alumni futures

Alumni Futures in France: September Events

As I head off to Singapore today, I'm already looking ahead to September, when I will travel to France for two teaching opportunities:

EAIE Workshop in Nantes, 15-16 September
I will co-present with Illuminate Consulting Group's Dr. Daniel Guhr at the annual meeting of the European Association for International Education (EAIE). This year, Dan has developed a workshop called How to Strategically Deploy Web 2.0 Platforms, Tools and Communities.

The workshop takes place over two half-day sessions, and is limited to 30 participants. It's not an introductory program – it is aimed at an intermediate level audience that is familiar with the tools currently used to deploy communities online.

The workshop takes place 15 and 16 September in Nantes. Other presenters include Delia de Vreeze (International Marketing Manager at Wageningen University in the Netherlands), and ICG researcher Mauro Mondino, from Germany's Hertie School of Governance.

AFF Breakfast Program in Paris, 21 September
On Tuesday, 21 September in Paris, I will deliver a breakfast talk sponsored by the Association Française des Fundraisers (AFF). The topic is Alumni Community Management. I will discuss how to use social networks and the web (including blogs, Twitter, Facebook and other online platforms) to listen to alumni and build a dialog with them.

The presentation will be in English, although I plan to answer questions and discuss related topics informally in French as well. 

Here is a brief description of the program in French, with a link to the event page:

Petit-déjeuner fundraising: Alumni Community Management

Comment utiliser les réseaux sociaux et le web (blogs, Twitter, Facebook, sites internet) pour écouter ses alumni, et construire une relation avec eux. Une introduction au "community management" au service des relations avec vos alumni et de votre fundraising.

Social Media Master Class: Singapore

On 29 July I will be teaching a workshop (what CASE calls a "Master Class") in Singapore. The National University of Singapore (NUS) is hosting the event at the Shaw Foundation Alumni House (pictured here). It's a half-day overview of social media and alumni communications for colleges, universities and schools. 

The full program (or programme) web site is here:

Social Media & Educational Advancement

Below is the agenda at a glance, to give you an idea of what I'll cover. This session is great for people who know that social tools are an increasingly important part of constituent relations, but who don't feel they have an adequate understanding of these fast-changing trends. Note that this is a non-technical roadmap to these trends, so you don't need computer or internet expertise to benefit.

 

Social Media & Educational Advancement Programme

Overview
What is social media and where did it come from? What is the meaning of "Web 2.0" and why are there so many social networking sites and tools? Our discussion will cover: the rise of social networking sites; terminology; how social media affects alumni and student behavior; and why social media is important to educational advancement.

Global Case Studies
A cross-border look at how some institutions are using the most common tools: microblogging, social networks, business networks and more. The discussion will include risks and opportunities; how these tools can promote better alumni coordination, student recruiting, and fundraising.

Putting Social Technology to Work: Interactive Exercise
In small groups, participants will quickly brainstorm and design a solution to an assigned challenge.

The Road Ahead: Trends in Online Communication
Where is the social media world going next, and can we lead, or must we follow? I'll highlight the growing importance of mobile communication and of location-based services.

We'll finish the afternoon with an open-ended Question and Answer discussion.

If you're reading Alumni Futures in Asia and can be in Singapore on 29 July, click here to register for this event.

June 11 Deadline to Apply for CASE Conference Scholarships

CASE is offering about 20 scholarships to cover conference registration fees for advancement professionals at selected CASE programs.

The Virginia Carter Smith Scholarship Program is for you if you have less than three years' experience in educational advancement, or if you've moved from one advancement discipline to another in the last three years (e.g., from alumni relations to development). Among the criteria for awarding the scholarships are "career potential," an applicant's statement about resources available through their institution, and the candidate's "ability to express him or herself."

If selected to receive a scholarship, you will have conference registration fees waived, but will still have to cover, travel, hotel and meal costs to attend. Conferences NOT covered by the Smith Scholarship are the Summer Institutes, the Summit, or the annual District conferences. But that still leaves you with many options from the CASE professional development calendar.

Get your application started, though: the deadline for scholarship applications is Friday, June 11, 2010.

