Black Alumni Association

The Black Alumni Association of Arcadia University (BAAAU) was founded in 2018 and is open to all Arcadia University alumni.

Mission Statement

The mission of the BAAAU is to promote the presence, empowerment, and success of Arcadia University’s Black alumni, students, faculty, staff, and community members through professional, educational, social, and networking programs, as well as through philanthropic support and opportunities.

The BAAAU seeks to serve as an advocacy organization for Black Arcadia alumni by fostering a sense of pride and commitment to the University, while enhancing its prestige and reputation.

Vision Statement

The BAAAU serves:

• as a unifier amongst Black Arcadia University alumni and Arcadia University
• to encourage and enhance opportunities for Black alumni to foster personal and professional networks
• to provide support for current Black Arcadia University students through mentorship and networking opportunities
• to acknowledge the legacy, contributions, and accomplishments of Black Arcadia alumni
• to support the University’s efforts to recruit and retain a diverse faculty, staff, and student population
• to guide students as they navigate and overcome obstacles throughout their academic career at Arcadia University and beyond​

Arcadia Alumni Summer Social Series

The Black Alumni Association (BAAAU) provides opportunities for Arcadia students of color with financial need to participate in Preview—a two-credit course and weeklong international experience for first-year and transfer students—through support for its Travel Fund.

Preview can be an exciting global experience, but for some students, the $595 stipend and additional expenses can be an insurmountable obstacle between them and the world. The Office of International Programs reports that only 6.5 percent of African American students at Arcadia participated in Preview in 2018.

The alumni leaders of the BAAAU launched a fundraising campaign in 2019 to create and support the scholarship initiative. In collaboration with the Act 101/Gateway to Success program, the Travel Fund works as a complement to the funding they provide students to support the variety of travel needs for Preview. The Fund provides financial assistance through a stipend awarded using federal guidelines on financial need and covers the full cost of program participation, as well as aid in alleviating additional in-country costs to students.

In its inaugural year, the program raised more than $10,000 to support students. In celebration of its success, the association has launched its #20for2020 campaign, with the goal to cover the expenses for 20 students on the 2020 Preview experience. 

Donations can be made online or sent by mail to:

Arcadia University
Office of University Advancement
450 S. Easton Road
Glenside, PA 19038-3295
Attn: Black Alumni Association Travel Fund

Please make checks payable to Arcadia University and write "Black Alumni Assoc. Travel Fund" on the memo line.
For other ways to give, click here.

Give Now

The BAAAU presents the Sankofa Award for Distinguished Achievement annually at Alumni Weekend. Recipients are Arcadia University graduates of African-American/African diaspora descent who exemplifies the spirit of Sankofa. This award is presented to a deserving graduate in recognition of their significant professional accomplishments, as well the contributions they have made in mentoring and social justice activism in the African American/African diaspora community, which greatly enhance the prestige of Arcadia University.

Past award recipients:
2019: Candace L. Griffin '13M
2018: Octavius LaVon Blount '15

The 2020 Sankofa Award call for nominations will begin in January 2020. 

Alumni who are interested in joining one or more of the Black Alumni Association's committees should contact the Office of Alumni Relations at alumni@arcadia.edu or 215-517-2566.

• Alumni Outreach Committee: Oversees the alumni visibility and awareness of the BAAAU
• Board Development & Nominating Committee: Oversees the election process and the progressiveness of the Executive Committee
• Communications Committee: Oversees efforts related to branding, publiciity, communications, content-writing, social media, photography, etc.
• Events Committee: Oversees planning, coordination, and support for athletic, social, networking, and educational events
• Membership Committee: Oversees the welcoming of new membership, promotion and publicity of membership opportunities
• Sankofa Committee: Oversees the efforts to assist offices such as Enrollment Management, University Advancement, Institutional Diversity, and others in the creation of transformational spaces to improve the campus climate and promote critical thinking both within the University community
• Scholarship Committee: Oversees processes related to scholarship awards, including maintaining contact with scholars request updates each semester and provide to alumni leadership and members, and working with Communications Committee to publicize current recipients of scholarship(s) in group's e-communications