In this application we will be asking for your personal contact information, when you sailed (or when your child sailed, if applying for Parents Council), whether you have donated recently to ISE, which council you are applying for, your agreement with membershp expectations, and a few short answer essay questions.

We recommend you type your answers in a word processor (Microsoft Word, Apple Pages, Google Docs) and then copy and paste your answers over to ensure information isn't lost if your browser has to be refreshed.

The short essay questions are: 

• Why are you applying to serve on the council? 
• Describe your past and present involvement in SAS as an alumnus/a. 
• What is one idea you have for this council? 
• Each council represents a diverse community with alumni from different backgrounds. How will your experience and knowledge help enrich this Council? What specific skills do you bring to this council? 

Each of the short essay questions is limited to 200 words each, so be thoughtful and precise. 

We look forward to receiving your application! Feel free to reach out to the Executive Council with any questions. 

STRUCTURE

The Semester at Sea Alumni Association Leadership (AAL) is comprised the following councils: 

COUNCIL DEFINITION

The Chapter Representatives make up a group of dedicated volunteers that host events and provide networking opportunities for alumni and future voyagers in their region

In addition to the general membership responsibilities, a chapter rep commits to: 

• Plan & execute at least three events per year (Founders' Day, Day of Service, and a Summer Event)  
• Manage the alumni chapter email account for your specific chapter
• Manage the alumni chapter Facebook group for your specific chapter (a social media calendar is provided to guide on what to post)

NOTE

This position requires a bit more technical skills (using Google Drive, Facebook, Eventbrite, and/or MailChimp, etc.) Candidates are not required to know how to use all of these tools, but must have a willingness to learn how to use them.

ELIGIBILITY

The need for a Chapter Representative in the applicant’s community; has sailed on a semester voyage; current donor to ISE/SAS.

COUNCIL DEFINITION

The Emeritus Council is comprised of past presidents of the Alumni Association Leadership and is tasked with those special projects, as needed to benefit ISE and the Alumni Association, which do not currently fit into any of the existing council scopes of work. 

ELIGIBILITY

Served as a Past President of the Alumni Association Leadership; current donor to ISE/SAS.

COUNCIL DEFINITION

The Faculty/Staff Council seeks to promote Semester at Sea and to identify and assist in recruiting potential faculty and staff members for future voyages. 

In addition to the general membership responsibilities, a staculty member commits to the Mission of the council to:

• Promote alumni engagement among faculty and staff; 
• Assist in the recruitment and support of faculty and staff for future voyages;
• Periodically advise SAS on matters relevant to the experience of faculty/staff;
  
• Participate in fundraising.

ELIGIBILITY

Has sailed on a voyage in a faculty or staff role; current donor to ISE/SAS.

COUNCIL DEFINITION

The Lifelong Learners (LLL) Council seeks to sustain and strengthen the bond between Lifelong Learner alumni and ISE/SAS. The members of the LLL Council, working closely with the Director of Lifelong Learning at ISE/SAS, will be strong advocates of the Semester at Sea experience. This includes spreading the word about SAS, promoting voyage enrollment of lifelong learners and student voyagers and working on projects that enhance the Lifelong Learner experience at sea. Each LLL Council member commits to continuing financial support of ISE/SAS and participation in regional alumni events.

ELIGIBILITY

Has sailed on a voyage as a lifelong learner on a full or spotlight voyage; current donor to ISE/SAS.

COUNCIL MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the SAS Parents Council is to support parents of student voyagers by educating and engaging them before, during and after the voyage.

ELIGIBILITY

Parent of a Semester at Sea alumna(nus); current donor to ISE/SAS.

NOTE

In addition to the general membership responsibilities, Parents Council members participate in the Buddy Call Program, connecting with parents and students prior to, during, and after each voyage.

COUNCIL DEFINITION

The Voyagers Council is composed of alumni members at large not otherwise represented on other councils and serves in accordance with goals and priorities of the Advancement Department. 

In addition to the general membership responsibilities, Voyagers Council members are active participants in special projects created by the council or larger Alumni Association.

