University of Melbourne Magazine

Get involved and make a difference

Intelligence
    • Alumni Council President David Laidlaw (LLB 1975)

    Alumni Council President David Laidlaw (LLB 1975)

    The Alumni Council, established just three years ago, is already making a real difference to the alumni community and the University.

    This talented group of alumni is led by Council President David Laidlaw (LLB 1975), a Melbourne lawyer.

    Like many alumni, David (pictured above) made many long-term friendships at Melbourne and his studies opened the door to a very satisfying professional career. And like all those on the Council, David sees his involvement as an important way for alumni to give something back and to bring about change in a meaningful way.

    “The Alumni Council is the peak body representing the university’s alumni. It is vital that alumni voices are heard and that we continue to strengthen the ability for alumni to connect with each other, and play a role in supporting the University. We are all about promoting educational excellence and enriching the student and alumni experience,” he says.

    “The Council is focused on making a real difference as part of the University’s engagement agenda. We are working on how we can encourage alumni networks to grow, how alumni can play a greater role in enhancing the student experience and how we build awareness of the roles alumni can play in supporting the University. Understanding the changing landscape of higher education is also important so that we are aware of the context of decisions and focus on the most critical issues.”

    Since its establishment in 2011 the Council has steadily built its profile through ties with alumni groups around the world and with key University representatives.

    “This is a great time to be involved,” says David. “The University has a firm commitment to engagement and I sense an increasing appetite among alumni to explore opportunities to connect. There is a lot of good work ahead of us.”

    David is encouraging alumni to consider standing for or voting in the next Council election, to be held later this year. “It’s not hard to be involved and it is very rewarding.”

    For more information on the election visit alumni.unimelb.edu.au