Membership in the MSUAA is now going to be FREE

Greetings from East Lansing! As a current life member of the MSU Alumni Association (MSUAA), I wanted to inform you of an exciting evolution in our membership program.

On July 1, 2016, membership in the MSU Alumni Association (MSUAA) will no longer be fee-based, signaling a new model that welcomes each and every Spartan. As part of this transition, the university is also acknowledging alumni and friends who contribute at least $100 annually between July 1 and June 30 to the college or program of their choice. In appreciation of this investment, MSU will consider all of these donors as Spartan Loyal and they will receive enhanced services and recognition.

Here is what this change means for you:

The fact that you invested in the MSUAA as a life member demonstrates that you understand the long-term importance of financial support to the institution. We value and respect the financial investment that you’ve made, and we are committed to honoring it moving forward. All MSUAA life members will be considered permanent Spartan Loyal donors and will receive the associated services and recognition, regardless of whether they make annual contributions.

Until June 30, 2016 you may use your existing membership card to access MSUAA’s member benefits. Each July beginning in 2016, you’ll be able to download a new Spartan Loyal card from the MSU Alumni Association website to access Spartan Loyal services and recognition for the next twelve months.

Although your services and recognition will remain the same regardless, I hope that you will consider making additional financial commitments to support the outstanding research, teaching and student development at Michigan State University.

Our frequently asked questions will help answer questions you may have about this transition. Should you have additional questions, please feel free to contact MSU Alumni Association Marketing Director Maria Giggy by email at giggym@msu.edu or by calling 877-MSU-ALUM.

Thank you again for all you continue to do in support of MSU and the MSUAA.

In Spartan Spirit,


Scott Westerman
Executive Director
MSU Alumni Association

Other Teams Pursuing That wrote:So after this summer, what are the benefits to joining?

Turtleneck wrote:

Other Teams Pursuing That wrote:So after this summer, what are the benefits to joining?

You actually lose benefits after your graduate. No more beer on the back of Bob Sak's labor...or Mrs. Sak's labor...or his kid's labor...or Mrs. Sak's dog's labor. I don't know who the earner is in the household.

Turtleneck wrote:

Other Teams Pursuing That wrote:So after this summer, what are the benefits to joining?

You actually lose benefits after your graduate. No more beer on the back of Bob Sak's labor...or Mrs. Sak's labor...or his kid's labor...or Mrs. Sak's dog's labor. I don't know who the earner is in the household.

Other Teams Pursuing That wrote:So after this summer, what are the benefits to joining?

Other Teams Pursuing That wrote:

Turtleneck wrote:

You actually lose benefits after your graduate. No more beer on the back of Bob Sak's labor...or Mrs. Sak's labor...or his kid's labor...or Mrs. Sak's dog's labor. I don't know who the earner is in the household.

The possibility of grad school is still there, for sure at least within a year. Can I still ride their coat tails then?

I'm a 4 and done Bob..

Robert J Sakimano wrote:

Other Teams Pursuing That wrote:



The possibility of grad school is still there, for sure at least within a year. Can I still ride their coat tails then?

I'm a 4 and done Bob..

I was a 5 and half and done.. then grad school.. then some more grad school..

I blame the officiating.

Other Teams Pursuing That wrote:

Robert J Sakimano wrote:I was a 5 and half and done.. then grad school.. then some more grad school..

I blame the officiating.

Coming from someone who does not want to graduate, that sounds pretty swell.

Heat Miser wrote:Haven't got the email yet as I'm also a life member, so it doesn't really matter to me, but it's interesting to try and noodle out the angle here.

1. MSUAA just gave up all it's revenue.
2. One would have to assume that they'll get a % of donations from everywhere else to make up for that. Which means...
3. Everyone else is giving up a % of their donations & hoping that is offset by new $$$ that normally would have gone to MSUAA.
4. I'm hoping this was decided after looking at how other schools do it.

I assume the current annual MSUAA membership was less than $100, so the threshold has been increased across the board?
I assume athletics are included in "the college or program of their choice". If so...

You donate $100/year to MSU Athletics & you get all the old MSUAA benefits + the MSU Athletics benefits. Sounds all right. I was giving $100+/year to MSU athletics anyway.

Giant Moose wrote:

Heat Miser wrote:Haven't got the email yet as I'm also a life member, so it doesn't really matter to me, but it's interesting to try and noodle out the angle here.

