Frequently Asked Questions
What is TAMS?
The Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science (TAMS) is an early college entrance program at the University of North Texas that allows academically gifted students the opportunity to merge their last two years of high school with their first two years of college. Each year, about 200 students enter this program, usually following the conclusion of their 10th grade year in high school. These students, who are selected on the basis of strong academic skills, self-motivation and emotional maturity, participate in a rigorous college curriculum emphasizing mathematics and science. [TAMS’s sister program, the Texas Academy of Leadership in the Humanities is geared towards the arts and humanities.]
What is the TAMS Alumni Association?
TAMS Alumni Association is a non-profit tax-exempt 501(c)(3) corporation formed in the state of Texas for the purpose of supporting TAMS school, the current students, and the Alumni of TAMS. Our primary purpose is to raise money for scholarships for the students and to provide a support network for the Alumni through this website, newsletters, etc. We also want to throw rockin’ nerd parties and take over the world. But who doesn’t?
Who can join TAMS Alumni Association?
Anyone who ever went to TAMS can be a member. It doesn’t matter if you graduated. Non-members are welcome to many Alumni events, but some events may not be appropriate for everyone. For example, an Alumni tailgating (i.e. keg) party may not be the best event for parents of prospective students to get an idea of how TAMS will benefit their child. Read the descriptions of events carefully before deciding to attend.
Why would I want to keep up with other Alumni members?
Alumni can be a great resource. Lots of Alumni kept up with their friends from TAMS and provide a valuable network for each other. In addition to the joy of having a group of friends who understand what the heck you are talking about, Alumni help each other find jobs, relocate, find houses, etc. We’ve helped each other with healthcare, legal advice, computer support, career advice, whatever. And that’s what we have been doing informally, just think what we can accomplish if we get a little organized about the whole thing.
What can this website do for me?
You can use the news and links to keep up with current TAMS and member events. You can use the directory to find your old friends and other Alumni in your area. Ideally, you could contact other Alumni with similar hobbies or jobs. Or find healthcare, legal aid, or other TAMSters with skills when you need them.
Some of us have families and would like to find other local TAMSters with kids for playgroups and the simple possibility of non-inane conversation with other parents. Others would like to know more educated and intelligent people in our area with which to go to happy hours or dinner. The possibilities are boundless.
Check the sitemap for an overview of all the amenities this website has for you.
How can Alumni help TAMS and current TAMSters?
We can help by raising funds for scholarships to TAMSters and for any emergency needs of the school. We are working with the school to come up with the best ways to help. Since we are just getting started, most of our help is theoretical and in spirit at this time.
Some other options include ambassador or “Adopt-a-Nerd” programs to help students by giving them an Alumni “Big Brother or Sister.” Also, there has been some discussion of putting together an Alumni “Career Day” for the students in which Alumni members would share what it is they do now with current and/or prospective students. If you have an interest in these programs or other ideas, let us know!
Tell me about Newsletters.
The plan is to send out newsletters quarterly, ideally in January, April, July, and October. This may be a little ambitious, but we like to think we are a capable group. We’d like to include any news that concerns TAMSters, the Association, upcoming or recent events, board election information, etc. We’ll keep you posted on the progress of the scholarship funds and other Association activities. We also want to include what’s going on with our members – graduations, promotions, awards, marriages, births, deaths, etc. If you have something to contribute or would like to help out with the newsletter, please email us at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Tell me about other Alumni events.
Besides Reunion, we hope to begin a variety of events through local chapters. Check the Events Calendar and newsletters for upcoming events. Don’t be afraid to add your own events! The best way to get invited to parties is to throw a few! An event can be anything from a backyard BBQ, a trip to the local science fair to poke fun at their puny attempts, or a TAMS cruise to Tahiti (Invite me! Invite me!).
Tell me about Reunion.
What? The BBQ or the part with the live virgins and the sacrificial goat? No, seriously Reunion is currently our main event of the year. It is held annually on the UNT campus at Homecoming, typically in October. TAMS organizes a simple get-together during the day which honors the classes holding their five, ten, fifteen, and soon twenty-year Class Reunion. Typically the various classes will form a Reunion Committee which plans other events that evening or during the weekend of Reunion. They can be as lavish or as simple as you wish. Ideally, some money would be raised for the Alumni scholarship fund (hint hint). Interested in organizing this year’s Reunion? Email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Tell me about local chapters.
We really like the idea of more active local chapters. The Directory is designed with the purpose of locating Alumni in your area. Basically, once we receive some interest from members in a particular area, we will put together a list of local members to see who is interested in participating. The local members can then decide when and where they want to meet. Some possibilities are BBQs, parks, playgrounds, local bars or restaurants, happy hours, local sporting events. You guys could get together for football games, playdates, game nights, happy hours, whatever. We would help put together invites and post it on the Events Calendar.
We just ask that you make some effort towards collecting donations to the scholarship fund. For example, the Chapter Head could bring a Donations Jar to any events and ask that anyone attending donate five dollars that would afterwards be sent to the Alumni scholarship fund.
