alumni futures

Who Qualifies as an Alumnus?

In a recent online discussion, Ivan Low of Singapore Management University asked fellow alumni professionals the following question: Do graduates of short-duration executive education programs qualify as alumni?

The definition of "alumni" is arbitrary and varies among institutions. It's not unheard of for people who have completed, say, a six-week executive education program to be included as "alumni" of a business school.

I recently discussed this with some advancement professionals who expressed concern that treating executive education participants as alumni somehow cheapens the MBA or PhD degree from the business school.

Does treating certificate students as alumni detract from the value of the graduate degree?

Not necessarily. Resources allocated to supporting the activities and services provided to the six-week folks should be proportional to

• the scale of the students' academic effort;
• the fraction of the overall alumni population they comprise; and
• their overall importance to the institution.

This last point is tricky, as it carries clear implications for fundraising. If a Fortune 100 CEO dropped in for a 6-week refresher on your campus, he or she would be a legitimate target for relationship-building, cultivation, and ultimately, fundraising.

Do you agree or disagree? What's missing from this brief analysis?

 

Photo of lecture hall at the Sorbonne by Pierre Metivier, via Creative Commons. It has nothing to do with executive education alumni, but I thought it was a good photo. Click it to see full size.

The Alumni Organization Social Network Matrix: 18 Use Cases

[Updated: There is a newer version of the matrix, featuring two additional use cases, for a total of 20. See:

http://www.alumnifutures.com/2010/11/matrix-more-uses.html]

 

Back in February we saw the first version of web strategist Jeremiah Owyang's useful chart, Impacts to Alumni Organizations in a World of Social Networks. A month later, I posted a revised version of the chart, which I had updated by incorporating more specific aspects of alumni relations.

Now, with help from Cornell's Andrew Gossen and Liz Allen of Adaptivate, I've built out the matrix to incorporate almost every possible use case I can think of for social technology in alumni and donor outreach. 

The chart is detailed and lengthy, and so it is hard to read within the Alumni Futures web page (although to get an idea of the content you can click the image above for a snap shot of one section). 

Download a PDF of the full chart here:

Social Networks' Impacts to Alumni Organizations: 18 Use Cases  [90kb PDF]

Here are some ways you might use the chart:

• As a management checklist to see how you are doing in engaging constituents with interactive tools;
• For brainstorming new ways to engage your audience, in partnership with other campus units (such as student affairs, career services, community relations, development or communications);
• To create a strategy roadmap that guides your inquiries and planning as you allocate resources to new initiatives.

Finally, I hope others will update and add to the matrix in the way that Jeremiah has encouraged me to do with his version. As the technology changes, advancement professionals need to update their vision and plans, and incorporate new ideas to expand the range of possible futures.

Leave a comment telling me what you think about this resource, and feel free to share your own additions in the comments or via email: andy@alumnifutures.com.

Note: The matrix is designed to print on US legal size paper, 8.5 x 14 inches. If you are reading this message via email or RSS and cannot download the 18 Use Cases, 1) click through to the blog post on the web page: http://www.alumnifutures.com/2010/07/expanded-matrix.html, then 2) right click the link to the PDF and 3) select "Save As..." or "Save Link As..."

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.

Guest Blogger Scott Mory: Good Works Made Visible

This week's post is written by Scott Mory, CEO of the USC Alumni Association at the University of Southern California, and addresses the importance of strategically connecting alumni relations and the academic side of your institution.

[Update April 7, 2010: Scott Mory was interviewed by Paul Clifford. Click this sentence to load the mp3 audio podcast.]

Many of us already link institutional advancement with "the academic side of the house." But do we really think of ourselves, or talk about ourselves, as responsible for supporting our institution's academic mission?

My administrative home at USC is the division of university relations. Our senior vice president for university relations, Martha Harris, describes our division's core mission as "Good Works Made Visible." Those good works are typically the academic and professional accomplishments of our faculty, students, staff and alumni. And if you think about much of the work an alumni association does throughout the year, we focus a lot of effort on making good works visible.

For example:

• Publishing communications that publicize the institution's academic priorities and achievements
• Planning lectures with faculty members presenting their latest research
• Identifying alumni who can promote the institution's reputation in specific industries
• Recruiting alumni as expert advisors or guest speakers
• Recognizing graduates' professional accomplishments
• Marketing the institution's lifelong learning opportunities that are available to alumni
• Building a strong alumni network to help alumni and students find jobs, internships and career advice or support

Your alumni relations program probably has most of these features already. But are you presenting them as crucial support for the academic mission? If not, you could be missing a chance to make an effective case to volunteer leaders and campus colleagues about your program’s relevance and value.  (And it’ll make for a nice change of pace from being evaluated on how we support fundraising.)