1. MSUAA just gave up all it's revenue.
2. One would have to assume that they'll get a % of donations from everywhere else to make up for that. Which means...
3. Everyone else is giving up a % of their donations & hoping that is offset by new $$$ that normally would have gone to MSUAA.
4. I'm hoping this was decided after looking at how other schools do it.

I assume the current annual MSUAA membership was less than $100, so the threshold has been increased across the board?
I assume athletics are included in "the college or program of their choice". If so...

You donate $100/year to MSU Athletics & you get all the old MSUAA benefits + the MSU Athletics benefits. Sounds all right. I was giving $100+/year to MSU athletics anyway.

I think they are just trying to get as many living Spartans signed up as possible, so they have recent contact information for them. Then they'll try to convince these Spartans to join the Spartan Loyal program by reaching out to them in various ways.

Giant Moose wrote:I've been an annual member on and off, but every time I have joined I didn't feel like it provided anything of real value so I end up not renewing.

Other Teams Pursuing That wrote:

Robert J Sakimano wrote:I was a 5 and half and done.. then grad school.. then some more grad school..

I blame the officiating.

Coming from someone who does not want to graduate, that sounds pretty swell.

Giant Moose wrote:

Other Teams Pursuing That wrote:



Coming from someone who does not want to graduate, that sounds pretty swell.

I loved my MSU years, but when you start making money to be able to afford stuff when you are in your mid-20s and still young enough to not have that much responsibility was one of my favorite times.

Heat Miser wrote:Haven't got the email yet as I'm also a life member, so it doesn't really matter to me, but it's interesting to try and noodle out the angle here.

1. MSUAA just gave up all it's revenue.
2. One would have to assume that they'll get a % of donations from everywhere else to make up for that. Which means...
3. Everyone else is giving up a % of their donations & hoping that is offset by new $$$ that normally would have gone to MSUAA.
4. I'm hoping this was decided after looking at how other schools do it.

I assume the current annual MSUAA membership was less than $100, so the threshold has been increased across the board?
I assume athletics are included in "the college or program of their choice". If so...

You donate $100/year to MSU Athletics & you get all the old MSUAA benefits + the MSU Athletics benefits. Sounds all right. I was giving $100+/year to MSU athletics anyway.

Heat Miser wrote:

Giant Moose wrote:I've been an annual member on and off, but every time I have joined I didn't feel like it provided anything of real value so I end up not renewing.

Though I have gotten some trinkets here & there at football games & the quarterly magazine is nice (wonder what happens to that?), in my case it was never about "what's in it for me". Just wanted to support the U & give back. I've made a lot of money in my lifetime thanks in large part to MSU.

Giant Moose wrote:

Heat Miser wrote:

Though I have gotten some trinkets here & there at football games & the quarterly magazine is nice (wonder what happens to that?), in my case it was never about "what's in it for me". Just wanted to support the U & give back. I've made a lot of money in my lifetime thanks in large part to MSU.

Yeah, I get that. I usually send some money to a club I was in because I appreciated what they did for me while I was at State. I wonder how that falls into this new thing.

Just being part of the alumni association itself never has felt significant to me for whatever reason even when I've convinced myself to do an annual membership. I feel like some other schools use their alumni associating better for networking and helping advance your career, but I never got that impression from MSU as a Spartan living out of state. I guess that's where I have a disconnect with it. It doesn't seem that useful.

Giant Moose wrote:

Heat Miser wrote:

Though I have gotten some trinkets here & there at football games & the quarterly magazine is nice (wonder what happens to that?), in my case it was never about "what's in it for me". Just wanted to support the U & give back. I've made a lot of money in my lifetime thanks in large part to MSU.

Yeah, I get that. I usually send some money to a club I was in because I appreciated what they did for me while I was at State. I wonder how that falls into this new thing.

Just being part of the alumni association itself never has felt significant to me for whatever reason even when I've convinced myself to do an annual membership. I feel like some other schools use their alumni associating better for networking and helping advance your career, but I never got that impression from MSU as a Spartan living out of state. I guess that's where I have a disconnect with it. It doesn't seem that useful.

Heat Miser wrote:

Giant Moose wrote:

I think they are just trying to get as many living Spartans signed up as possible, so they have recent contact information for them. Then they'll try to convince these Spartans to join the Spartan Loyal program by reaching out to them in various ways.

