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Bill Brouillet ('73) uses RockeNetwork to connect with old and new WIU friends.
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Brouillet celebrated his alma mater by decorating his driveway with a WIU logo and Rocky's paw prints.
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RockeNetwork Gives More Than Average Online Apps

November 18, 2008

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MACOMB, IL -- The term "networking" has long been used by those interested in advancing their careers through their social connections. In the Web 2.0 age, networking has expanded to the online world through a variety of online applications (a.k.a. "apps") -- Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn, to name a few of the most well known.

These standard online networking apps, and the many other like them, allow almost any connection between those who have hard drives and Internet service, but they can lack the ties that truly bind. With RockeNetwork (rockenetwork.wiu.edu), Western Illinois University's online alumni social network, WIU's Alumni Association offers alumni a way to exclusively participate in the shared personal histories that involve their alma mater.

"Imagine being able to network not only with people you know, but also with all the WIU alumni your friends know," said Amanda Shoemaker, Western's assistant director of alumni programs and coordinator of RockeNetwork.

Kankakee (IL) resident Bill Brouillet, who earned his B.S. in information science from WIU in 1973, noted, for him, RockeNetwork provides a fond trip down memory lane.

"While on RockeNetwork, I get nostalgic about WIU and the great experiences I had at Western," Brouillet said. "The information I receive from RockeNetwork, concerning the quality of education and the services provided by WIU, also makes me proud of my alma mater. Whenever I return for a visit, I feel very connected, like I never left -- even after 35 years."

In 2007, Brouillet and his family celebrated that WIU connection by adding Rocky's paw prints to the basketball court they had already designed on their driveway.

"After painting the basketball court, I felt the open areas needed something to personalize the layout, so I decided to promote our family's favorite school, WIU," he said. "Two of my sons, Dustin (WIU class of 2000) and Ryan, created the stencils for 'WIU', the paw print and Rocky. We painted the paw prints and letters first, which, coincidentally, occurred the same week as Homecoming, when students were painting paw prints on Macomb's streets. The final logo was painted during a tailgate party my wife and I had on our driveway for the WIU versus Southern Illinois University football game (2007). To share the design with my WIU friends, I uploaded the photos of the driveway into my RockeNetwork photo album," he added.

Rocky on the Job
RockeNetwork offers various sections -- "tabs" -- through which alumni can join groups ("Groups"), explore job opportunities ("Careers") and engage in discussions ("Discussions").

In the "Careers" part of the network, alumni can learn about potential career paths by exploring what other alumni are doing and which companies are offering opportunities.

"Individuals are spotlighted in the 'Careers' section, which is a nice way to highlight the successes of our alumni," Shoemaker said.

Several major companies -- Google, Walmart, Verizon, Merrill Lynch, to name a few -- also advertise jobs in RockeNetwork, targeting fields that alumni can select in the "Careers" section, she added.

In the "Groups" part of RockeNetwork, alumni can join groups related to their personal, school (such as fraternities, sororities and other school-related activities and organizations they were a part of) and career interests. This section offers yet another way for job seekers to benefit from their WIU alumni connections.

"A helpful aspect of RockeNetwork, particularly for young alumni, are the more than 20 employment-related industry groups," Shoemaker explained. "This can aid job seekers and give them an edge, which is always beneficial when you're just starting out."

Group members can post job announcements within their industry groups as well as share information and knowledge about their chosen fields.

"RockeNetwork's corrections/law enforcement group and the broadcasting group both feature job announcements," said Shoemaker. "You can also 'announce an opportunity' on your individual home page in the network, and every time you log in, you'll get updates about responses to your announcement(s)."

Shoemaker also noted that soon-to-be graduates are put into the network a few months prior to their scheduled graduation dates, so they can get a head start on job networking before they leave WIU.

"We always emphasize that once you're a Western graduate, you automatically become a member of our Alumni Association. The same thing goes for RockeNetwork -- you are automatically a member, and there are no dues or fees for either membership in the Alumni Association or RockeNetwork," she said.

"We are pleased to offer an alternative to graduating seniors and all alumni for their online social networking needs," added Director of Alumni Programs Amy Spelman '98. "We believe our alumni can feel more comfortable knowing the network is only accessed by other alumni and yet receive so many benefits."

Making the Most of Membership
"I have invited Western friends to connect with me on RockeNetwork, and I am looking forward to connecting with more of my former classmates, as well as more WIU friends," Brouillet said. "I have connected with current WIU students and staff, who I've met during my visits to WIU. I think the RockeNetwork is a wonderful service provided by WIU, and I hope more of my classmates will register so we can connect again," he added.

"The RockeNetwork has created a whole new dimension of alumni relationships," noted Dan Hendricks, WIU's Vice President for Advancement and Public Services. "It is thrilling to see new communities formed and old ties reinvigorated by this amazing technology."

RockeNetwork also offers alumni updates on the campus community through its Alumni Association intern and blogger, Kristen Aguirre (2009), at kaawiu.wordpress.com.

To join RockeNetwork, which is almost 2,600 strong, alumni must sign in using their names and Western ID numbers to register for the first time. WIU alumni who do not know their Western ID numbers can log on to the Alumni Association's online directory (mvs.wiu.edu/stars/html) and find it on the individual display menu option through STARS.

For more information, contact the Alumni Association at (309) 298-1914 or visit wiu.edu/alumni. Log on to the RockeNetwork at rockenetwork.wiu.edu.

Posted By: Teresa Koltzenburg (WIUNews@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing