Alumni is a Latin word derived from the verb alere, which means ‘to bring up or to nourish'. The term was used to indicate "one who is nourished by a person who is not a natural parent." The word also referred to abandoned children, who were sheltered and raised by foster parents. Therefore, alumni can be used to describe students who have been intellectually nourished at an educational institution outside their usual family circle. In the 17th century the term began to be applied to graduates of a school, college etc. A second definition suggests that the term "alumnus" originated in the Roman military to describe injured and retired soldiers who were supported by the Roman Empire after the expiry of their service.
A male is correctly termed an alumnus, a female is an alumna and in the plural they can be either alumni (males or mixed genders) or alumnae (females only). Isn't Latin wonderful?
At Keele, we use the term 'alumni" to include a wider group including graduates, honorary graduates and staff. We include any student who completed at least one semester of study at Keele – including our exchange students. We include alumni of the University College of North Staffordshire (1949-1961) and of the University of Keele (from 1962). We assign people to a "Class" - which is normally the year of graduation, completion, or leaving. On request we can re-assign Class if, for example, someone did a year abroad and feels more connected to their original peer group year than their actual completion year.
But...being Alumni is more than a definition. Keele is a key part of your life story and of who you are today. And you are a key part of Keele’s continuing story. Your relationship with Keele didn’t end on your graduation day or your leaving day...that was just a transition to a lifelong relationship with the University and with fellow Keelites.
