To all Naval Academy alumni:
Last June, I communicated to you that the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association Board of Trustees stood up a committee of alumni to “review all aspects of our Alumni Association mission, board policy, processes, recruitment and succession planning.” Upon completing their important tasking, this Special Committee on Alumni Culture, Diversity and Inclusion turned over their recommendations to the Board at its December 2020 meeting. Subsequently, the Board adopted one of the key Special Committee recommendations and established a new board committee to integrate and continue our focused efforts.
A specific assignment for our new Board Ad Hoc Committee (Action Committee on Alumni Culture, Diversity and Inclusion) is to deploy a survey that includes important questions related to culture, diversity and inclusion. While we have been able to implement some immediate changes in our operations and programming related to diversity and inclusion, giving all alumni an opportunity to provide input and feedback in this process that will guide lasting and meaningful changes and improvements for our alumni community and Association has been at the top of our to-do list. That time has now come.
Also, the opportunity to survey the entire alumni population at this critical time in our Association’s history allows us to broaden the scope of feedback gathered to inform our 2030 strategic planning efforts. In addition to questions directly related to the strategic imperative of culture, equity, diversity and inclusion, you will find questions around all aspects of the Alumni Association’s and Foundation’s mission and activities. The last time the Association conducted a census survey of this magnitude was in 2010. The results of that survey provided actionable feedback and strategic direction for more than a decade.
This Wednesday, 31 March, you will receive an email inviting you to take an online survey. The email will come directly from our partner SimpsonScarborough, a higher education research firm who will assist us in conducting this research. Your input is critical to the success of this study, so please look for this email in your inbox or other folders later this week: (simpsonscarborough @ research.simpsonscarborough.com), Also, your responses will be submitted directly to SimpsonScarborough and will be kept strictly confidential.
Please let me emphasize, we want your input. It is needed to ensure we have the vital data and information to inform our path forward together. Thank you, in advance, for your participation and support.
Sam
ADM Samuel J. Locklear III ’77, USN (Ret.)
Chairman, U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association Board of Trustees