Collaboration Is Key

With some clubs finding it difficult to organize area events, a few regional clubs have openly embraced the idea of cross programming with other schools such as IvyPlus colleges, which include the Ivy League Colleges, Seven Sisters, and other prestigious schools who have a special connection with one of the Ivys or Sisters. Many IvyPlus groups coordinate an array of events such as happy hours, cruises, dinners, family outings, and many other events.

The term Ivy League was established in 1954, but the tag can be credited to Caswell Adams of the New York Tribune in 1937. The League consists of eight prestigious East Coast colleges (Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, University of Pennsylvania, Princeton, and Yale), which were once known solely for their achievements in athletics. Today these institutes are nationally recognized for their high academic standards and alumnae/i success, while still successfully competing in Division I athletics. Although the IvyPlus organization derives its name from the term “Ivy League,” a third of the IvyPlus union includes the distinguished “Seven Sisters” (Barnard, Bryn Mawr, Mount Holyoke, Radcliffe, Smith, Vassar, and Wellesley).

The final component of the Ivy Plus organization is with colleges that the Ivy or Sister schools feel a special bond to and wish to share in events with. Many of our Vassar Clubs participate in events with fellow Seven Siblings, Ivy League, and other colleges such as Air Force Academy, Amherst, Berkeley, Cambridge, Duke, Emory, Georgetown, Kellogg, MIT, Oxford, Stanford, Stern, Swarthmore, U of Chicago, West Point, and Williams.

While IvyPlus is a great group to be a part of, many cities do not have a local chapter, and therefore should contact AAVC or other local colleges to find out how to cross-program with other alumnae/i groups. Cross programming is beneficial to both volunteers and participants. You have a chance to share best practices and responsibilities with other club leaders and meet like-minded alumnae/i in areas that may be sparsely populated.

Check out some of last fiscal year’s (July 1, 2007 – June 30, 2008) IvyPlus events that have been hosted and attended by Vassar College.