Office of Alumni Engagement
Volunteer
We value the contributions of alumni and encourage you to find a volunteer activity that interests you. We offer many ways for you to stay engaged.
How would you like to contribute?
There are many opportunities for you to engage with fellow Obies in your region. Learn more about regional communities, host an alumni event, or volunteer as a regional coordinator!
Class Officers and Class Connectors
Class Officers and Class Connectors are key Oberlin advocates, helping to keep classmates connected and engaged while strengthening Oberlin for future generations.
Class Officers (2001 and prior)
Class Connectors (2002-present)
Reunion Planning Committee Member
Reunion Planning Committee Members make reunion weekends a success with their energy, enthusiasm, and ideas to ensure programming is relevant to fellow classmates. Whether you contribute by organizing programs and events, fundraising in support of your reunion year, or encouraging friends to come back to campus, you’re helping to make the weekend a meaningful and entertaining experience for alumni.
The interaction alumni have with prospective students is critical in bringing Oberlin to life and in ultimately encouraging a student to apply and enroll at Oberlin. Volunteers can help by representing Oberlin at a college fair, by speaking with students at receptions, and by interviewing students.
More information, including the Alumni Recruiter Information Form, is available online at the Alumni Recruiting Network.
There are several ways to share your expertise with the campus community!
Click on the name of the role to view a position description and additional details about how to get invovled.
Internship Host
Internships provide the critical link between classroom learning and real-world experience, as well as helping students develop the professional skills they need to succeed. As an Internship Host, alumni have an opportunity to share their expertise with current Oberlin students while gaining an eager and capable intern to support their company or organization.
Alumni may choose to host an Oberlin intern(s) during Winter Term or offer a Summer Experience.
Winter Term Micro-internship Program: Winter Term Micro-internships are project-based learning opportunities providing students with hands-on experience within a specific career field. They are short-term, unpaid (but providing academic credit), 100-hour projects that take place every January. For more details, please visit the Winter Term Micro-Internship website.
Summer Internships: Summer internships vary in length and scope. Typically these are paid experiences ranging from 6 to 12 weeks (240 hours or longer) depending on start/end dates. These opportunities include internships, research positions, pre-professional experiences, and performance-focused roles that are integral to a student's academic and career trajectory.
Career Presenter/Panelist
Career Presenters/Panelists play a vital role in bridging the gap between academic learning and the professional world. By sharing real-world, up-to-date information on industry trends, career pathways, and essential skills, they provide students with valuable insights into various fields and professions. Additionally, through telling the story of their own personal career journey, they help students appreciate the diverse paths that can lead to success and encourage them to set and achieve their own career goals.
Through interaction with presenters/panelists, students gain confidence in communicating with professionals, asking insightful questions, and making meaningful connections that can support their future careers.
Typically, these volunteers are identified/recruited by a CED staff member.
Campus Presenter/Panelist
The Campus Presenter or Panelist participates in the life of the Oberlin community by enhancing the curricular and/or co-curricular education of students. Presenters offer students real-world and contemporary information about subject matter and possible career opportunities to assist in the students’ educational and professional development.
Typically, these volunteers are identified/recruited by faculty, staff, or student organization members and their visits to the classroom/campus are arranged with their campus hosts.
Bringing Alumni to Campus for Speaking Engagements
Alumni in Service to Oberlin College (ASOC)
The Marjorie Wood Brittingham '60 Alumni in Service to Oberlin College (ASOC) fund was established by the Alumni Association to help academic departments, programs, and student groups bring alumni back to campus to lecture and meet with current students and other community members.
Administered by the Office of Alumni Engagement, and named to honor Marjorie Wood Brittingham '60 for her 27 years of service to her alma mater as the Executive Director of the Oberlin Alumni Association, the fund provides grants of up to $500 to help defray transportation, housing, and meal expenses when alumni are invited to be speakers or workshop leaders for events on campus.
The sponsoring department/organization is responsible for arranging the campus visit. While in town, alumni give speeches, lead workshops, and participate in informal discussions with faculty, staff, and students. They also meet with alumni office staff over breakfast to discuss their visit and life after Oberlin.
Two to six weeks lead time is suggested. Applications must be submitted at least 2 weeks prior to the event date to be considered.
Questions? Contact the Office of Alumni Engagement at alumni@oberlin.edu or 440.775.8692.