ALUMNI
A lifelong connection

Welcome back to campus!

• If you’re looking for ways to engage with the campus community, check out the different Engagement Opportunities here.
• If you’re having a meal on campus please purchase a meal ticket. Contact us to arrange for this.

What we expect from you when you visit us:

• You will send the Alumni Engagement team a recent photo of you and your guests as well as a short write-up of each of you that we can distribute to the campus community.
• You will not enter classrooms, bedrooms, or residence buildings. As per College policy, even if you are invited by a friend (or family member) no adults are to enter any bedrooms. This is to respect the privacy of all students.
• You will respect the fact that alcohol consumption is not allowed on campus, except in adult residences or when it is being served during receptions.
• You will abide by and agree to all College Policies and Procedures. Of note, the College does not tolerate any sexual relationship between an adult (faculty, staff, resident, volunteer, alumni, visitor, guest, contracted services member) and a student (regardless of age). Regardless of prior relationships with current students, there is zero tolerance for any sexual relationship between alumni and current students on campus.

See you soon!

Staying overnight

We are always happy to welcome alumni and their guests back to this transformative place as you explore what has changed and what is the same and share with the current campus community. We currently have a double or quad room at the Max Bell building open to all alumni and their guests for short-term stays while you visit or volunteer. It is the central hub for alumni whether you are coming for a night or a week or two.

How it works:

When available, you can book a room for yourself and your guests at the Max Bell theatre.

To book a room, please reach out to our Alumni Engagement team with information about your upcoming visit.

What it costs:

The value of your bed, room, and food is $55 per person per night before tax. We recognize that this is a prohibitive cost for many alumni, and we want to encourage as many of you to come back to campus and engage with the campus community, so we offer the following option:

• Volunteer work for 4 hours on campus in lieu of payment (available only Monday – Friday from 8 am – 4 pm)

If you agree to volunteer and end up changing your mind once you arrive or want to volunteer only a day or two of a multi-day stay, no problem. We will send you an invoice for the difference, and you can settle with a credit card over the phone.

What you can expect:

• The Alumni Engagement Team will be your hosts on campus.
• Food is provided at the cafeteria. If you are staying during a time when the cafeteria is closed, you will be responsible for your own food, and the cost of the included meal will be deducted from your final invoice. One meal is included in your accommodation package, and any additional meal is $21, including tax.
• You will be introduced to the campus community via email, including a photo and a short biography of yourself and your guests.
• We ask all alumni visitors to engage in the campus community, whether that be joining an activity, eating with faculty and staff in the cafeteria, or sharing a skill or expertise you bring. We hope that you will find a way to contribute to this community.

What we expect of you:

• You will arrange your own transportation to and from campus and communicate with the Alumni Engagement team and your hosts about your expected time of arrival.
• You will advise the Alumni Engagement team of any allergies you have.
• You will send the Alumni Engagement team a recent photo of you and your guests as well as a short write-up of each of you that we can distribute to the campus community.
• You will return to your room by midnight.
• You will not enter any classrooms, bedrooms, or residential buildings. As per College policy, even if you are invited by a friend (or family member), no adults are to enter any bedrooms. This is to respect the privacy of all students.
• You will respect the fact that alcohol consumption is not allowed on campus, except in adult residences or when it is being served during receptions.
• You will abide by and agree to all College Policies and Procedures. Of note, the College does not tolerate any sexual relationship between an adult (faculty, staff, resident, volunteer, alumni, visitor, guest, contracted services member) and a student (regardless of age). Regardless of prior relationships with current students, there is zero tolerance for any sexual relationship between alumni and current students on campus.

See you soon!

A message to our most recent graduates

We hope that you will come back and visit campus many times as an alum. In your first year away from Pearson (or another UWC), however, it can be difficult coming back to a place that was once your home (or a community that is similar to what was once your home). Your role in this community as an Alum is now different from when you were a student. As a recent alumni, you have an existing, deep relationship with students on campus and your presence on campus can be wonderful, but it can also be unsettling both for the current students and for you. It is hard to come back and not feel like or act like a student, and the reality is that as an alum, you are an adult on campus. For current second years, having their second years come back can make them feel like a first year again, and can alienate first years. There can be lots of reminiscing about the past, which can undermine the tone-setting and community-building that has taken place with the new student body.

With this in mind, here are some guidelines to our most recent alumni planning a visit to campus:

When can you come? We ask that you plan your visit after Canadian Thanksgiving, and before the last day of classes for second years. We also ask that you do not come during Block Week (or the week prior to Block Week). You can understand that these are sensitive times when students need to have minimal distractions so they can concentrate only on their studies.

How long can you stay? During the academic year, we ask that you stay for no more than two nights and three days.

Where can I stay? We will do our best to accommodate all recent alumni as spaces on campus permit.

Can I volunteer?– Yes, however, we do not want to take leadership opportunities away from current students, so we will restrict what you are invited to do and when you do it.

Do I have any specific rules? You are considered an adult when you visit, and no adults (other than houseparents’) should enter student rooms. Even if you are invited by a current student (even if they are your friend) to come into their room, we ask that you respect the privacy of the other roommates and students in the house.

The College does not tolerate any sexual relationship between an adult (faculty, staff, resident, volunteer, alumni, visitor, guest, contracted services member) and a student (regardless of age). Regardless of prior relationships with current students, there is zero tolerance for any sexual relationship between alumni and current students on campus.

Everyone on campus is expected to contribute to a quiet campus after 10:30 pm. To respect the students’ residential life environment, we expect you to check in with your host before 10:30 PM to inform them of your whereabouts on campus and to return to your rooms by midnight. If they are not staying on campus, you need to leave by 10:30 pm.

We ask that you use discretion and moderation with regard to alcohol if you are legally permitted to drink and that you are respectful of the wishes of your hosts, only drinking in adult residences or at college-hosted receptions. Alcohol should not be consumed in any public area as it is against the law in British Columbia. This means that alcohol should never be consumed in public areas on campus. No students at Pearson College, regardless of their age, are permitted to drink alcohol, and providing alcohol to minors is a federal offence.

Meet your Alumni Engagement Team

Phoebe Mason
Alumni Engagement Manager
alumni@pearsoncollege.ca