General
We know it’s a tricky word – but we’ve got you.
‘Alumni’ (noun, pronounced uh-LUM-nye) is the plural term for a group of graduates from a school, college, or university.
It might sound a little old-fashioned, but its origins are quite lovely.
The word comes from the Latin alere, meaning to nourish or support. Over time, alumni came to mean pupils or nurslings. While the traditional singular forms are alumnus (male) and alumna (female), we prefer the gender-neutral term ‘graduate’, or in a more casual setting, ‘alum’ works perfectly too. Another related term you may have heard is ‘alma mater’, which means nourishing mother and refers to the educational institution the graduate attended.
Sentence examples:
- Curtin has more than 270,000 alumni worldwide
- As a graduate from Curtin, you have access to a wide range of exclusive benefits
- John is a proud Curtin graduate
- Jane, Curtin University alum, now works in fashion and design
A common misconception:
‘Alumni’ is plural, so “John is a proud Curtin alumni” is incorrect. The correct sentence would be, “John is a proud Curtin alumnus/graduate/alum.”
When you graduate from Curtin, you automatically become a part of our alumni community of over 270,000 inspiring people spread across more than 160 countries. Your contact information is transferred from Student One to the alumni database soon after your degree is conferred by the University. After which, you’ll receive a welcome email from the Curtin Alumni Team.
To be kept in the loop about benefits, opportunities, and resources relevant to you, update your details here.
Great question!
Staying connected with Curtin offers value on many levels.
Yes, you’ll enjoy exclusive benefits—curated alumni events and workshops, career support, learning discounts, free memberships, access to Curtin venues, and more—but the true value goes beyond the tangible. (LINK ME)
Your Curtin connection can open doors to powerful professional and personal networks, leading to unexpected opportunities. You might meet a mentor at an alumni event, connect with someone searching for talent just like you, or be inspired by fellow graduates making a real impact. The strength of your Curtin degree within our global community should not be underestimated—it’s an advantage you’ll carry for life.
You’ll also have opportunities to give back and get involved—whether through mentoring, volunteering, or supporting a Curtin cause that’s close to your heart. Plus, your achievements—in both work and life—may be celebrated through alumni stories, speaking opportunities, or our prestigious Alumni Awards program.
More than anything, staying connected means being part of something bigger. As a Curtin graduate, you belong to a global community dedicated to shaping a better future—through teaching, research, and meaningful engagement. A community that embraces diversity and inclusion. A community committed to reconciliation and global sustainability.
If you are not receiving communications from the Curtin Alumni team, we may not have your latest contact details. You can update your details here.
Information about the Alumni library membership and how to sign up is available here.LINK ME
Access
Previously, graduates retained lifetime access to their student email account. Due to recent Microsoft licensing changes, graduates will no longer have access to their student email account. If you are a graduate, your email access will have ceased on 30 November 2021.
Your academic email access ceases 90 days from when your course is set to complete. Your course completion date can be found at the bottom of your Academic eRecord or Academic Transcript.
If you are terminated from your course, you will lose access to your student email account after 90 days.
If your course status is set to AWOL or you withdraw at course level, you will lose access immediately.
Note that access to your Curtin Student email account and relevant drives (I: Drive, R: Drive etc.) will expire at the same time as your access to Microsoft Office 365 Education, as specified above. You will need to backup any important files, emails etc. prior to your loss of access, and any forwarding rules or auto-responses you have active will no longer function. Access cannot be extended once expired.
You will retain lifetime access to OASIS, but your level of access will depend on your enrolment status.
If you withdraw from your course, are set to AWOL (absent without leave), are terminated or set to cancelled, you will lose access to the full version of OASIS access after 45 days. You are advised to redirect your student emails, save work, and download documents such as your Academic eRecord, eInvoices, and eCANS if you fall into one of these categories.
Your on-going access to the base version of OASIS will enable you to apply for courses and purchase official documents in the future.
Your access to Microsoft Office 365 Education will be determined by your course status. Students will have access while their course status is set to admitted, this includes students that have an approved leave of absence in place.
If you are no longer admitted into a course, you will lose access after a set time period:
▪ Graduating students lose access 90 days after their course is set to passed. You can check the bottom of your Academic eRecord for the date your course was completed.
▪ Terminated students will lose access 90 days from when their course status is set to terminated.
▪ Students set to absent without leave (AWOL) will lose access immediately after their course status is set to AWOL.
▪ Students who have withdrawn at course level will lose access 90 days from final course withdrawal processing.
▪ New students who are not admitted into their course yet, will not have access until they have accepted their offer and their course status has changed to admitted.
Note that access to your Curtin Student email account and relevant drives (I: Drive, R: Drive etc.) will expire at the same time as your access to Microsoft Office 365 Education, as specified above. You will need to backup any important files, emails etc. prior to your loss of access, and any forwarding rules or auto-responses you have active will no longer function. Access cannot be extended once expired.
Official documents and course information
All the information you need can be found on Curtin’s official student documents page.
This includes gaining access to:
- Letter confirming course completion
- Letter Confirmation of Credit for Recognised Learning (CRL)
- Letter to confirm graduation (for visa purposes for international students)
- Academic transcript
- Curtin Extra certificate
- Graduation statement
- True copy of your Curtin Award Certificate
- Replacement Award Certificate
- Intermediate/Exit Award
Additional information can be found on Curtin’s FAQ page. Scroll down to “FAQs by category” and find “Forms and Documents”.
If you need additional support, contact Curtin Connect.
You can access published unit outlines using Curtin’s Unit Outline Builder.
Replacement awards are costly and often not necessary. In most cases, ordering official documents (outlined above) is sufficient.
If you’re certain you require a replacement of your Award Certificate, please apply by submitting an online request via this form.
If you need additional support, contact Curtin Connect.
Post nominals are the approved abbreviation of your award. Once your award has been conferred, you can use the post nominal after your name. The Awards and Graduation Manual provides details on how post nominals can be used.
The correct post nominal letters that apply to your course are provided in Curtin Handbook with your course information (refer to the “Award code” within your course Handbook).