The University is hosting a one-day extravaganza on the Preston Campus on 22 July
The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) is hosting a one-day extravaganza for all graduates and their families.
The Alumni Reunion, taking place on Saturday 22 July, wants to welcome back as many former students as possible to the Preston Campus.
A range of free events will be running throughout the day, including a special talk from UCLan Honorary Fellow and Cold Feet actor John Thomson.
Maggie Wild, UCLan’s Head of Development and Alumni, said: “We’re very proud to have a global alumni community of more than 200,000 graduates, so we created a special event where as many of those alumni can return.
“We’d really love to see alumni who studied at Harris College, Preston Polytechnic, Lancashire Polytechnic and UCLan reminisce about their happy years, as for some that our beautiful campus has changed dramatically since they studied here. For the most recent graduates, then our new Engineering Innovation Centre, Student Centre and University Square will be the newest additions.
"We’d really love to see alumni who studied at Harris College, Preston Polytechnic, Lancashire Polytechnic and UCLan reminisce about their happy years"
— Maggie Wild, UCLan’s Head of Development and Alumni
“Our alumni are a huge part of our long and celebrated history and we know enduring friendships, relationships and future generations stemmed from the years spent studying with us.”
From 10am until 5pm, a range of academics will deliver guest lectures on topics such as the history of the University and survival psychology, graduates can take a campus tour and call in at their old accommodation and popular haunts.
In the Students’ Union, attendees can take part in a speed quiz while a specially commissioned digital treasure hunt, created by two alumni who met at UCLan, will keep families entertained.
There are informative and fun drop-in sessions throughout the day, with a range of alumni and staff, who will be sharing lots of images and artefacts from the University’s archives.
If alumni are craving the culinary delights of their student days, then some of the most popular meals of decades gone by are returning with a traditional University menu in Foster Refectory.
"Our alumni are a huge part of our long and celebrated history and we know enduring friendships, relationships and future generations stemmed from the years spent studying with us"
— Maggie Wild
The day will conclude with a drinks’ reception on the new Rooftop Garden with Vice-Chancellor Professor Graham Baldwin.
Maggie added: “We’d love it if graduates attending our Alumni Reunion could bring along some photographs from their student days, as they are great for us to see how times have changed through the decades.
“We also know that a huge number of our alumni are based in the North West, but understand that not everyone will be able to make the trip back to Preston. We’d like to encourage them to hold their own celebrations and share their photographs with us on social media using #UCLanAlumni.”
Information on how to book a place and to find out more details about accommodation and car parking are available online.
