Welcome, Wellesley class volunteer! We are so appreciative of your efforts on behalf of your class and the College. 

The Wellesley College Alumnae Association (WCAA) is an independent, self-governing organization created by the alumnae of Wellesley College in 1880. It maintains substantial representation on the board of trustees of the College, with four alumnae trustees, a young alumnae trustee, and the president of the Association, who serves ex officio and with vote. On administrative and programming fronts, Association volunteers and staff work closely with the Office of Admission, Career Education, the Development Office, the President’s Office, and other College departments.

Your work to expand engagement with all alums is critical to our collective mission: to support institutional priorities by connecting alumnae to the College and each other. The information and resources provided here will guide your efforts and serve as a reference for you in your volunteer role. The WCAA has also created supplemental resources, including FAQs, video tutorials, and a peer support network to help you learn your responsibilities and expand your knowledge as a volunteer. Additionally, your class will also have a key contact in the Alumnae Association who will be your primary contact for questions that arise throughout the year.

All alum volunteers are guided by the Wellesley College Alumnae Association (WCAA) mission, and the following tenets are designed to help you navigate your volunteer role(s).

As a Wellesley volunteer, you agree to:

• Complete our Volunteer Agreement Form.

• Treat alums, staff, and all members of the Wellesley community with respect and civility in person, in email, in print, and on social media.

• Commit to a role that suits your skills and capacity.

• Commit to being inclusive and addressing issues of diversity along numerous demographic lines (e.g., race, class, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, age, ability, religion, geography, etc.) in all facets of your volunteer work.

• Communicate regularly with alumnae volunteers and WCAA staff.

• Actively seek opportunities to engage new alums. 

• Resolve any conflicts in a transparent and open manner.

• Acknowledge any potential conflicts of interest and recuse oneself when appropriate.

• Keep your contact information current at alum.wellesley.edu, including address, email, and phone number. As a volunteer, you must agree to be contacted by the WCAA or other alums via any of these channels. 

• Recognize that your actions will reflect on and speak for not only you, but for other alumnae and the College.

Alumnae Association key contacts provide the following support to class officers:

• Provide lists of classmates who are Lost or Deceased. 

• Provide directions and assistance for sending e-blasts through the class website. 

• Provide directions and assistance for creating online events and forms through the class website. Volunteers are expected to use the Forms Manager function to check sign-up reports for events requiring registration. 

• Hold the class’s treasury in an account at the College and issue a quarterly report to the class treasurer.

• Receive money for events organized by the class; the class is responsible for creating and tracking ticketing forms. 

• Pay bills for class events/expenses and/or reimburse the volunteer who has paid the bills.

We cannot provide:

• Custom mailing lists for e-blasts (all messages should be sent to all classmates)

• Email addresses for your classmates

• Printed directories (online directories are available on your class site and alum.wellesley.edu)

• Web design services

• Support for paper mailings for classes after 1969

The WCAA periodically sends important emails that you should be sure to read and save. 

• Top 5 on the 5th is our primary volunteer communication, and is sent on the 5th of each month. It contains important College news, volunteer updates and reminders, helpful suggestions for programming, and other relevant resources.

• SedMini is a quarterly newsletter sent to all alums. It provides a recap of WCAA news as well as College and campus life updates. 

• The WCAA may occasionally send other communications (invitations to events, survey opportunities, messages from the College president, etc). 

• If you are concerned that you are not receiving one or more of these communications, please inform your WCAA key contact.

Alumnae Association Staff

You can find the Alumnae Association staff listed here: https://www.wellesley.edu/alumnae/about/staff            

To contact the main office, please email us at alumnae@wellesley.edu or call 781-283-2331.

Record Updates

Alums can provide the College with any contact information changes by updating their profile at alum.wellesley.edu or by letting the Record Update department know via email at  recordupdates@wellesley.edu or phone at 1.800.339.5233. Occasionally, these updates may come to you as a class volunteer instead of the College. If you receive new information about a classmate , please let Record Updates know. 

Wellesley Fund Office 

If a classmate has questions about giving to the Wellesley Fund, please connect them with the Wellesley Fund office at 781.283.2802 or giving@wellesley.edu. 

The Wellesley Fund Volunteers work directly with the Development Office and should reach out to their class contact within the Wellesley Fund Office at 781.283.2802 or giving@wellesley.edu. 

Career Education 

The Wellesley Hive is an easy-to-use platform for mentorship, networking, and professional opportunities—designed exclusively for Wellesley students and alumnae to connect around the world for career support and exploration.   

