March 18, 2020
Dear Alumnae,
We wanted to reach out to you again during this challenging time to update you about the operating status of the Associate Alumnae of Douglass College.
After careful consideration, we have reluctantly decided to suspend all of our upcoming spring events, including AADC Alumnae Reunion Weekend. This move was made in accordance with Rutgers’ decision to suspend all commencements as well as other planned events and with the priority of your health and safety in mind. All campus facilities have been closed indefinitely.
We know all of you who were planning to attend Reunion will be disappointed, but the idea of trying to conduct an event that potentially could jeopardize the health and safety of our beloved alumnae made this the only choice. Changing our plans to see our Milestone classes march down the aisle of Voorhees Chapel is unfortunate, particularly for the class of 1970 as they mark their 50th Reunion.
Ideally, we would postpone Reunion Weekend and our other events and announce alternate dates, but with the uncertainty of conditions around us, we are unsure of any future plans at this time. We will be in touch with alumnae regarding refunds.
As for the AADC itself, the Ruth Schilling Hennessy Alumnae Center on campus has been closed and the AADC staff housed there are working from their homes. They have access to email and can retrieve voice mail messages, and they will respond to any questions you may have, although you may experience some delays.
We have canceled our in-person Spring Alumnae Council Meeting, originally scheduled for April 18. We have already contacted alumnae who have registered and offered a refund to those who planned to attend the AADC Celebrates Founders Day and Alumnae Awards Luncheon on that day.
The Executive Committee and our dedicated staff have developed an alternate way to keep Alumnae Council members, class officers, committee chairs, etc., who make up Alumnae Council informed. Information packets will be sent via email to those Council members with email addresses on file. This information will be mailed to Alumnae Council members with no email address on file.
Since elections for Board members and Nominating Committee members are held at the spring meeting and provisions must include the opportunity to accept nominations from the floor, the mailing will include a Nomination Form with instructions on how Alumnae Council representatives can nominate people from “the virtual floor.” Any additional nominations will be included in a Ballot that will be sent to active Alumnae Council members to vote.
Handling the Alumnae Council meeting this way is similar to the actions we took in 2012, after Hurricane Sandy’s devastating impact on this area. Any active AADC members who have questions or would like to request additional information may contact the AADC at douglassalumnae@douglassalumnae.org.
We will continue to keep alumnae informed as developments occur. We encourage you to share these updates with your alumnae friends and classmates to be sure that they are up-to-date on the latest AADC information. These messages will be archived on our website to provide continuity of information: douglassalumnae.org
Your well-being as well as that of the entire community is our priority. Please check on your sister alumnae during these difficult days. Sometimes just a friendly voice can bring comfort to those who are in distress. We also encourage you to follow the appropriate guidelines and take every precaution to ensure your health and safety.
Helen Galt '69, Acting President
AADC