Click this link to download the application packet from the CASE web site [180kb PDF]

And in case you're wondering, Virginia Carter Smith was a CASE president, and founder of CURRENTS Magazine. 

Other CASE scholarships:

International Scholarships Programme (for global access to advancement training)

SimpsonScarborough Scholars (for young communications and marketing professionals)

Peter Buchanan ASAP Scholarship Award (for student advancement programming)

Good luck!

Harvard on the Map: An Example of Alumni Service in Action

I recently noted a tweet from Altimeter Group's Christine Tran, mentioning an interesting page at Harvard University. Her tweet said: 

Harvard site has cool way for alumni to share and find service opportunities all over the world.

And she linked to a site that I found surprisingly engaging. I'm blogging about it today to encourage other organizations to think about how they promote existing service opportunities.

The homepage for Harvard Public Service on the Map is well thought-out, pleasantly designed, and packed with interesting, useful links about its core purpose. The screenshot here is just a section of the home page – click it to view a larger version of the image.

Here are just a few of the highlights from the site that I thought were worth noting:

• Interactive map shows Harvard-related public service opportunities worldwide, color coded by affiliation (alumni, students, faculty, staff).
• Basic search lets visitors find service activities by location or keyword; The advanced search function adds activity type, timeframe, and Harvard affiliation (house, school, or class year).
• Separate sorted lists show most popular or newest service programs.
• Opportunities are listed by type of commitment – volunteer, internship or regular employment.

There are a few simple Web 2.0 features to Harvard Public Service on the Map as well. For example, registered site users can "like" or comment on the more than 460 service efforts currently listed, which are tagged with sortable labels such as "public health," "prevention," "nutrition," "sustainability" and more.

As for the personal aspect, profiles show basic background and contact information about the groups and individuals posting the activities. Click here for one example.

I don't know how much traction or engagement this site is generating, nor do I know the budget or staff effort that went into programming it. There are probably other, more effective and heavily-used sites that do the same thing better in similar contexts (if you know of one, please leave a comment about it). 

But I believe the approach and execution are worth considering for any organization's audience. Every institution has links to alumni, faculty, students and to other organizations that serve the public. These organizations' activities improve people's lives, but they also reflect positively on the sponsoring institutions. In other words, links to such efforts benefit many, and this site shows one way to do that.

It would be easy to find negatives about Harvard Public Service on the Map, the interface or the content, but to do so would be to miss the point. Encouraging, promoting and enhancing service offerings around the world is a deserving effort. This site may provide a service in its own right – namely, motivating other associations and organizations to activate their networks on behalf of worthwhile causes.

What is your organization doing to get the word out to your network about opportunities to serve the public?

Click here to visit the Harvard Public Service on the Map web site.

Global Citizenship: What Role for Alumni?

I spent a very educational day this week in Ottawa, Canada as an invitee of the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT). The occasion was a workshop on "Global Citizenship" and ways to encourage public diplomacy among a number of groups with ties to Canada. Among those audiences are foreign alumni of Canadian institutions, foreign alumni of Canadian international youth programs, and of course, Canadian alumni of Canadian institutions, now living overseas. The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada estimates there are some 2.8 million Canadian citizens living outside the country's borders. 

In this context, "global citizenship" refers not to ethical or moral standards of behavior, but to the practical question of citizens advancing their nation's interests internationally. For example, advocacy for Canadian entrepreneurship, as seen in the C100 group. 

The day included presentations by academics as well as more than half a dozen Canadian diplomats, and discussion among outside experts from a number of non-governmental organizations (including Alumni Futures). I have to give credit to the Department for not drafting policy behind closed doors and then trying to "sell" it to external audiences. It appears they are starting out by collecting external ideas and viewpoints before even considering what a policy might ultimately look like.

While this meeting was just the start of a process to generate practical ideas for DFAIT to explore, it was eye-opening and thought-provoking. I have no doubt that university alumni organizations can partner with national governments to advance their respective interests, without appearing to take sides on potentially divisive political issues. If such a partnership takes clearer shape in the future, I'll write about it here on Alumni Futures. 

HDR Photo of the Canadian Parliament in Ottawa by Daniel Santana via Creative Commons.