That doesn't make sense to me. If I'm understanding this all correctly, Spartan Loyal basically replaces MSUAA. There is no longer a life membership. You have to give $100+ somewhere every year to be Spartan Loyal. Obviously they'll keep the MSUAA list & try to convert everyone, but I don't see any big free info grab here.

MiamiSpartan wrote:

Heat Miser wrote:

Giant Moose wrote:

I think they are just trying to get as many living Spartans signed up as possible, so they have recent contact information for them. Then they'll try to convince these Spartans to join the Spartan Loyal program by reaching out to them in various ways.

That doesn't make sense to me. If I'm understanding this all correctly, Spartan Loyal basically replaces MSUAA. There is no longer a life membership. You have to give $100+ somewhere every year to be Spartan Loyal. Obviously they'll keep the MSUAA list & try to convert everyone, but I don't see any big free info grab here.

They don't really say if there will be benefits for the free members (the e-mail was sent to lifetime members, so free membership is irrelevant to that e-mail).  I would think that the car rental, hotel, insurance companies, etc. would be happy to have so many more potential customers, even at a little bit of a discount (after all, what are discounts if not incentives for customers to choose a business?).  Maybe they add some new/extra benefits for Spartan Loyal?  

I do think a big part of it is expanding that database to reach more alumni.  Not so more people can receive the magazine, but to communicate with more alumni, and ultimately reach more people for potential donations.  The University can only just telemarket you to death (and they weren't very good at that), but the Alumni Association is already constantly engaging the alumni, so the fundraising can now piggy back on that engagement in a new way.

All alumni and university donors will receive a basic level of services and recognition from the MSU Alumni Association.

Those making a minimum gift of $100 annually to the MSU college or program of their choice will receive the Spartan Loyal designation with enhanced services and recognition....

Heat Miser wrote:

MiamiSpartan wrote:
They don't really say if there will be benefits for the free members (the e-mail was sent to lifetime members, so free membership is irrelevant to that e-mail).  I would think that the car rental, hotel, insurance companies, etc. would be happy to have so many more potential customers, even at a little bit of a discount (after all, what are discounts if not incentives for customers to choose a business?).  Maybe they add some new/extra benefits for Spartan Loyal?  

I do think a big part of it is expanding that database to reach more alumni.  Not so more people can receive the magazine, but to communicate with more alumni, and ultimately reach more people for potential donations.  The University can only just telemarket you to death (and they weren't very good at that), but the Alumni Association is already constantly engaging the alumni, so the fundraising can now piggy back on that engagement in a new way.

Where are you getting that there will be a free option? I'm pretty sure you gotta give something to be in the club.

All alumni and university donors will receive a basic level of services and recognition from the MSU Alumni Association.

Those making a minimum gift of $100 annually to the MSU college or program of their choice will receive the Spartan Loyal designation with enhanced services and recognition....

http://alumni.msu.edu/membership/

MiamiSpartan wrote:

Heat Miser wrote:

MiamiSpartan wrote:
They don't really say if there will be benefits for the free members (the e-mail was sent to lifetime members, so free membership is irrelevant to that e-mail).  I would think that the car rental, hotel, insurance companies, etc. would be happy to have so many more potential customers, even at a little bit of a discount (after all, what are discounts if not incentives for customers to choose a business?).  Maybe they add some new/extra benefits for Spartan Loyal?  

I do think a big part of it is expanding that database to reach more alumni.  Not so more people can receive the magazine, but to communicate with more alumni, and ultimately reach more people for potential donations.  The University can only just telemarket you to death (and they weren't very good at that), but the Alumni Association is already constantly engaging the alumni, so the fundraising can now piggy back on that engagement in a new way.

Where are you getting that there will be a free option? I'm pretty sure you gotta give something to be in the club.

All alumni and university donors will receive a basic level of services and recognition from the MSU Alumni Association.

Those making a minimum gift of $100 annually to the MSU college or program of their choice will receive the Spartan Loyal designation with enhanced services and recognition....

http://alumni.msu.edu/membership/

The first sentence of the letter that I posted:

"On July 1, 2016, membership in the MSU Alumni Association (MSUAA) will no longer be fee-based, signaling a new model that welcomes each and every Spartan."

and from the link you posted:

"As of July 1, 2016, membership in the MSUAA will no longer be fee-based, being replaced by a two-tiered structure of services and recognition for alumni and friends of MSU.

All alumni and university donors will receive a basic level of services and recognition from the MSU Alumni Association"

Heat Miser wrote:Additional info:

A Future Without Dues