UMass-Amherst could drop alumni group membership fee
The University of Massachusetts at Amherst has drawn a lot of heat for failing to attract more graduates into the fold. Just 3 percent of graduates of the state’s flagship university belong to the alumni association, far less than at many rival state schools.
But the association is considering several ways to restructure its membership model to be more “inclusive of all alumni,’’ said an alumni association representative.
One way to boost membership would be to simply make all graduates automatic members and do away with the $40 annual dues. A number of alumni associations at public universities have recently adopted a nondues model, including Rutgers University, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, the University of Colorado at Boulder, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, according to the UMass Alumni Association.
A more robust alumni association could help the university raise more money, gain political clout, recruit students, and enhance its image. Some schools that included optional donations to their alumni associations instead of charging standard membership dues have found their alumni to be more generous. Any change to the UMass association wouldn’t occur for about a year.
UMass has more than 215,000 alumni around the world and 35 alumni clubs around the country. But only about 6,000 belong to the alumni association. Members receive discounts to career workshops, receptions, and athletic events. Although membership is low, nearly 25,000 alumni attended association events this year, and nearly 90,000 receive its monthly electronic newsletter.
Last Monday, the school debuted an accelerated program that would allow latecomers to earn a semester’s worth of academic credit at a fraction of the cost. The program drew 21 students, many of whom chose to start at Dean rather than lose an entire semester after their financial aid packages came through too late to enroll elsewhere, said Patricia Samson, a Dean spokeswoman.
The students have the option of taking three to five classes, including general education courses designed just for the program, and receive intensive tutoring - all for a reduced tuition of $3,600 to $5,400, depending on the number of courses, for the semester. (Dean charges $28,000 for a full-year’s tuition for students who started just after Labor Day.)
The semester wraps up in mid-December, the same time as the rest of the school. In January, the small group matriculates into the college’s regular courses on schedule with the rest of their classmates. The bargain price does not carry forward.
According to the recently released 2009 Trojan Sexual Health Report Card, Harvard ranks 62 out of 141 American colleges and universities on availability of sexual health information and resources. That’s a slide of 37 spots from last year.
Boston College held steady near the end of the list at 126.
For the report, the condom company compiled data from campus health centers and student opinion polls about a range of sexual health topics, including the availability and cost of condoms and other contraceptives, HIV testing, the availability of sexual assault programs, and anonymous sex-related advice via e-mail or newspaper column.
Who’s number one at disseminating sexual health information? The University of South Carolina, besting Stanford University (2), the University of Connecticut (3), Columbia University, (4) and Florida Atlantic University (5.)
Dartmouth College made gains in this year’s report, the fourth annual report card - advancing to number 19 (up from 68 in 2008.)
The Quad is a collection of doings on local campuses. For online updates, go to www.boston.com/MetroDesk and click on The Quad category. To submit tips, contact Tracy Jan at tjan@globe.com. 
