Student Programs
SAA Board of Directors

2006 - 2007 Student Alumni Association Board Officers
President??????????????. Jay Daniel
Vice President of Internal Affairs????. Katie Dworsky
Vice President of External Affairs???? Jourdan Wilkerson
Vice President of Special Events????... Spencer Reed

Become a Member
The Student Alumni Association Board of Directors is open to any Texas Tech University student who wishes to join. A cumulative grade point average of 2.25 or above and an active membership must be maintained, dues are required and an enthusiastic spirit for Texas Tech University is certainly a necessity.

Our Mission and Vision
Mission - The Student Alumni Association Board of Directors enriches relationships between students and alumni to inspire loyalty, provide service and preserve traditions of Texas Tech University. Vision - The Student Alumni Association Board of Directors will unite students and alumni, motivating them to support and promote the Texas Tech Alumni Association.

Purpose and History
A student's pride in his or her university leads to a desire to help that university be the best it can be. The Student Alumni Association Board of Directors is an organization that gives willing students of Texas Tech University the opportunity to put their enthusiasm and energies to work toward the effective accomplishment of this goal. The Student Alumni Association Board of Directors is a service organization dedicated to making Texas Tech a better university. This is accomplished through being the governing body for the Student Alumni Association, soliciting gifts, serving as hosts and hostesses, recruiting new students, contacting alumni and initiating special projects. Each member represents Texas Tech University. Housed in the Texas Tech Alumni Association, the board strives to assist the Association in its endeavors, thereby helping the Association serve Texas Tech.

Formerly the Student Foundation, and Student Alumni Board, the Student Alumni Association Board of Directors was founded in 1975 when the Student Leadership Board of the University Center became involved with academic recruiting, freshman orientation and other outreach programs of the University.

After laying the groundwork, the Student Foundation continued with its main function to serve and promote Texas Tech University and the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center. The Foundation directly supported three campus divisions: the Office of Development, Office of New Student Relations and the Ex-Students Association. It was not until 1989 that the Student Foundation was taken in by the Ex-Students Association and refocused their attention to work solely with the Ex-Students Association.

In March of 1994, the Student Foundation officially became known as Student Alumni Board in a move to align the organization more closely with the Ex-Students Association and similar organizations nationwide. Student Alumni Board also adopted a new logo and refocused its purpose and history statement. It states, "A student?s prides in his or her university lead to a desire to help that university be the best it can be. Student Alumni Board is an organization that gives willing students of Texas Tech University the opportunity to put their enthusiasm and energies to work toward the effective accomplishment of this goal. The Student Alumni Board is a service organization dedicated to making Texas Tech an even better university. This is accomplished through soliciting gifts, serving as hosts and hostesses, recruiting new students, contacting Ex-Students and initiating special projects."

In 1999, the officers felt a change was needed to help strengthen the organization. At that point, they decided to make Student Alumni Board a closed organization. Feeling that the "open" organization structure was not working, the officers decided to create a membership structure with applications and interviews. In 2001 the officers felt it was important to put a "cap" on the membership. Because SAB and the Ex-Students Association are all about traditions, the officers choose a maximum of 36 members - commemorating the year 1936 in Texas Tech history. The significance of 1936 includes the Class of 1936 gave the Victory Bells as a class gift, the name of our mascot officially changed from the Matadors to the Red Raiders and the first Masked Rider tradition was started. There are also 36 bells in the carillon, located in the west tower of the administration building.

After becoming more selective in 2001, the Board began a strategic plan and redefined their mission. In February of 2002, the Board adopted the following mission statement - "Student Alumni Board enriches relationships between students and alumni to inspire loyalty, provide service and preserve traditions of Texas Tech University." In conjunction with the new mission statement SAB adopted their new logo to help connect themselves with the newly renamed Texas Tech Alumni Association as part of the Alumni Association?s 75th anniversary.