Now you may be wondering how your alumni will respond to this focus. Trust me, they’ll love it. We recently surveyed our alumni, and they told us the most important factor in their relationship with USC is their perception of the value of their degrees – also known as degree equity. Their perception of the degree’s value is informed by the accomplishments of alumni, faculty, and students, as well as USC’s rankings in various surveys. Alumni also told us that one of the most important drivers of their loyalty is how well USC prepares students for a variety of activities, including responding to new career opportunities, deepening a commitment to personal development, and instilling a commitment to continuous learning.

For me, these findings are a roadmap on how to take USC’s alumni engagement to the next level – by connecting our work to USC’s academic mission, by making USC’s good works visible.

Photo of books in USC's Doheny Library by Zabowski via Creative Commons.

2010 HERS Institute: For Women in Higher Ed Administration

Each year I post an announcement of the Bryn Mawr Summer Institute presented by Higher Education Resource Services (HERS). This year's information is now online, and open for applications. 

The application deadline is coming up (1 March, 2010) so if you're a mid- or senior-level manager in higher education, check it out now. The program is in depth (12 days long, beginning 18 June) but there is nothing comparable for female administrators in higher ed. 

It is not a conference. It is a leadership training institute with a proven track record and a unique focus on the following broad themes:

• Understanding the Higher Education Environment (trends, technology, cultures & constituencies);
• Planning & Leading Change (strategy, negotiation, conflict resolution);
• Managing & Investing Strategic Resources (higher ed finance, budgeting, and advancement); and
• Leadership Development (leadership styles, career stages, and finding or being a mentor).

Enrollment is capped at 70 participants.

More information is available at www.hersnet.org, or call Judith White directly at 1+303/871-6866. Tell her you heard it from Alumni Futures!

LinkedIn for Alumni Professionals at Technical Institutions

Many of us use LinkedIn to help alumni activate their networks for professional advancement. But do you use LinkedIn for your own benefit? LinkedIn has a Groups function which, though far from perfect, can be useful in many cases.

There is a CASE (Council for Advancement and Support of Education) Group on LinkedIn, and there are also a few subgroups. As of this writing, they include

• Independent Schools
  
• CASE District II
  
• Alumni Volunteers in India
  

and

• Alumni Professionals in Technical and Engineering Institutions.
  

I suggested this last group as one that would appeal to those of us whose alumni audience is heavily weighted toward engineers, scientists and other research professions. If this describes your own institution then check out the subgroup and post discussion items to share program ideas and to ask questions. Basic LinkedIn membership is free for individuals.

Alumni Associations and Twitter Lists

The popular microblogging service Twitter launched its "Lists" function a couple of months ago, and Twitter users can compile, publish and follow lists built around Twitter users with shared characteristics. For example, an alumni association can compile a list of its members' Twitter profiles to make it easier for alumni to connect via Twitter. This allows alumni to use Twitter as an alumni networking tool, not just as another communication channel. 

At Caltech we have followed back any of our followers we could identify as alumni or current students (as well as following faculty members and campus organizations using Twitter), and we recently compiled the alumni users into a Twitter list (you must be logged into Twitter to view it).  

Institutions could compile lists of volunteer leaders, regionally organized alumni, or alumni affinity group members (such as athletics, student government, performing arts or Greek life).

Twitter doesn't maintain a directory of public lists, but a recently launched service called Listorious bills itself as "The Directory of Awesome Lists on Twitter" and offers a compilation of alumni associations using Twitter (95 are listed as of this writing). 

They are listed in descending order, by how many followers they have:

http://listorious.com/EtiquetteWise/alumni-associations

It's important to remember that we're still at the beginning of the development and use of these kinds of tools, but keeping up with these trends will increase our ability to connect with alumni, and to connect them with our institution and each other. 

Is your association maintaining a list of alumni on Twitter? Do you have a different way of enabling the alumni network via Twitter? Leave a comment.

Survey: Benchmarking Alumni and Parent Relations

[Updated 2 September: Please answer questions 3 and 4, even if your own campus has more than 1,000 undergrads! Survey will remain open til further notice.]

If you work in U.S. higher education, in alumni relations or parent programming, will you please help with a modest benchmarking project I'm conducting for a small college?

This brief unscientific survey will ask for your opinion about 

• who has the best small college alumni programs, and 
• the pros and cons of combining or separating alumni programs and parent programs.

Click to access the quick four question survey

Thanks very much.

10 Ways We Use Social Media to Engage Alumni, from Mashable

Over at the excellent Mashable blog, Vadim Lavrusik has written a great summary of ten ways in which colleges and universities are deploying so-called social tools to engage and serve alumni. 

10 Ways Universities Are Engaging Alumni Using Social Media

While obviously not an exhaustive list, the article provides a comprehensive but manageable overview of different approaches to web-driven alumni interaction. 

Take a look and leave a comment (here or on Mashable): do you think the article is on target, and what are you doing to engage alumni online?