ENGAGEMENT
Cynthia Kubas '78, vice chair of the Cornell Ambassador program, speaks at a recent Cornell Entrepreneur Network event. Photo: Provided.
Council ambassadors spread Cornell message
Spurred by a "call to action" session during a 2011 Trustee-Council Annual Meeting, the Cornell University Council created the Cornell Ambassador program to give council members formal training to articulate the university's messages, priorities and goals, and answer questions in formal and informal settings.
Ambassadors give short talks at Cornell-related volunteer events or meetings, answer questions at alumni events or speak spontaneously about Cornell any time the university comes up in conversation.
"The ambassador role within the [council] is really just the naming of an activity that I think most active Cornellians already do," says council member and ambassador Lindsay Liotta Forness '84. "We answer questions about our alma mater, point people in the right direction on the website or to an appropriate person on campus, and we promote [Cornell's] activities and people."
Supported by geographic team leaders and a website with an online toolkit, the program offers consistent, current message points and resources to Cornellians who often find themselves on the receiving end of questions and concerns regarding Cornell.
Ambassadors also capture feedback, completing an online evaluation on each talk they give and what questions were asked, which helps the university address subjects of current or growing interest.
Jay Carter '71, M.Eng. '72, chair of the ambassador program, conducts a session at the 2013 Cornell Alumni Leadership Conference in Boston. See larger image
Approximately 215 council members (out of more than 900) already have been trained as ambassadors.
Jay Carter '71, M.Eng. '72, chair of the ambassador program, says there is an easy, basic outline for any formal talk. "We start off with, 'Well, what is Cornell? It's a community of scholars, teaching tomorrow's thought leaders.' In and of itself, that's a very powerful statement. And a lot of times you can answer things based on that."
Ambassadors then talk about Cornell's major strategic thrusts, from faculty renewal to public engagement. Questions about financial aid, for example, fit into the university's messaging on student access and diversity. "Just by sticking with the talking points, we can answer a lot," Carter says.
Ambassadors point out that they are not official spokespeople or legal representatives for the university, but as so many involved Cornellians know, "these audiences look at you like you are Cornell," he says.
"It's about being one on one with people, and this is why we drill down to these individual events," says Cynthia Kubas '78, a vice chair of the program, describing a wide-ranging talk she gave at a clambake near Washington, D.C., last year, attended by 400 people.
"I mentioned a few admissions statistics," she says. "One person came up to me afterward and said, 'I felt really, really bad that my son didn't get in this year, but now I understand.' And I thought, if that's all I did in that one talk was to make this parent feel more comfortable, then I've done my job," Kubas says.
Carter would like all involved alumni – class officers, regional club presidents and others – to be aware of the program and to request ambassadors to come to their regional clubs and other events for short talks or to be available for questions.
Forness, a longtime Cornell volunteer and recent council member, says she has given several "official" talks as an ambassador, "but I don't even count my spontaneous talks, because they are too frequent! My Cornell reusable bag in the grocery store has prompted conversation, as have my Cornell reading glasses … the talks are fun and sometimes begin great conversations."
To request an ambassador, contact Carole Quealy at carole.quealy@cornell.edu or visit the ambassador website at alumni.cornell.edu/council/ambassadorshome.cfm.