The Bucks County Community College (BCCC) Foundation is reviving its Alumni Association in hopes of generating more support from past graduates, further improving the affordability and quality of education for Bucks students.

The Alumni Association, which was shut down just over two years ago, is being reestablished with the coordinating efforts of Jackie Gear, the new alumni relations manager.

The decision to shut down the association came after the council had conducted a year-long strategic planning session. “It became apparent that we were not able to meet many of the goals and objectives we outlined for ourselves. Therefore, it was mutually decided to move in a different direction and one day revitalize the council once we were able to hire a full-time alumni relations manager which the Foundation Board approved in 2013,” said Tobias Bruhn, executive director of the BCCC Foundation and Alumni Relations.

The Foundation hired Gear in Sept. 2013 for the newly-created position. “They needed somebody in place full time to keep the efforts of the Alumni Association focused and consistent,” said Gear.

According to the Bucks website, there is a common misconception that, as a community college, Bucks relies solely on public funding, when in fact, state and county funding combine to make up only 52 percent of its revenue. The website goes on to explain that, “Over the last decade, community colleges have experienced a decrease in public funding as their programs have grown.”

According to Gear, “Money from the county and state is only a small fraction of their funding. Now is the time to focus on our alums. The college needs them now more than ever. We have an opportunity to encourage alums to become more involved in the school. We want to create more events and programs to support alums, while helping to raise awareness that current students need their help.”

Through the use of social media, Gear is aiming to engage alumni and reconnect them with the college. The Alumni Association recently held a contest on Facebook, called Love@Bucks. In this contest, ‘alumni couples’ were asked to share their story on the Foundation and Alumni Facebook page. The submission with the most likes won a $100 gift certificate to the restaurant of their choice.

The winners of this contest were Sarah Paquin and Mark DiCicco, who both graduated in 2013 from the Nursing Program at Bucks.

Paquin, 35, of Perkasie, is an Alumni Association member who says she stays up-to-date on alumni events through emails. “The emails seem to be the best way to stay informed since not everything shows up on a Facebook news feed,” said Paquin. “That is how we found out about the contest.”

“This generated a lot of Facebook traffic for the alumni page,” said Gear. She plans on posting more contests in the future in hopes of keeping alumni interested and involved.

The Alumni Association also offers events and programs to support the alumni. Some of these events even strive to connect alumni with current students.
One such event, coming up on March 18, is the Journalism Alumni Event. This event, hosted by Professor Tony Rogers, provides both students and alumni an opportunity to learn more about the Bucks Journalism Program and to network with other alumni in the industry.

“We haven’t been really visible to the current student and that’s what we’re working on changing,” said Gear.

Gear also pointed out that Alumni Association membership is open not only to Bucks’ graduates, but also to current students who have earned more than 30 credits at Bucks. “Being a member comes with many benefits, including access to the college’s online job board, college events, library services, and the pool and wellness center. Members also receive various discounts at Bucks and around the community,” Gear explains.