Once a member of the Hive, alum volunteers are able to network on Leadershare, a private discussion forum for Wellesley volunteer leaders to ask questions, exchange information, etc.

Alumnae Directories

The WCAA offers several directories, including an all-alumnae directory located on our homepage at alum.wellesley.edu and one specifically for your class, located on your class website. These directories can be filtered by name, class, state, city, country, current or past employer, job title, or occupation. Users must log in with their MyWellesley username and password for access. 

Please note: While the online directories provide email addresses for many alumnae, compiling these addresses into a private list, or using them to send mass emails is strictly prohibited. Solicitation emails are not permitted under any circumstances, regardless of the number of recipients. 

MyWellesley Login Help

The Wellesley Login allows alums to sign into various College systems and websites using a single username and password. It is your login for all Wellesley systems, including:

• The Wellesley College Alumnae Association (WCAA) online community

• All class, club, and SIG websites 

• The Wellesley Hive, our mentoring and networking platform exclusively for Wellesley alumnae and students

• The Class Notes section of the Wellesley magazine website

• Volunteer tools (including the online Report of Giving accessible to Wellesley Fund volunteers)

• Select parts of the College website

If you or a classmate needs assistance recovering or resetting your MyWellesley username and password, please visit https://www.wellesley.edu/alumnae/wellesleylogin for assistance. 

Wellesley magazine

The award winning Wellesley magazine, available in print and online, keeps readers connected to each other and to the College. Magazine staff works with each class secretary to edit and publish class notes on a quarterly basis.

Class presidents are the ultimate representatives of the class, and help keep classmates connected to each other, the College, and the WCAA in the 5 years between Reunions. Maintaining class engagement (especially in non-Reunion years) should be a primary goal in guiding the board. The class president* sets the tone for the board and the class leadership. Presidents collaborate with a strong board of dedicated volunteers who will be thought-partners to advance the goals of the class. 

Responsibilities:

• Provide overall leadership and direction to the class organization. Familiarize yourself with the roles and responsibilities of each of your board members by reviewing the descriptions for each class role included in this handbook.  

• Together with the class board, establish and communicate goals and priorities for the class. How many mini-reunions do you want to have each year? How frequently do you want to reach out to classmates with communications? What are your Wellesley Fund participation goals?

• Call and lead at least one meeting per year. If your class is in a reunion year, the annual meeting should be held during Reunion. We strongly encourage 2-3 board meetings throughout the year.

• Structure the class board and leadership roles to ensure continuity by providing and fostering opportunities for new leadership to develop.

• Work closely with the class vice president to help with mini-reunions throughout the year.

• Communicate regularly with board officers to ensure they are fulfilling their role responsibilities and offer guidance as needed. 

• Exercise overall financial oversight for the class in conjunction with class treasurer.

• Approve communication plans for the class; together with the secretary and communications volunteers review all class press releases, newsletters, electronic communications, and other publications to ensure they reflect the goals and priorities of your class.

• Maintain regular contact with the WCAA on class activities and goals by checking in with your key contact. Share your successes, let staff know where you could use guidance, and ensure your club submits your event reports (event sheet available on our Online Resources page) so your class is represented in our overall alumnae engagement metrics. 

• Submit your class’s annual report (a form will be provided) to the WCAA by mid-July or immediately following the annual meeting, and ensure your treasurer submits the class’s financial report.

• The summer prior to your Reunion, appoint a Reunion chair or pair of co-chairs. 

• Attend WCAA trainings.

* In instances where co-presidents lead the class, the same responsibilities are expected, although some may be divided at the discretion of the class.

The class vice president serves as class leadership and a resource for the class president. While the vice president’s primary responsibility is to organize mini reunions and other class programming, they may be called upon to help the president perform portions of their duties. Presidents may delegate tasks to vice presidents as they see fit.

Responsibilities:

• Support the president in providing leadership and direction to the class organization. 

• Together with the president and other class officers, establish and communicate goals and priorities for the class.

• Plan mini-reunions for the class. You may plan and host mini-reunions on your own, but the best way to engage classmates is to recruit volunteers across the country and globe to host events in their areas. A mini-reunion is a gathering of three or more classmates and can range from brunch to international tours. There does not need to be a theme or activity, but these can help attract attendees. 

• Consider hosting all-class programming online via Zoom or other platforms. The WCAA has a Zoom account available for volunteer use. Volunteers are responsible for booking meetings on their own. For instructions on how to access this account, please reach out to your WCAA staff key contact.

