How COVID-19 shifted the work of the CSUAA

As a result of the world’s shift to virtual connection as a primary source of interaction, the CSU Alumni Association developed a number of programs to engage with alumni both near and far. 

The void left by the absence of our most popular offerings gave way to the opportunity to retool existing programming, while adding new events to the lineup. 

Alumni Coffee Talk, the first new digital series that launched in May 2020, featured nearly every CSU dean, who shared college updates, priorities for the year ahead and the ongoing response to the pandemic. 

Alumni College @ Home, another initiative born of the pandemic, is the virtual edition of Alumni College, a popular series that places knowledge experts at CSU in front of alumni audiences to explore topical, relevant subjects. CSU School of Communications professor Edward Horowitz and Katherine Judge, associate professor of Psychology, were two of the first guests, exploring the state of the election and offering tips on how to cope with the isolation brought on by quarantines and stay-at-home orders. 

Add to that, Viking Team trivia, virtual crafts workshops and Passport Cleveland online offered alumni a number of options to remain connected. 

Check www.csualumni.com, your inboxes and our social channels (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram) to stay informed about our schedule of events. Please submit your programming ideas at www.csualumni.com/virtual. 

Women’s Leadership Symposium reimagined as popular virtual workshop series 

Instead of cancelling the popular women’s conference altogether, the CSU Alumni Association developed the Women’s Leadership Lunch Series, a monthly virtual program series. 

Back in October, Catherine Bosley shared what happens when one bad decision goes viral. We heard that same month from Ohio Supreme Court Justice Melody Stewart (JD ’88) about what it means to be a leader. In November, Maria Spangler (JD, MPA ’06) and Liz Gillmore discussed the all-too-common struggle women face daily to balance their personal and professional lives. And in December, Lisa Ryan (BBA ’95, MBA ’98) touted the benefits of remaining grateful. 

Plans are underway for 2021’s slate of programming. 

Past event recordings are available on the CSU Alumni Association’s YouTube channel.