This paper is an evaluation of undergraduate college students' participation in the Student Alumni Association (SAA) at the University of South Florida. I evaluated benefits of participating in the program, why students do not participate in the program, and if participation affected students' persistence through college. Undergraduate students…

Recent alumni participated in this qualitative study to determine factors that influence alumni engagement. Each participant completed a pre-interview survey to determine their student involvement scores, which were grouped into three groups -- high, medium, and low engagement. I created interview questions and a protocol. Following the completion…

Despite increasing undergraduate enrollment, Asian Americans remain disproportionately underrepresented in leadership positions across professional fields. This highlights the importance for higher education institutions to critically examine their role in preparing students for both personal growth and navigating career pathways beyond the…

With the shifting dynamics within higher education, there is a stronger reliance and need for financial support in order to aid the institution's growth and financial health. One particular segment of their donor base that institutions will need to cultivate in order to respond to these dynamics is among their alumni. Simultaneously, while many…

Women are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in higher education institutions and the technology field and vulnerable to attrition. The reviewed literature suggests that the impact of other factors, beyond students' academic performance, leading to well-being and success and affecting female students' retention…

This qualitative collective case study aimed to explore that attitudes and perceptions of alumni engagement at a private women's college in the Southeastern United States. A total of thirteen alumni from one of two generational cohorts: baby boomers or millennials, were interviewed and six participated in two focus group sessions. Interviews and…

Black students attending predominantly White institutions face racism in residence halls. Although research suggests that Black students create communities that help them thrive on campus despite this racism, little work has examined students' experiences with affinity housing as one such Black-centered residential counter space. Therefore, we…

Presently, United States Census 2020 results reveal that Hispanic/Latinos make up almost 19% of the U.S. population (U.S. Census Bureau -- Hispanic Heritage Month, 2021). The National Center for Education Statistics (2019) study report that Hispanic/Latino students who are first-time, full-time undergraduate students, pursuing a bachelor's degree…

The relationship between students and higher education is seen to have become increasingly transactional. We approach the study of the student-HE relationship in a novel way, by focusing on students' behaviour post-university, rather than on student narratives. Conceptually, the article builds on multidimensional views of student engagement and…

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant financial impact on land-grant historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, which have historically faced underfunding by their respective state governments. This study examined the issue of low engagement rates and alumni giving among former…

This article reports on the self-perceived impacts of service-learning experiences from the perspective of alumni who graduated from a technical university in Taiwan. Drawing on the alumni responses in a focus group interview, the study investigated how the respondents perceived the impacts of participation in a service-learning project. Findings…

Little research has uncovered clear results on why post-secondary alumni give or which alumni might be more inclined to give. The most significant predictor of future giving for alumni to their alma mater is past giving (Okunade and Justice, 1991). This creates an unfortunate situation for today's post-secondary leader, where they need to be more…

Purpose: State funding is being reduced for higher education institutes (HEIs) is linked to several checks such as performance-based incentives (Hagood, 2019). This forces HEIs to look for other options for funding. Endowment funds are now becoming the main source of revenue for HEIs (Sörlin, 2007), largely provided by alumni. Thus, this study…

For college leaders, especially presidents and advancement officers, fundraising has become an integral part of the leadership experience. Fundraising is a skill that is expected for top-level college leaders. For public community colleges, keeping tuition costs low necessitates a change in the basic funding model to include a more significant…

Providing students with access to mentoring is now a national priority, as demonstrated by the prevalence and diversity of formal mentoring programs at postsecondary institutions (Crisp, 2017). The proliferation of formal mentoring programs has resulted in postsecondary institutions designing and implementing eMentoring programs. Despite their…