This study examines alumni motivations for engagement and philanthropic contributions at one small, public, liberal arts college struggling with low alumni participation. In an electronic survey, three categories of alumni (donors, inconsistent donors, and non-donors) responded to 28 multiple choice questions and two open-ended questions. The…

Alumni demographics are rapidly changing, and alumni associations are looking for new ways to increase alumni engagement. Using Lewin's (1947) organizational change theory and Homans's (1958) social exchange theory, this study examines two Research 1 institutions in a comparative case study. By comparing the experiences of two institutions, alumni…

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…

Historically Black college and university (HBCU) leaders lack strategies to enlist and retain donations from alumni to support long-term sustainability. HBCU leaders are concerned with developing and implementing strategies for enlisting and retaining alumni donations. Grounded in resource dependency theory, the purpose of this qualitative case…

This qualitative grounded theoretical study examined the experiences of 13 Black male alumni aged 25-50 who received special education services in the Boston Public Schools (BPS). Through semi-structured interviews and rigorous thematic analysis, this research uncovered nuanced narratives that revealed salient themes central to participants'…

This study focuses on analyzing how Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) can better prepare students for employability and graduate school following graduation. The perceptions of HBCU alumni was used to assess what role attending an HBCU played in their success and employability preparation. This data collected from this study…

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…

This dissertation aims to explore the donor characteristics at a large southern public doctoral granting university. The goal is to better understand alumni donor motives and the changing intrinsic needs of the donor across generations. Economic and philosophical theories including Social Exchange Theory, Warm Glow, and Recognition Theory will be…

Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) emerged in the early 19th century as a response to racial segregation and exclusion that characterized American postsecondary education. Of the 105 HBCUs, 47 are closely affiliated with a Black Church whose fundraising capability exceeded that of the HBCU. A decline in federal and state support…

Youth mentoring organizations miss the opportunity to re-engage the people they serve to help others within their organization. As such, they may perpetuate the marginalization of the youth served. Through the Clark and Estes (2008) gap analytical framework, this study sought to understand the gaps in knowledge, motivation, and organizational…

The purpose of this study was to investigate East Tennessee State University alumni's perceptions of the effectiveness of internship experiences as students learned the PSEL and TILS standards and the role of mentor support as they prepared for principalship. The participants obtained their administrative license and worked currently with an…

This dissertation examines the distinct motivational variables that impact philanthropic contributions among millennial graduates of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU). This study focuses on examining the philanthropic behaviors of millennial graduates from FAMU, with a particular emphasis on understanding the significant impact…

The problem addressed in this study was exploring how the advising experience affects student retention rates in online Master of Business programs. This qualitative narrative inquiry study explored student perceptions through their stories regarding the efficacy and impact of academic advising programming and resources on their academic success…

Alumni boards have historically been a leading source for alumni to receive tremendous personal and professional satisfaction by giving of themselves to their alma mater and to fellow alumni. These boards have roles and responsibilities including social events, networking, and raising funds for the college or university. Many alumni boards provide…

The purpose of the research was to understand how alumni executives make decisions and formulate communication strategies during university leadership change. The research was based on the trends found by the American Council on Education that the tenure of the college president has been on the decline since 2006 and is currently 5.9 years.…