Asia-Pacific Institute in Alumni Relations

[Updated May 6, 2010: APIAR has been postponed until March, 2011 due to scheduling conflicts.]

 
[Updated March 31, 2010: The APIAR web site is now online:

http://www.case.org/Conferences_and_Training/APAIR10.html ]

I am excited to be part of the faculty at the first-ever CASE Asia-Pacific Institute in Alumni Relations (APIAR), which will take place from 16 to 20 August, 2010 in Singapore.

Last year CASE Asia-Pacific, which is headquartered in Singapore, ran an institute program for front-line education fundraising professionals. According to CASE Asia-Pacific Executive Director Krista Slade, this year

the APIAR covers multiple aspects of alumni relations theory and practice. It's designed for newcomers to the profession and for international alumni relations staff members working with alumni across the Asia-Pacific region. The Shaw Foundation Alumni House is the first purpose-built alumni complex in Asia, which makes it the perfect venue.

The program provides

• plenary sessions on volunteer development, communications, alumni outreach and other core topics;
• more than 30 elective classes on metrics, affinity programming and more;
• tutorial groups of just 8 to 10 attendees led each day by an experienced faculty member; and
• a personalized "action plan" that each participant creates during the week, to address his or her institution's most pressing alumni relations needs.

And obviously, participants will be laying the foundation for a strong network of fellow practitioners from across the region.

The conference chair is Professor Teo Choo Soo (chief alumni executive at the National University of Singapore), whom I had the pleasure of working with as a member of the Commission on Alumni Relations. Other instructors will be Marie Earl (University of British Columbia), Julia Mannion (Queensland University of Technology), Christine Keller Smith (formerly at Australian National University) Nathalie Walker (of Cambridge University in the UK), and Antonia Yeung (Chinese University of Hong Kong).

The program was just announced and I'll share registration info when it's available. For now, you can request more information from the CASE A-P office via email:

asia-pacific@case.org

Time for a Change

I've been in alumni relations since January 1989, when I became assistant director in the alumni office at my alma mater, Brown University. That was 21 years ago, and I've been at Caltech since September 1999 – almost exactly half my career, or ten and a half years. 

My service to Caltech has been tremendously rewarding, but now I have chosen to move on to the next stage of my career in higher education. 

So I have decided to leave my position at Caltech on March 10.

Then what?

Although I am not immediately moving to a new permanent position, I plan to do so eventually, in an environment that encourages innovation and experimentation. In the immediate future I have an ample "to do" list. But I'm looking to add to it, as well.

I plan to complete my master's degree in education this spring, and if possible, continue as chair of the CASE Commission on Alumni Relations, while continuing as a member of the CASE Board of Trustees. 

I am also fortunate to have the opportunity to speak in diverse settings. In late March I'll deliver part of a training workshop in Paris for the European Association of International Education (EAIE), and will help teach a one-day master class in alumni relations for CASE in London. (At both events I will talk about social network technology and higher education).

Summer is shaping up to be busy too. In June I'll speak at the Whipple Hill Conference (for independent schools), and I'll run the second Alumni Futures Think Tank, a private workshop, in New York in July. And in August I hope to participate as a faculty member in the first-ever CASE Asia-Pacific Summer Institute in Singapore. 

I also will do consulting engagements as time allows. And of course, I plan to keep writing the Alumni Futures blog and tweeting about higher education via @alumnifutures.

Finally, I hope readers will contact me by email (andy@alumnifutures.com) to share job leads, discuss consulting or training needs, speaking invitations – or just to talk about higher ed advancement. 

The Bologna Process and Alumni Relations, Part II

[Updated 18 February, 2010: InsideHigherEd interview with Paul Gaston, author of The Challenge of Bologna: What United States Higher Education Has to Learn from Europe, and Why It Matters That We Learn It.]

Back in November of 2009, I looked at the Bologna Process of European higher education standardization and how it might affect alumni relations in Europe. In this second and final post on the topic, I'm sharing a few more comments from Dr. Daniel Guhr and Simon Lange of Illuminate Consulting Group. Illuminate's consulting practice focuses on international strategic development in higher education.*  

In this post Guhr and Lange address:

• Threats and challenges to alumni engagement under Bologna
• The prospects for alumni loyalty to a specific institution
• The most likely time frame for changes to appear

Will threats or challenges to engagement make it harder for institutions to maintain already tenuous connections with alumni?