In 2004, Student Alumni Board changed its name to the Student Alumni Association Board of Directors to more accurately reflect its purpose. Just as the Texas Tech Alumni Association has a board of directors that helps shape the future and direction of the overall membership, the Student Alumni Association Board of Directors helps to coordinate the Student Alumni Association.

Student Alumni Association Board of Directors Events at a Glance
Arbor Day
In April, Texas Tech hosts the annual Arbor Day. This is where all student organizations are encouraged to participate in planting trees and bushes to help beautify the Texas Tech campus. The Student Alumni Association Board of Directors participates every year by spending a few hours planting trees as an organization.

Distinguished Alumni Dinner The Distinguished Alumni Awards are presented annually by the Texas Tech Alumni Association. The Student Alumni Association Board of Directors assists in hosting the dinner. Ceremonies are held during a dinner scheduled in the fall designed to recognize and honor alumni who have made significant contributions toward furthering the excellence of Texas Tech University through outstanding accomplishments, careers and/or through extraordinary measures of service.

Football Gameday Hosts
Every year the Student Alumni Association Board of Directors serves as a gameday host at the Frazier Alumni Pavilion. The Pavilion is open three hours before game time to all members of the Alumni Association. The board serves free popcorn, checks membership cards or runs the membership table. The board also gives tours of the Merket Alumni Center before every home football game.

Homecoming Events
Student Alumni Association Board of Directors members play a vital role in carrying out a successful homecoming for returning Texas Tech graduates. Every homecoming week the Student Alumni Association Board of Directors hosts a cookout on the Tuesday of homecoming week. The cookout is free for all Texas Tech students, faculty and staff. The Student Alumni Association Board of Directors also helps host the Top Techsan Luncheon, which honors long-standing Texas Tech staff. The board wraps up Homecoming Week by helping host the Scholarship Awards Dinner.

Official TTAA Class Ring & Ceremony
In 1998, the Student Alumni Association Board of Directors and the then Ex-Students Association formed a committee to explore bringing back the tradition of a single class ring to Texas Tech. After Student Alumni Association Board of Directors members had completed the design of the ring; they shared their vision with alumni, faculty and Tech administrators. The official ring was well accepted by all and unveiled in March 1999. Since then, the Official TTAA Class Ring has been the universal symbol of academic achievement at Texas Tech. The single ring is a tradition that was brought back from the 1950s that encompasses the Double T, Masked Rider, Administration Bell Tower, and the Texas Tech seal. Cast inside each ring is "Strive For Honor," taken from "The Matador Song." Every semester, the Student Alumni Association Board of Directors and the Alumni Association hosts the Official Ring Ceremony at the Merket Alumni Center. The university president presents each ring recipient with his/her ring during the ceremony. The board hosts the ceremony as well as leading the singing of "The Matador Song" at the end of the ceremony.

Graduation Fair
Every semester the Alumni Association hosts Graduation Fair. The event is typically held in the Merket Alumni Center or Student Union Building and is a "one-stop shop" for seniors and all of their graduation needs. The Student Alumni Association Board of Directors assists by providing information about Alumni Association membership, alumni chapter information, diploma displays and other benefits offered by the Alumni Association. Graduation Fair is the primary time to order the Official TTAA Class Ring before the ceremonies. Seniors can also order regalia and graduation announcements, as well as receiving information from the LaVentana, Career Center, senior class gift and Kaplan test prep services.

University Day
Each semester at Texas Tech, the Student Alumni Association Board of Directors assists with the hosting of University Day, a special day for students, parents and friends to visit our campus. Admissions and School Relation and President?s Select hosts almost 1,000 high school students and their parents for a couple of days. They receive academic information, campus tours, special entertainment and information on student organizations. During this weekend, board members are ambassadors for Texas Tech University, providing transportation and serving as tour guides for visitors as well as assisting with various other tasks. University Day is a chance for devoted students to express great pride in Texas Tech. Board members will be the first impression that many potential students will encounter, so it is important to let the visitors know what makes Tech so special.

For more information on the Student Alumni Association Board of Directors, contact us at 806.742.3641 ext. 232.