Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Office of Alumni Relations – The Red & White Student Organization Red & White Student Organization Web site - http://redandwhite.alumni.rpi.edu/

Program Overview: The Traditions program was created in 2009 by the Red & White Student Organization in conjunction with the Office of Alumni Relations. The program seeks to share the history and tradition of Rensselaer with the entire campus community. The Traditions Tour is a unique campus tour for incoming freshman during the Office of the First-Year Experience’s “Navigating Rensselaer and Beyond” week. It is designed to connect new students to Rensselaer, its faculty, staff, fellow students, alumni, and the community, and to introduce them to the many traditions of Rensselaer. The Traditions Tour is a scavenger-hunt style activity that guides students through campus to unique locations, showcasing traditions along the way. Stops allow first-year students to discover customs such as “hockey line,” learn cheers for sporting events and the alma mater, and become acquainted with campus history and lore. Members of the Red & White Student Organization help to plan and are a major part of the day-long program. The students are lead by Red & White members, while young alumni rotate to join each group to give the new students some insight into their Rensselaer experience. At each location students are greeted by alumni from a range of class years (from the 50s to the Class of 2010) who introduce the traditions from all eras. At each location, students receive puzzle pieces, which they arrange to form the alma mater at the end of the day. In addition to six 45-minute stops during the day, students are treated to a “Taste of Troy” lunch, featuring food from the various local restaurants they will become familiar with while at Rensselaer. The day ends with the assembly of the teams’ puzzle, and the group singing of the alma mater. Students leave the program with some fun prizes, new friends, and a sense of the history and tradition they are now a part of. All of the objectives of the program support the institutional mission by creating opportunities to enhance the student experience at Rensselaer. The incoming students gain an understanding of, and a connection to, the history and tradition of the Institute. This creates a sense of pride in belonging to the community, and a closer tie to the Institute, which will help keep them connected after they graduate, and inspire them to continue their support of and involvement with Rensselaer. Their new-found friendships and that sense of pride and community assist in the goal of student retention. In addition, the students are exposed to the Alumni Relations Office, and the Red & White Student Organization, so they are aware of the programs, services, and opportunities available to them through these groups. Their connections to alumni gave them an opportunity to network and get support from people who have been in their position once, and can offer great advice. The alumni also gain a great deal from their interactions with the students, and the program engages them in a meaningful way with their alma mater. They get the opportunity to do one of the things they most request – interact with students. In fact, our alumni volunteers say they gain as much from the day as do the student participants. Campus volunteers included Greek representatives, institute advancement staff, student leaders, the Model Railroad Club, Institute Archives staff, Rensselaer Union staff, and coaches and players from the men’s hockey team. The program itself is part of the First-Year Experience’s “Navigating Rensselaer and Beyond” program, and involves department and programs across campus, encouraging leveraging and close interaction among these departments and alumni relations. This involvement promotes a greater awareness of the mission of the alumni office to our campus partners. The student’s exposure to these other departments also strengthens their connections to the various aspects of campus. The program has grown since its first year, including a larger number alumni, up from 15 to 30 volunteers throughout the day. The program continues to sell out quickly during the Student Orientation registration. Objectives:

Allow first-year students to learn about the history and many traditions of Rensselaer, and to interact with alumni on their very first day on campus.

Collaborate with the Office of the First-Year Experience, and with various campus departments to produce program components

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Red & White Student Organization

Allow students to interact with other new first-year students, giving them the opportunity to meet new friends and feel more comfortable at Rensselaer.

Allow alumni to interact with students. Showcase campus locations that are unique, giving students an “insider” perspective of their new surroundings

Target Audience: Our target audiences are both the first-year students who attend the program, and the alumni volunteers who work at it. Maximum attendance at the program is 40 students, and the program sold out very quickly. Budget: $1,000 total, including prizes, handout materials, and the “Taste of Troy” lunch (much of the meal is donated by local businesses). The breakdown is:

$400 – Traditions Tee Shirts $500 – Taste of Troy Lunch – Local Companies donate some of their food to the program. $100 – Prizes for winning team

Measures of Success: First-year students became familiar with each other, the campus, and with Rensselaer history and traditions from their first day on campus. Students were able to interact with each other, with staff, and with alumni from different eras. Many of the students expressed great gratitude for the program, and were honored to be a part of it. (See quotes below from the post-program survey.) “A Puzzled Past” had a tremendous impact on Red & White students who led the tours as well, and the program became one of the most-talked about experiences of the year. The Office of the First-Year Experience was impressed with the success of the program, and has asked that it be continued. For the past two summers, the Traditions Tour program was held. Over 40 alumni participated in a meaningful and fun volunteer experience that allowed them to interact with current students. The program was featured in “The Polytechnic,” the student-run newspaper, with a story from a writer who had participated. The fact that the program could only accommodate 40 participants, and sold out so quickly, is a testament to the interest it generated among incoming students. Alumni and staff have requested that we explore presenting this tour during Reunion & Homecoming Weekend, as well as Parent’s Weekend.