Oakland’s Student Engagement and Outreach Coordinator Hallie Bills (left) and Assistant Director of Alumni Relations Amanda Fylan helped implement the award-winning Leadership OU program.

Leadership OU, an Alumni Relations and Student Affairs program that pairs students with successful local alumni mentors, was recognized in December for best student alumni programming by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) at its 2015 conference in Chicago.

OU was honored from among CASE member institutions from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin, based on their work to promote institutional advancement.

Amanda Fylan, SEHS ’10, assistant director of Alumni Relations, said the Office of Alumni Relations uses Leadership OU as an alternative approach to connect students and alumni.

“Over the past decade, we tried a number of traditional student programming models, but they didn’t work for our campus” Fylan said.

With an impressive list of alumni speakers and a formal mentoring program, Leadership OU represented a perfect marriage between Student Affairs and Alumni Relations.

“In order to engage our students, we needed to be innovative and draw from our strengths,” added Fylan, who was integral to establishing the program in 2012 and continues to oversee the program.

“Leadership OU was created to highlight the talents and successes of our alums in the metro Detroit area while fostering leadership and professional growth among students.”

This vision manifested in a comprehensive program that makes meaningful and enduring connections possible between students and alumni.

“Leadership OU is also unique because it recognizes the impact Oakland University alumni are having locally,” Fylan said. “This program works at Oakland University because of the high volume of successful alumni who live and work in the surrounding metropolitan community – and who are willing to mentor current students. With Leadership OU, student and alumni connections are direct, significant, and beneficial to both parties.”

Leadership OU is in search of talented alumni to serve as mentors or speakers. If you or someone you know would make a good fit, please contact Hallie Bills at (248) 364-6121, or [email protected].