Our mission is to support ISE through consulting, relationship building, program engagement, and volunteerism with a focus on the planning and execution of alumni events. The council leverages its institutional knowledge, career/professional experience, networks, and local/regional awareness to further the goals of Semester At Sea.

ELIGIBILITY

Has sailed on a semester voyage; current donor to ISE/SAS.

NOTE

In addition to the general membership responsibilities, Voyagers Council members are active participants in special projects created by the council or larger Alumni Association..

APPLYING TO THE YOUNG ALUMNI COUNCIL?
READ THIS FIRST!

Thinking about joining the Young Alumni Council (YAC)? We would love to have you join us. We are a fun group of recent alumni who enjoy sharing our SAS experience and are willing to go the distance to help SAS/ISE be the best they can be.

*Please note that in order to be eligible to apply, you must have graduated from university.* Not yet graduated? No worries; look at becoming a Global Ambassador at your home university. This is a great way to be involved on campus and looks fantastic on your YAC application.

It is important for us to outline what is expected of each new YAC member upon joining the council because it will require some of your time! But, trust us, it’s worth it. You’ll get to communicate with students who are about to set sail on their voyage of a lifetime, be in the know about all that is going on at ISE, have opportunities to meet as a council in person, and you’ll get to know some other amazing SAS alumni!

WHAT IS THE YOUNG ALUMNI COUNCIL?

We are a cohort (20-25 members) of recent alumni who are a part of the larger Alumni Association Board of Directors (AABOD) and Alumni Association Councils. The principal purpose of the AABOD is to strengthen the bond between alumni and the Institute for Shipboard Education in supporting the mission of Semester at Sea. This includes support of increased enrollments, increased philanthropic giving, and increased engagement at alumni events.
The Young Alumni Council is one of seven councils that make up the Alumni Association. We like to think we bring a little extra “oomph” and passion since we ourselves have just recently sailed as students!

SO, WHAT DO WE DO?

In 2016, the Young Alumni Council launched a program called “Operation Shellback” that is almost like “customer support” for SAS. More specifically, it is communication between YAC members and students who have registered for the next upcoming voyage. Each YAC member is assigned ~20 students that he/she reaches out to before, during and after the voyage. This communication helps answer students’ questions as they are packing and preparing for their voyage, during the voyage as they may be seeking advice, and after as they are looking to stay involved with SAS and keep the voyage alive! The larger goals are to prepare students for voyages, reduce dropout rates, strengthen relationships between SASers and ISE, establish alumni engagement, and foster a sense of philanthropy. The council also supports ISE/SAS through personal giving by suggesting each member to donate $100 a year, however there are other non-monetary ways to give that can be worked out on a person-by-person basis), attending chapter events in our cities, and helping ISE in other ways that they may need.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

As a member of YAC, you must commit to being an active participant of the Council, which includes:

• Participating in our quarterly conference calls (must attend at least three of four calls per term year)
• Donating to ISE
  • The Young Alumni Council asks its members to donate $100 annually. These donations fund a special scholarship created by the council.
• Completing your Operation Shellback responsibilities:
  • Email/Text students before, during, and after the voyage
  • Tracking your responses (so we can report engagement and our
    successes!)

There are also opportunities to travel and meet as a group in person, and with the larger collection of alumni councils. You can also head up a “task force” on the council – which could include anything from spreading the news about upcoming chapter events, heading up the training sessions for new council members, sorting student information for operation shellback as part of the “algorithm team,” or even suggest an initiative that you can head yourself.

As members of the Young Alumni Council, we get to share our own experiences and love for SAS with students who about to go themselves! The joy is in the comradery between us, recent alumni, and the students who are future alumni. If this description gets you excited, please apply! We love adding new energy to the group and can’t wait to hear your stories.

We look forward to reading through your application! Applications are collected on a rotating basis, and are reviewed and approved quarterly. Most new members are evaluated and approved in May at the end of our term year.

Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions!

All the best,

Gleb Shenov		Katharine Rubinetti
YAC Co-Chair		YAC Co-Chair
gleb@shenov.com		katmargd@gmail.com