• Organize and keep track of mini-reunions for the class as well as ideas and suggestions for new mini-reunions. 

• Work with the secretary to publicize mini-reunions to the class via the class website’s email function and build enthusiasm.

• If the mini-reunion is in person, our provided sign-in template may help to collect attendance info efficiently. After the event is over, send the post-event form to your point of contact at WCAA. This is important data that helps us to keep track of how alums are fulfilling the WCAA mission of staying connected. We also love to hear feedback about what made your event successful. 

• Attend board meetings.

• Help to recognize potential and future volunteers for class leadership which will represent the diversity within the Wellesley alumnae community by providing and fostering opportunities for new leadership to develop.

• Attend WCAA trainings.

The Class Treasurer partners with the WCAA staff to oversee the Class’s finances. This role is  responsible for communicating information about class funds to fellow officers, and for tracking expenditures and reimbursements. While class funds will be securely held at the College, the class officers will remain the sole determinants of expenditures.
 

Responsibilities

• Oversee class finances, which will be held in a segregated account at the College. 

• Submit requests (including receipts and necessary bills) for vendor payments or reimbursements.

• Keep an accurate record of collections and payments to compare to the College’s accounting records.

• Receive quarterly financial reports issued by the WCAA and update fellow board members. 

• During Reunion years, help to manage the budget and keep track of expenses for Reunion events.

The Class Secretary has the crucial role of collecting and compiling class notes four times a year for Wellesley magazine. These  columns keep alumnae connected to each other and to Wellesley, and help classmates celebrate and support each other.

Responsibilities

As class secretary, your main job is to write four columns a year of no more than 500 words each.

Schedule

• Fall (published mid-November): columns due Sept. 1

• Winter (published mid-February): columns due Dec. 1

• Spring (published mid-May): columns due March 1

• Summer (published mid-July): columns due May 1

• Please note: The spring and summer deadlines are only two months apart; others are three or four months apart. If the due date for the column falls during a weekend or on a holiday, please submit before 8:30 am Eastern Time the next business day.

Other responsibilities include:

• Attending board and class meetings and taking minutes

• Submitting Reunion class meeting minutes to the WCAA as documentation for the class.

• Writing occasional newsletters (optional)

• Sending birthday messages (optional)

• Sending condolence cards (optional)

Please refer to the Class Secretary toolkit compiled by the editors of Wellesley magazine for more guidance about class notes, including best practices, formatting restrictions, and photo submissions. 

Every five years classes celebrate Reunion, and one or two members of each class serve as Reunion chair(s) to assist in the coordination of the class experience. Reunion chairs oversee the planning of class specific events for Reunion, and delegate various tasks/responsibilities to classmates serving on the Reunion Committee. Planning begins in early fall prior to the June that Reunion will take place. Current class officers may serve as Reunion chairs, but may also recruit other classmates to serve in these roles. Reunion chairs for each class are the primary contacts for the Alumnae Association staff. 

All Reunion Chairs (as well as other class officers) should review our Reunion Chair Handbook, which is full of important information on planning your class's celebration. 

Alumnae fundraising volunteers are the backbone of Wellesley’s efforts in securing immediate-impact and long-term philanthropic support for the College. Whether it be as a Wellesley Fund class representative, a Durant Society class representative, or a Gift Planning class chair, volunteers partner with The Wellesley Fund and Gift Planning staff in coordinated outreach efforts. Through their own gift commitment and by spreading the word to their classmates and alumnae networks, they strengthen the Wellesley experience for today’s students.

Wellesley Fund and Durant Society class representatives work with their Wellesley Fund staff liaisons to set participation goals for their class, recruit and manage a team of assistant representatives, solicit and thank classmates for their generosity.

Gift Planning class chairs work closely with the Director of Gift Planning to educate classmates about the many planned gift vehicles that allow alumnae and friends to leave a lasting legacy at Wellesley. For guidance on this volunteer role, contact either The Wellesley Fund at twf@wellesley.edu, or the Office of Gift Planning at giftplanning@wellesley.edu

Class communications are sent exclusively through the WCAA-hosted website platform and its email messaging system, which is tied to the College database and stays up-to-date with any address changes. At least one person on your board should be fluent in this platform.

We strongly recommend each class appoints a Communication Chair who will be responsible for learning how to send class e-blasts and update the class website. Another officer can also take on this role if necessary. 

