View of Saint Joseph Hall, a stone building with terra cotta roof tiles, through the trees

100th Anniversary Oral History Project

To reconnect and recall what makes us a Community

Every Griffin has a story, and the Chestnut Hill College Alumni Association wants to hear yours. As part of our 100th Anniversary, we are making a concerted push to reconnect with our graduates. We are embarking on a special project to collect the stories of alumni like you in your own words. These stories will be preserved in a book that celebrates the impact Chestnut Hill College has had on your lives and who you are today. However, with over 15,000 living alumni, it would take years to meet with each of you individually, so we have partnered with a company with long experience in this, PCI, to help us get it done.

Have You Moved?

As part of this project, we are also taking this opportunity to help make it easier for you to stay connected to Chestnut Hill. We are working with PCI to help us collect updated contact information from those of you who may have moved and inadvertently lost touch with your alma mater.

Your Story

So what story will you tell?

  • Did a special faculty or staff member have a profound impact on your life?
  • Did you find your sweetheart at CHC?
  • Can you trace your career path back to a defining moment at our alma mater?
  • Have connections you made on campus turned into lifelong friendships?
  • Were you on the Hill during a historical moment?
  • Are you part of a CHC Family?

PCI Partnership

With our limited resources, we’d never be able to tackle a project like this, so we are partnering with PCI, an established, family-owned company that has previously produced our Alumni Directories. By working with PCI, we’re able to access their trained staff of real, live human beings who are excited to listen to what you have to share. PCI will also help collect and assemble the stories into the 100th Anniversary Collection book that we can share with all of our alumni. Please note, we have only shared your contact information with PCI in conjunction with this project. We have NOT sold your contact information, or otherwise used it for outside marketing purposes.

Do I Have to Buy Something?

No. You will not be asked for a donation to the College, and you are not required to purchase anything.  This project is being done at NO COST to Chestnut Hill College. The project is completely funded by the alumni who choose to purchase the book that will be produced at the end of the project. Various book packages in both print and digital form will be offered. PCI will also offer you the option to purchase other CHC branded merchandise. You are welcome to purchase these items, but you are not required to do so either to (a) participate in the project or (b) order the book. We’d never be able to embark on a project like this without the support of our amazing alumni and the partnership with PCI. We sincerely thank every person that participates whether or not you choose to purchase the book.

What’s Next?

Soon you will be receiving email and postcard communications from the PCI team with instructions on how to participate. We invite you to share one of your stories with us and take part in this 100th Anniversary project to honor the experiences and voices of our alumni. The PCI team will collect stories until April 2025. After that, they will enter a post-production phase editing the data. We hope to have the book distributed in late summer 2025.

We look forward to hearing from each and every one of you regarding your memories of the place on the Hill where you came to “learn to make a living …. And learn how to live.”

Sincerely,

Andy Behrend
Vice President of Institutional Advancement
Chestnut Hill College

 

What will happen on the Call?

When you call PCI at the number provided, a representative will review your basic contact information – residence address, phone, email address– and then ask if you would like to share a story about your CHC experience.  This is an opportunity, not a requirement!  If you are not ready to share a story at that time, you may call back any time before April 4, 2025 to do so.

The phone line will be open weekdays M-F  8:00 AM – 10:00 PM (ET) and Saturdays 9:00 AM – 5:45 PM (ET).  Closed Sunday.

At the end of the call you will be given the opportunity to reserve a copy of the book and/or digital publication.  CHC Apparel or a Travel Bag can be packaged with the physical book for additional savings, or purchased separately.  Here is what they will be offering:

(State sales tax added where applicable)

Item Price S&H
Hardbound book $179.98 $19.98
Digital Publication $179.98 $0.00
Loyalty Package: Book, Digital Publication, T-shirt, Sweatshirt, Travel Bag $459.98 $39.98
Pride Package: Book, Digital Publication, T-shirt, Sweatshirt $359.98 $29.98
Value Package: Hardbound + Digital Publication $269.98 $19.98
Apparel (ash grey sweatshirt & t-shirt) $99.98 $12.98
Travel Bag $139.98 $19.98

 

Frequently Asked Questions by Alumni

I received an email/postcard/phone call from a company asking for my personal information and a story about Chestnut Hill College. Tell me more about the project.

We have partnered with PCI (also known as Publishing Concepts) to produce an Oral History Publication for Chestnut Hill College. PCI is a family-owned business based in Dallas, TX that has published directories for educational institutions, fraternities, sororities, and military organizations across the nation for over 100 years. This project allows us to hear about your personal experiences from your time at Chestnut Hill College and how the school helped to shape your life since then. And, while we have you on the phone, we want to make sure your contact information is up to date.

Does Chestnut Hill College benefit from this at all?

Yes, in a few different ways:

  • Updated Information – allows us to effectively communicate with and engage alumni
  • Legacy – sharing and collecting stories preserves the history of our school
  • Pride – wearing apparel shows support and love for our school

How do I know my information will only be used for Oral History Project purposes?

PCI is committed to protecting your information. The names, addresses and information provided to PCI for the publication of the Oral History Project will be held confidential by PCI, except to the extent that they are utilized in, or in the preparation of, the Oral History Project and except as required by court order or law.

I would like to verify or update my information and share a story. How can I do this?

  • If you have received a postcard or an email with a telephone number, you may call the number to speak with a dedicated representative for the Oral History Project. The representative will verify the information we have on file for you, make any updates where needed, and then ask you to share your story about your time at Chestnut Hill College. Your story will be recorded, and the sound clip provided to Chestnut Hill College at the conclusion of the project.
  • If you have received an email with an embedded link, you may go to the online site to review your information and submit a story.
  • If you did not receive a postcard or email, you may call the dedicated Chestnut Hill College update line at 877-303-1267.
  • If you are living internationally or are unable to call the update line, please email customerservice@publishingconcepts.com. PCI will send you a personalized link for you to share your written story and photo.

How can I participate if I am Deaf/Hard of Hearing?

If you would like to participate and are Deaf/Hard of Hearing, please email customerservice@publishingconcepts.com. PCI will send you a personalized link for you to share your written story and photo.

Can I choose what information prints in the publication?

The only information that is included in the publication is your name, class year and degree, along with your story and photo. No contact information is printed. When you call to update your contact information, it will only be used to update your alumni record for the school/alumni association. You may revoke consent for your story and/or photo to appear any time before 04/04/2025 by contacting PCI’s customer service helpdesk at 1-800-982-1590 / customerservice@publishingconcepts.com.

I updated my information but need some more time to think about what experience to share.

You can call back at any time before 04/04/2025 to share your story.

I shared a story and the representative said I could send a photo. How do I do this?

You will receive an email with a link to upload one photo (black and white or color) plus a caption.

If you have also purchased a book but do not have an email address on file, you will be sent a photo mailer to send a physical photo in to be printed (note: the photo will be returned if you include a self-addressed, stamped envelope).

Can anyone purchase a book?

The Chestnut Hill College Oral History Publication is available for sale only to Chestnut Hill College alumni.

When will I receive my book?

The total duration of the Oral History Project is about 12 months. Since we began the project in October 2024, the books will be distributed in October 2025.

I ordered a book / package over the phone and would like to cancel my order. How do I do this?

Contact PCI’s customer service helpdesk at 1-800-982-1590 and they will take care of this for you.