Alumnus

Alumni (plural of alumnus (m), Alumna (w) from the Latin alere for feed, raise ) refers to the graduates of a university or an institution of tertiary education sector. Alumni events or organizations strive to preserve the relationships between alumni. Often this is done through alumni networks, of which regularly organizes alumni days. The networks operate their own marketing with the goal of winning the former for themselves.

Etymology

An alumnus of the Roman Empire was a pupil, also foster son and an alumna consequently a foster daughter. After the founding of monastic schools, which are called the singular Alumnat, a male student was appropriately named alumnus.

In their majority, the alumni are those which are nourished by another, that is " supplied with food and drink and taught in all public decency ". Alumni are therefore in the English and German -speaking former trainees [ better: Trained a (high) school ], former students and staff. At the elite universities of Oxford and Cambridge, the terms old boys and old girls are for graduates, and old member for former employees usual. In the German language there is word formations with ordinary forms of alere, eg ( from altus ) old master, a " champion, grew up in experience. "

History

Originally alumni were injured in the Roman Empire and ex-soldiers who were fed free of charge. In the 13th century, the term alumni for indigent pupils of convent schools became common one. The Internal received room and board, the external was a free table granted. With these reductions, the church offered the poor of an educational opportunity and secured at the same time their spiritual offspring.

Since the beginning of the 14th century, this term referred to the pauperes, arms, talented young people who got into the sovereign universities free accommodation, free meals, clothing, books and care in case of illness. As time was a change in meaning of the term Alumni: Now no longer mediated the name Alumnus the shameful odor of poverty, but named members of the colleges of universities. They formed their own associations and held even after completing their studies connections to each other and to their university upright. This idea of ​​life-long bond had its origins in the 13th century in the universities of Oxford and Cambridge.

The traditional concept Alumni found in the 19th century inclusion in the American universities. The first Alumni Club was founded in 1821 by graduates of Williams College in Williamsburg. Since then, the graduates of American universities and colleges are called general alumni. In America, see the Alumni for granted that they can get their university for the received technical training and the rich offers for personal development as a consideration in many ways support. This commitment is viewed as a moral obligation and is part of the self-understanding of all university members.

In Germany, too donations to the university by former members and concerned citizens tradition. Bequests from private libraries, land and support foundations of all kinds can be found in all the older universities. These grants were always the concern of individual persons, the more gaps to be filled as a predictable part of the budget. By the end of the First World War, a systematic raising of additional funds to improve their budget was not required for the German universities, as they were under the guardianship of their respective sovereigns and were adequately financed by them in general.