Our College community recently lost a beloved and accomplished alum in a tragic car accident. We are interested in knowing what your policies / procedures (written or unwritten) are when it comes to something like this. Anything from an internal announcement at the department level, to a dedicated 'In Memory' page on your website, to a named scholarship (at the cost of the institution) to a public-facing press release. Or other ways. Is your institutional response predicated on specific donor giving thresholds? What if your organization is feeling pressure to 'do something' significant to honor the alum? There is concern that it is a slippery slope, and we want to be mindful of not necessarily setting a precedence that would be expected every time an alum passes away. Is there a tactful and thoughtful way to honor an alum like this that doesn't alienate friends and family but also doesn't set an expectation that the same recognition must be followed again in the future? Thank you in advance for your feedback.
Regards,
Katie
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Kathryn Rusak
Director Advancement Operations
College for Creative Studies
krusak@collegeforcreativestudies.edu------------------------------