HIA ALUMNI
What, How & Why

What is an alumni?

Alumni are former students or graduates of a school, college, or university.

In the context of academia, 'Alumni' is the plural term for the people who attend a recognised place of education.

The word bears a philosophical etymology, coming from the Latin word ‘alere’, meaning ‘nourish’. Being an alumni carries a lot of significance, and it’s ideally a mark of honour.

By opting to study at Health Institute Australasia (HIA), students have trusted HIA to give them the education they need to continue along their career paths, or pursue their interests in life. This is a choice that we trust, our students will be proud of, and feel that they represent us and what we stand for. They’re the people who chose HIA as their place of education, and owe their qualification/s to the support of the faculty here.

The HIA educators students encounter during their time at HIA, have the capacity to shape the rest of their lives and their careers, so being an alumna or alumnus can represent the most influential choice you will ever make for your learning. For the college, to understand exactly how their students can graduate feeling like they have made the right choice is a huge strength.

How is being an ‘alumni’ different to being a ‘graduate’?

An important difference is in the prestige associated with being part of an alumni specifically.

Graduates can come from any form of learning and training, and they can technically be a graduate after completing a three-day course in Pottery, or a three-year business degree from Harvard.

In the former example, you wouldn’t call yourself an alumna/ nus as it’s a term reserved for more formal and in-depth education. While graduating is still a huge achievement in many different contexts, being part of a collective alumni is a badge of honour that connects you with a specific year of graduates completing their courses.

In respect to HIA, this sense of pride and belonging can be amplified by taking pride in your alumni and recognising it’s accomplishments in kind.

Why are alumni important?

Alumni are important because they’re proof. They show that the educational institution is producing educated individuals who leave with qualifications, career options, and a greater sense of individuality.

Educational institutions produce huge numbers of alumni year after year, which provides fresh talent for the job market, to take on newly-qualified individuals who they can teach and mould into the roles they want.

Alumni keep the job market active in this way, but they also act as sponsors and customers of the universities they have attended.

Similarly to how a business thrives on happy customers, HIA depends on its successful alumni. Word-of-mouth from alumni who recommend their alma mater is an honour, and an invaluable source of continuous marketing. Our alumni are individuals who HIA wants to shout out about and is proud to recognise them as role models.

The success of an individual speaks of the quality of their training and the education they have received during their life, and it is essentially education's best proof of its efficacy and value for money.

Additionally, alumni are HIA's very best source for research and opinions about how the college conducts various roles, to get levels of education right. This gives the teachers and alumni the chance to help shape HIA's processes to see how HIA can improve. After all, these are the people who have spent one, two, three, or more years studying at the institution, attending retreats, interacting with staff, and getting to know other students alongside them. Alumni give HIA informed feedback about their time as students and perhaps even have a hand at shaping things in the future. There are various alumni engagement events that can help alumni build a bond. This is indeed a softening introduction to, and helpful for our first year international students. For many students it’s the first time for them living alone, away from home, and not yet knowing anybody in their place of study, so they don’t have anyone to reliably share and connect with. This is an important point of difference and connection. At HIA alumni enjoy a great, happy, relaxed time making new friends, rather than having a miserable time trying to outlast the semester.

Education

Alumni come to HIA with varying levels of pre-existing education. Some will already have a strong grasp of the subject they have come to study, and to some degree this will always be true in order for the students to qualify for the course, however, others may not be quite as advanced as their peers.

Far from being an obstacle to research, this is actually perfect for HIA as it gives the college a healthy range of opinions when it comes to the quality and depth of the education they deliver. More advanced students may feel that they would like their lecturer to pitch higher; others may feel that they need more help with heavier concepts so that they don't fall too far behind.

It’s important that HIA aims our education right to follow the growth of its students from their first year through to their last.

Reputation

All of these and more boil down to the kind of reputation that the HIA will enjoy as its alumni go out and share their experiences.

Earning a good reputation also allows an educational facility to stand on its own merits, having alumni that are happy with their choice of college because of the education they receive and the value of their time here, rather than being judged for the city or town in which it’s located, or a culture of elitism.

Why is being an alumni important?

Being part of an alumni group is important because alumni all share something in common: a shared set of values … the pursuit for deeper education.

By attending HIA and getting to know fellow students, alumni are in the prime position to access a network of educated, connected people who could support you in your work, introduce you to individuals and companies, and much more.

Alumni networks aren’t a standard procedure for all educational institutions, but their value for anybody attending are undeniable. After all, why spend so much money and time pursuing a higher education or qualification, over several years, to throw away the connections you made during that time?

Unlike situations in which you need to attend, such as school, being an HIA alumni is the result of a choice to pursue skills training, higher education and persisting with that choice through to its completion. It proves a dedication to education and your chosen craft, and it’s not an easy path.

Rather than lose touch when your online portal is shut down after graduating, HIA is happy to provide a platform for our alumni, allowing you to be part of a strong professional, online community of fellow alumni. We belong. You belong.