that augment the curriculum and not just in gold plating for public consumption."
Liz Werthan '56 expressed a desire, shared by other board members, to hear more from individual faculty and staff about their distinct roles in the school.
You can see excerpts from both the student panel and the general discussion by clicking here, and you'll find a list of the full membership of the NABV in the download section of the newsletter.
The NABV will evolve, but we are confident that its members are off to a great start strengthening the bonds between USN and its far flung alumni.