If you are interested in forming or joining a local chapter, please email us at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Tell me about the political/legislative committee.
In 2003, legislation was introduced in the Texas House that could have closed TAMS forever. Fortunately, that crisis was averted, but not without a budget cut that requires TAMS to collect a “Program Charge” from students. It is important that we keep an active eye on the local, state, and national legislation that could affect TAMS and educational programs like TAMS. If you are interested in participated in the political/legislative committee, please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Tell me about the scholarship fund/fundraising committee.
Well, I don’t know about you, but I’ve been wondering where my rocket car and cure for cancer are. The best way to get these things is to make sure the smart kids get educated so they can get out there and start making the world more fun and less diseased for the rest of us. So we are raising money for scholarships.
Following the legislative budget cuts in 2003, TAMS had to start charging a “Program Charge” of $1300 per student per year. In addition, the 2008 cost of room and board is almost $6000 per year. We would like to raise enough funds to cover these costs for as many students as possible. This is the main focus of our donations and fundraising efforts.
These are not difficult goals. If every TAMS Alumni made a ONE TIME donation of only $50, we could send one student to TAMS for free every year for the rest of forever. Cough it up, people. It’s the cheapest way to change the world you’ll ever find. So donate through the website, send us a check, get involved in fundraising through your local chapter or by emailing .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
What is the TAMS Alumni Association Privacy Policy?
Obviously, we want to make sure that your private information is only released to the members and groups of your choice. We will make every effort to ensure the safety and privacy of your personal data. This is why only registered users will have access to contact data like email addresses. We aren’t going to sell or give away your contact information to anybody. And if getting quarterly newsletters is too much for you, just let us know and we’ll take you off the list.
How can I get involved?
We are glad you asked!
Find something you are interested in and jump in! We currently have a scholarship/fundraising committee, and events committee, and a legislative/political committee. If you have some other interest or skill you think we could use, let us know.
We could definitely use help with the website and writing articles for the newsletter.
You can always donate to the scholarship fund or join a local chapter.
How do Board members get elected?
Any Alumni Association member can serve on the Board. In the Summer newsletter and on the website, we will post how many Board positions are up for election this year. We will take nominations and volunteers at that time. In the Fall newsletter and on the website, we will post those volunteers and nominations. In November or some November-like time frame, all Alumni Association members will have the opportunity to vote. Winners will be announced in the Winter newsletter and begin serving that January.
How long do Board members or committee chairs serve?
Board members are elected for three years. Committee chairs are appointed for a year or on an ‘as needed’ basis by the Board, although mostly people volunteer and get appointed. Board members elect a Chair, Chair Elect, Secretary, and Treasurer amongst themselves at the first meeting of the year.
Who is on the current Board?
The 2008 Board consists of:
Chair:
Mark Botha (01) currently a business analyst in Bedford, TX
Chair Elect and Head of Legislative/Political Committee:
Ben Stewart (98) currently an attorney in Crandall, TX
Secretary and Head of Newsletter/Website Committee:
Katy Hoster (94) currently a chiropractor in Austin, TX
Treasurer and Head of Finance Committee:
Brandon Hansen (97) currently a mechanical engineer in Cypress, TX
Head of Reunion/Events Committee:
Maryann Morgan-Cox (98) currently working on a PhD in Statistics in Waco, TX
Head of Austin Local Chapter:
Amy Cavendar currently in Austin, TX
The Board requires a minimum of three members, but has no maximum, although we like the numbers eight or nine. We will be electing 2 or 3 new Board members in the Fall of 2008.
Plans and goals?
We all have ideas for making the world a better place. Here are a few that we like:
- Austin Chapter Annual Fundraising Foosball/Poker/Whatever Tournament
- TAMS Alumni Association t-shirts, boxer shorts, beer steins, shot glasses, etc
- A Reunion “Running of the Nerds” 5k race through UNT campus
- Forming an “Adopt a Mini-Nerd” campaign of support for current students
- Putting a couple Alumni members in the Texas legislature (We’re still waiting to get old enough to look respectable.)
If you have ideas for how we can help TAMS, improve networking and support for TAMS Alumni, and raise money for scholarships and other projects, we are all ears. Post in the Forums or email us at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Be warned, though. We will expect you to help!
Contact Us
Question? Queries? What’s that? You’d like to shower us with love, adoration and fat wads of loot?
About the website or your account: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
About the Organization: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Upcoming Events: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Reunion: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Starting, joining or other information about Local Chapters: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Submitting a News Event or Link: There’s actually links to do this automagically. Look in your User Menu after you log in.
Advertising on Our website: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Showering us with fat or even slightly pudgy wads of cash (Donations): .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Something else on your mind/average airspeed velocity of unladen pigeon: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
The above emails forward to the person respectively in charge of each topic. These people cheerfully volunteer their time and in-boxes to the inordinate about of spam that publishing an email address on the Internet gets them.