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As Swarthmore develops a strategic plan for implementation in 2012, alumni input is an essential component. Members of the Alumni Council (above) hosted a series of meetings worldwide during winter and early spring. These guided discussions gave alumni a chance to discuss critically Swarthmore’s values, challenges, and what direction the College should take to meet the demands of globalization and sustainability. Invited alumni participants were randomly selected to represent every decade of the past 60 years and were both geographically and gender balanced.

More than 170 alumni in 12 states and two countries abroad participated in one of 24 gatherings, enjoying both the opportunity to reconnect with other alumni and conversations that ranged from the influence of Quakerism on the College to Swarthmore’s presence on social networking sites. Information from these sessions will be considered as the Strategic Planning Council finalizes its recommendations later in the year. Alumni are always welcome to participate and comment further on the strategic planning process at http://sp.swarthmore.edu.