The Professor Alumni Link (PAL) experiential education program can be used to support professors who maintain meaningful ties to their former students.
When professors engage their former students/alumni, the Alumni Engagement Team can offer from among the following:
- Thank-you gifts for the alumni volunteers
- Meal reimbursement for professors and alumni
- Complimentary alumni parking
- Other – to be considered based on request
The PAL fund will be distributed on a rolling basis until it is depleted. Professors can access the fund by emailing Issa Abdi Jamaa.
“The Professor Alumni Link Program is an innovative program that supports bringing alumni into our classrooms, which will directly enhance experiential education.”
— Dr. Danielle Robinson, Co-Creator of C4 and the York Capstone Network.
The PAL program allowed me to invite an alumnus to speak to current students in the GLBL 3581 – “South Korea: The Politics of Youth and Old Age course”. The course is a summer study abroad offering by the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies that takes undergraduate students to Seoul, South Korea, for three weeks. Having a former student in the course speak to current students before they depart for Asia was extraordinarily helpful given the unique nature of the course. Jamie was able to provide his perspective on the experience and answer student questions. The PAL program allowed students to fully engage with the course material and to appreciate the unparalleled learning opportunity.
— Thomas R Klassen, Professor, School of Public Policy and Administration
I want to express my gratitude to York University’s alumni engagement team for their fantastic support in helping me find guest speakers for my Staffing course in the Master’s of Human Resource Management program. They understood my needs, recommended alumni who fit my criteria, and even reached out on my behalf. Alyson, Evan and Yas were incredibly helpful. They not only connected me with alumni but also took care of details like providing a parking pass and York-branded goodies for the guest speakers. Their communication was excellent throughout the process. The collaboration had a positive impact on my students, who enjoyed meeting York alumni, learning from their experiences, and building valuable connections. Overall, working with York University’s alumni engagement team was an amazing experience. Big thanks to Alyson, Evan, and Yas for their support in making this collaboration successful.
— Duygu Biricik Gulseren, Professor, School of Human Resources Management
