Alumni associations are established by higher education institutions to formalise relationships with alumni, and to nurture alumni loyalty over time. This study investigates drivers of perceived value for an alumni association, and the effects that perceived value and satisfaction have on alumni loyalty. Data were collected from 1711 respondents…

International alumni affairs is a relatively new addition to the landscape of higher education, particularly outside the elite sphere of the Ivy League and Oxbridge. These privileged institutions have seen comparatively high numbers of international students enrol for many years and have gradually developed a formalised alumni presence in any…

The purpose for conducting the study was to explore and describe the use of alumni societies and associations in community colleges, particularly focusing on the intended outcome of their implementation. To collect data for the study, the research-team developed a survey instrument that was distributed electronically to 250 community college…

International higher education student mobility can lead to social change in the students' home countries. This article examines the case of the Ford Foundation's International Fellowship Program Alumni Association in Ghana and how it has organized to affect change. Findings show that this association has assimilated many of the attributes of…

"Student experience" has become a popular term with higher education managers but is theoretically under-developed. This paper conceptualises student experience as a construction from memory and advances previous discussion within the higher education sector by distinguishing between recalled academic and social experience. The results…

In recent years, philanthropy in higher education has shifted from a value-added financial benefit into a necessary component for balancing annual budgets and increasing college access. Identity-based philanthropy in higher education is gaining prominence in both practice and scholarship, recognizing that social identities are strong influences on…

Stories about young graduates grumbling about a variety of concerns, from the price of athletics tickets to a perceived lack of outreach from faculty they worked with as students, pop up frequently in chatter among alumni directors at conferences, on discussion boards, and in casual conversations between peers. The consensus is that…

Encountering disillusioned alumni throws a wrench into the already complicated science of alumni engagement. From Kay O'Dwyer and Quentin Derryberry, III's dealings with disgruntled graduates of their institutions, Emmanuel College in Massachusetts and Boston University (BU) respectively, they have learned an important lesson: Alumni do not get…

Developing an effective engagement strategy begins with an open mind and an outstretched hand. It requires alumni professionals to reconsider how alumni identify themselves within the institution, relinquish some control of the planning and execution of programs, and meet alumni where they are--on terra firma or online. But most of all, it…

As Villanova University embarked on a new strategic plan in 2009, the Division of Student Life placed a renewed emphasis on co-curricular leadership education (Gigliotti, 2014, in press). This Application Brief will highlight one of the new student leadership initiatives, the Student Leadership Forum in Washington, DC. Referred throughout the…

International alumni relations is about recognizing an important population that wants to be connected but often feels disengaged. This article shows how to engage international alumni by customizing programs to meet their needs. It suggests four areas of programming: brand awareness; career and life networking; resource development (fundraising…

With the decline in state and federal support for higher education continuing to plague colleges and universities across the U.S., many institutions are looking to increase the levels of support annually received from alumni and other constituencies. Research on alumni relations in American colleges and universities has historically focused on…

In an effort to leverage students' positive community engagement experiences as they transition to and become alumni, Portland State University (PSU) embarked on a pilot "Continuing Engagement Program." This article provides a rationale for this effort, an overview of the programmatic elements, lessons learned, and future engagement…

A growing number of U.S. institutions are recognizing the importance of reaching out to and involving alumni in meaningful ways--so much so that it's encoded as a specific campaign goal. But, like fundraising goals, alumni engagement goals are not realized easily, overnight, or just because they're committed to paper. Lasting engagement takes…

With roots going back to 1986, the Student Team on Alumni Relations or STAR was one of the first student-alumni groups in Canada and routinely attracted capable and enthusiastic volunteers. It offered to appreciative, albeit small, student audiences a suite of popular programs, including job shadowing and goodie boxes parents could send to their…