Daniel Guhr: Yes, but this is independent of the Bologna Process. If institutions ignore alumni demand patterns, the alumni will walk away. Down the road, having effective alumni networks will be a recruiting benefit, and it already works this way for small, elite private institutions (primarily business schools). It will be more than three years before we see concrete examples emerge – once the first full cohort of Europe-wide "Bologna System" alumni leave universities.

How does this relate to traditional "study abroad" experiences?

Daniel Guhr: It will have a negative effect on intra-European mobility, as fewer students can move around. This is being hotly debated however.

Simon Lange: Dan is right. Though the process encourages mobility when obtaining your degree abroad, the reforms have significantly increased students' workloads, and introduced the element of time pressure. In the end, this discourages students from spending a desirable semester in Sevilla, or elsewhere.

Will alumni be likely to transfer their affinity or loyalty to a university, a country, an academic program or perhaps a host institution in their target country?

Daniel Guhr: I would ask this differently. What makes alumni more loyal in the European context? First, the presence of effective alumni relations to begin with. Second, the the impact of the international experience on the alumnus's life. Third, the brand effect. You can create a matrix that displays these factors and put in the respective values. We'll see very different dynamics emerge. In short, we should ask, "What works for the alumni?"

Simon Lange: It is likely that the European Union's goal of fostering a European identity among future professionals will succeed. For scholarship recipients, loyalty to the donating country or organization, or to the EU, is likely to be higher. ICG recently conducted a nationwide survey of alumni from all eight universities in New Zealand, and found that non-New Zealand citizen alumni felt more closely connected to New Zealand if they received a New Zealand-sponsored scholarship. We compared their affiliation levels with those of alumni who received funding from other sources, and those who received no scholarship funds.

Based on both ICG's research and my personal experience in Europe, I'd say that students who go abroad feel a strong connection to their host institution, either for an exchange or for an entire program. For example, there are two Facebook groups for Erasmus students at the Universidad de Sevilla (Spain), each with more than 1,300 members. This is anecdotal evidence, but worth looking into more systematically. 

Over what time scale will changes play out?

Daniel Guhr: Some changes are already taking place. It will three years or more before we have early examples to use as case studies. In 5 to 10 years we'll see major initiatives that will produce good results. Some will come earlier, but will likely not be well-conceived. It will be more than ten years however before mainstream European universities will see any benefits – and only if they commit to building alumni networks.

* I serve as a volunteer member of ICG's Academic Advisory Board.

Alumni Relations Training in Europe: Registration Deadline

The registration deadline for the EAIE training course, Managing Alumni Programmes Effectively, is just a few days away. Although EAIE may accept late registrations, if you are interested in this workshop, register today.

The workshop is 17 to 19 March, 2010 in Paris, France. As summarized in the description, topics will include

• strategic planning
• alumni associations and non-traditional alumni groups
• records management
• alumni surveys, and
• communications and online community management.

I will be one of the faculty presenters at this event, which is designed for middle- and senior-level alumni relations managers from across Europe and the UK. I look forward to seeing several Alumni Futures European readers at this workshop in Paris!

Cool panograph of the Eiffel Tower by Alexandre Duret-Lutz via Creative Commons. 

CASE Calls for Senior Level Volunteers

CASE (the Council for Advancement and Support of Education) is currently accepting nominations for senior volunteer leadership positions. 

These include positions on 

• the CASE Board of Trustees, 
• the three professional area Commissions (Philanthropy, Alumni Relations, and Communications & Marketing), and 
• the CASE Europe Board of Trustees. 

CASE seeks senior-level advancement officers from all types of institutions and from all segments of the profession. Self-nominations are appropriate and encouraged.

To submit an online nomination, simply go to the CASE web site's online form.

Hundreds of volunteer leaders have committed their time and talent to the advancement profession. You can join them, or help steer capable people to this opportunity.

Thanks!