By JAMÉE ARD

As the school year begins, it may seem hard to imagine living without the rigors and structure of academic life. But the day will arrive when the world beckons and student life ends. Even though you may no longer be enrolled at Juilliard, the School still considers you one of its own and provides various services to you as one of its alumni.

How do you know if you qualify? Juilliard considers anyone who has completed at least one semester in either the Pre-College or College Division to be an alumna or alumnus of the School.

Anyone with this qualification whose records are up-to-date with the School is eligible for a number of benefits. These include monthly mailings of The Juilliard Journal and an alumni card, which entitles the holder to discounts at the Juilliard Bookstore and visiting privileges at the Lila Acheson Wallace Library. In addition, the Office of Alumni Affairs is working to create discounts for alumni on insurance, car rental, movie passes, and at selected Lincoln Center-area merchants. The complete list of benefits will soon be available on the newly updated Alumni Affairs page of the Juilliard Web site. This Web page will eventually also include an Online Alumni Directory, providing contact information for those alumni who allow access to this information.

Juilliard's Office of Alumni Affairs has three full-time staff members who are committed to strengthening ties to and within the alumni community, as well as exploring ways Juilliard can serve this constituency more meaningfully. Plans include holding more gatherings for alumni in all areas of the country, organizing alumni group travel, designating student ambassadors to participate in student-alumni activities, and creating opportunities for lifelong learning for alumni of the School. Juilliard's alumni will be recognized and play an important part in many events associated with the School's centennial celebration in 2005-06.

The vast and legendary expertise of Juilliard alumni makes it natural that they be enlisted by the School in helping future generations of artists. Plans are afoot to create a network of alumni mentors who would advise students on navigating the transition from school to the professional world, offer information about non-traditional careers, or share their knowledge in other ways.

Please e-mail the Office of Alumni Affairs at alumni@juilliard.edu or call the office at (212) 799-5000, ext. 344, to update your contact information, or discuss any ideas or questions you may have.

Jamée Ard is director of national advancement/alumni affairs and an alumna of the School.