Complete administrative website training is available online, including instructional videos, a written manuals, and a robust FAQ. 

What Your Website Can Do

Your group’s website has many features beyond sending emails. Here are some highlights:

• Collect registration information and/or sell tickets for an event

• List events on your calendar and the WCAA’s all-alum calendar

• Host an archive of previous all-class emails

• Host video and audio files 

• Post photo galleries

• See who has read or clicked on an email blast sent to the class
   

Alums can also log into your class site to update their profile information, including contact info, dorm history, career history, religious affiliation, and more, which makes it easier to connect with classmates.

Class Notes

Class secretaries are responsible for soliciting and compiling class notes four times a year for Wellesley magazine. Calls for notes can be sent out via the class’s email system, and replies can be set up to automatically reply to your class secretary. 

For more details, please refer to the Class Secretary section above or to the guide provided to all secretaries by magazine staff. 

Mailings

In an effort to reduce our environmental impact, the Alumnae Association no longer facilitates paper mailings for classes after 1969. Classmates without email addresses will receive a save-the-date postcard in the year leading up to Reunion so they are aware of upcoming celebrations..

Social Media

Groups may choose to run their own social media channels via Facebook, Instagram, etc. 

The Alumnae Association does not monitor or maintain those accounts and we ask that you follow our suggested Social Media Guidelines. 

Be sure to encourage classmates to follow the Alumnae Association’s social media accounts so they can keep up to date on our all-alum programming and campus news!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wellesleyalums/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wellesleyalums/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/wellesleyalums

Email Troubleshooting

Classmates may contact you with concerns that they are not receiving email communications. There are many factors that can be at play when it comes to emails not being received. Please invite them to review this guide which will walk them through steps to help messages from Wellesley make it into their inbox.

Appropriate Use of Alumnae Information 

Current alumnae volunteers may be given access to alumnae information. The information provided is for official Wellesley College alumnae use only. Use of the information for any non-Wellesley College Alumnae Association purpose—including but not limited to solicitation of any kind; reproducing and storing in a retrieval system by any means, electronic or mechanical; photocopying; or use of the addresses or other information for any mailing other than alumnae related events—is strictly prohibited. Any misuse of the data may result in legal action from the Wellesley College Alumnae Association. 

The information provided is maintained by the Wellesley College Alumnae Association database and is accurate as of the date it was retrieved. 

Wellesley College takes seriously its responsibility to protect the privacy of the members of the Wellesley College community. We have recently updated our Privacy Notice, which should make it easier for you to understand what information we collect, why we collect it, and how it’s used. 

If you have any questions about appropriate usage of either alumnae information, contact alumnae@wellesley.edu.

Death of a Classmate

A challenging aspect of being a class officer is communicating the news of a classmate's death to the class. Many times, classmates hear about a death before the College does. 

Please relay this news to your key contact or alumnae@wellesley.edu. When we receive news of a death, we include it in a monthly report distributed to class leaders. This notification contains date of death and the most recent address on file for the deceased alum, unless an alternate contact address is specified by a family member.

It is generally the purview of the class secretary to determine how the news of a classmate’s death is reported to the class. While a mention of the alum’s passing in the class notes is required, the secretary should work with the board to determine whether a 100-word memorial will be submitted to the magazine, or if you will send an email to classmates via our online communications system. 

Please note that you may not share any external fundraising information over the Alumnae Association online platform. If there are any fundraising efforts following the death of a classmate, you may include a line that directs alums to an outside contact. For example:  For more information about how to support X’s family in the wake of this tragedy, please contact Y.

 

New technologies like Zoom have allowed clubs to host virtual programming, with excellent results. 

The WCAA encourages clubs to consider hosting occasional virtual programming, which is often more accessible to older alums or those with busy schedules. When hosting a virtual program, you have the option to invite an alum speaker from a faraway club, host a student panel, or invite other participants from outside your club region. Virtual events are an easy way to host a low or no-cost event, be it a demonstration, presentation, or discussion using breakout rooms. 

Many boards have also found Zoom to be a convenient way to meet and plan together. The WCAA has a dedicated Zoom account for volunteers to use for meetings and programming purposes. Volunteers are responsible for booking their own meetings and ensuring there are no conflicts with other alumnae groups. For information on how to access this volunteer Zoom account, please ask your WCAA key contact. 

In addition to this handbook, the WCAA has many online resources, tools, webinars, and guidelines available for your use. To view our other resources, please visit our For All Volunteers page.