Who We Are
- To promote the interests of and understanding between the students of the past, present, and future at Indiana University through the programs and services offered by the organization and in joint efforts with its sponsor, the Indiana University Alumni Association.
- To help direct and assist with the goals of the Indiana University Alumni Association by introducing students to the Alumni Association before they graduate.
- To develop effective and responsible leadership through contact and experience in university projects and programs, thereby enhancing the education of the students and preparing them to serve as future alumni leaders.
- To work for and further the goals of Indiana University whenever possible.
The Student Alumni Association was formed on the Bloomington campus in 1976 in order to increase the ties between students and alumni and create student awareness of alumni activities. Throughout the year, SAA sponsors more than 20 programs and events which help members reach their leadership potential while accomplishing the goals of the organization. Homecoming, Senior Salute, LeadershapeIU, the Senior Class Tree Dedication, Alumni Career Day, Student Choice Awards, and the sale of student planners are some of the many events we organize. In addition, SAA has developed a strong relationship with the President’s Office and assists in hosting events at Bryan House and Memorial Stadium as well as alumni events in Bloomington and around the state.
- SAA Constitution (PDF)
SAA is led by a 21-member leadership team, the Committee of the Whole. We currently have 168 active members and over 2,000 dues-paying members.
In the fall of 2004, IUAA President and CEO Ken Beckley appointed a student study task force to examine the IUB student program and recommend strategies to increase awareness of IUAA and increase membership in SAA. The task force's final report was released in May 2005.
The Indiana University Alumni Association sponsors and funds SAA. SAA members often interact with IUAA staff members, assisting them with alumni receptions and meetings and promotional materials. All of SAA’s financial transactions, supplies, mail, and printing are handled through IUAA. Both IUAA and SAA are located in the Virgil T. DeVault Alumni Center.
The IU Alumni Association began as the "Society of Alumni," which was formed in 1854 when 16 alumni rallied to help rebuild the campus after it was destroyed by a fire. Over the years that followed, the society grew to offer many services to alumni and the university. Alumni demonstrated their scholarly nature each year by electing an orator and a poet to speak weekly on campus. In 1913, the alumni association became a working branch of the university. Its initiatives led to the establishment of the Memorial Fund (which funded the construction of the Indiana Memorial Union and other campus buildings), the IU Foundation, and the Varsity Club. In 1970, the organization became the Indiana University Alumni Association, Inc., a nonprofit corporation. Today, IU is served by alumni offices on each campus and more than 100 alumni chapters around the world. IUAA sponsors many programs and events for students, including Homecoming, Parents Weekend, Commencement, and career networking programs. IUAA and its programs have received numerous awards from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education.
For more information about the IU Alumni Association, visit the IUAA Web site.
Virgil T. DeVault Alumni Center
Dr. Virgil T. DeVault was an important part of the medical community after receiving his M.D. degree from the IU School of Medicine in 1929. After an internship at the Gorgas Hospital in Latin America, Dr. DeVault returned to the U.S. and completed his residency at Johns Hopkins. While in Latin America, Dr. DeVault had been offered a temporary job in Ecuador at the Anglo-Ecuadorian Oil Field, Ltd. He was later asked to return as chief surgeon and medical officer for the company in both Peru and Ecuador and was awarded the honor of being the first foreigner in 17 years to do so. In 1937, he was named director of the Anglo-American Hospital in Lima, where his patients included presidents and prime ministers. The hospital was destroyed by an earthquake, but with Dr. DeVault's help, the newly rebuilt hospital became one of the best in South America.
Dr. DeVault and his wife returned to the U.S. in 1950. He helped establish a system of assigning physicians to provide medical care for diplomats at U.S. embassies. This allowed Dr. DeVault to travel the world. Dr. DeVault donated $1.5 million to the IU Alumni Association to be used for its new facility, which is named in his honor. Dr. DeVault passed away in May of 2000 after a life of dedication to IU and the medical profession.