Welcome to the SPPG Quarterly Alumni Newsletter "Policy Forward"

One of the things that we often commented on as a class was on the diversity of experiences and backgrounds among the student group. We recognized that we all brought myriad insights, expertise, knowledge and learning to the class that made the learning rich and engaging. It is remarkable that despite all the diversity and differences, we all cared deeply about public policy. The diversity of the classes has played out nicely in the different professional opportunities that Alumni have chosen: in government, academia, not-for-profit sector and internationally. It is telling that we would discuss policy options, upcoming elections, or the domestic implications of international events at social events after-hours. We are all curious to know more about the process, incentives and implications of public policy.

As the Class of 2010 graduated last June, we put out a call to action to our class mates to join us in starting an alumni network with the vision to continue to learn from each other about public policy after we had left school.

A group of about 10 alumni from the 2009 and 2010 classes have been meeting since September to initiate the SPPG Alumni Network. We have identified two central objectives for the Network::

1. To maintain the connections and associations with the School and with each other in order to contribute to improve the policy discussion in Ontario and Canada, and

2. To leverage the skills, knowledge and resources of the alumni collective to offer support to the School of Public Policy, students, staff and faculty.

To get started on fulfilling these objectives, we have organized a number of activities this year. In the fall we hosted a session called "Homecoming: Conversations with SPPG Alumni" where recent graduates provided insightful accounts of their professional policy experiences for current students. The event was well attended and we hope we can offer a similar session in the fall of 2011. We also hosted a pub night to watch the results of the municipal elections with current students.

The next networking /socializing event we have planned is an Alumni Book Club Meeting on March 23 at Mark Stabile's house to discuss Doug Saunders' new book "Arrival City" prior to his visit and talk to the School of Public Policy on March 30. An email invitation with further information will be sent to all alumni.

In the coming months, we are going to address some governance questions regarding the group, including questions related to funding, fundraising, leadership, and our relationship to the School of Public Policy and Governance. We are going to research how other program's Alumni Networks operate to help identify the best structure for our school. If you are interested in participating in this conversation, please email sppg.alumni@gmail.com. Finally, we are planning an event in the late spring that will formally launch the network, the website and invite the most recent graduating class to join. More details to follow - stay tuned, it will be a different kind of event!