On behalf of the AADC Board of Directors and staff, I want to extend my sincerest thanks to those of you who have expressed your staunch support for the AADC as we face these challenging times. Your encouraging words, expressed publicly and privately, have helped sustain us during the arduous process of working out details with Rutgers and Douglass Residential College for the future of our beloved alumnae organization, our relationship with DRC and our role within the Rutgers community.

As you are probably aware, we have been participating in mediation with Rutgers, the Rutgers University Foundation and Douglass Residential College since July, 2015. No one expected this process to go on this long, but, let me assure you that we are determined to resolve the complicated issues we have faced. Our desire is to emerge with a settlement that will assure our future as a chartered alumnae organization, recognized by Rutgers, for the 36,000 alumnae of NJC, Douglass and Douglass Residential College.

We want to update you on a recent development. You may have received a solicitation from the Rutgers University Foundation asking for your financial support on behalf of Douglass Residential College. The AADC has received a number of calls and e-mails about this appeal. To avoid confusion, please note that any money contributed to the Foundation for the benefit of DRC in this way would be collected, distributed and managed by the Rutgers University Foundation and not by the AADC. In a few weeks, the AADC will be contacting you regarding the Associate Alumnae of Douglass College Annual Appeal. Your unrestricted contribution will give us the flexibility to fund alumnae initiatives that are of the greatest priority and to support general administration, which allows us to be a best-in-class alumnae organization. Thank you in advance for your generosity.

Part of the negotiation process is the agreement by all parties that we will refrain from sharing the discussions that take place in these sessions. When the settlement has been reached, we will be communicating with our entire alumnae population. The outcome of mediation is something to which all parties must agree, unlike arbitration, which is binding, and we are working hard to resolve these issues and move forward with the AADC.

I also want to thank those of you who have provided financial assistance to the AADC. Your contributions are essential to support alumnae initiatives, develop new ones and support and sustain our operations. The AADC is your alumnae association, and we are here to serve you.

Thank you again for your continued interest and support. We hope to have more detailed information to share with you soon.