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…

Like any profession, advancement has its terms of art: "the ask," "prospects," "quiet phase." A relatively new one is "culture of philanthropy." As in, "We need to build a culture of philanthropy at this institution." The general idea is that everyone from the campus CEO to the students understands…

Last summer, the University of Liverpool welcomed the 4,000th graduate of its online programs to its alumni community. This is a significant milestone in the expansion of their international footprint, considering that just five years earlier the university had enrolled half as many online. Equally as important as the growth of their online…

Soon after news of the child molestation scandal involving Jerry Sandusky, a former Pennsylvania State University assistant football coach, broke in November 2011, the development and alumni relations staff gathered for a town hall-style meeting. "The Penn Stater" has tackled controversial topics before: student riots, a faculty member…

In today's resource scarce environment, it is no surprise that colleges and universities are seeking innovative ways to bolster charitable giving among their alumni. Stripling's article focuses on how alumni research conducted at Claremont McKenna College aims to find out what graduates need and expect from their alma mater. Claremont McKenna…

For the last few years, Georgia State University has taken steps toward becoming a more traditional college instead of a commuter school. It bought two Atlanta hotels to be used as residence halls, started a football team, and is building townhouses for Greek fraternities and sororities. "When alumni come back to campus, they are shocked at…

In times of increasing skills shortage, regions and particularly non-core regions, need to attract highly-skilled workers. It is better for these regions to (re)attract highly-skilled workers that gained knowledge and contacts elsewhere and because they once lived in the region for study have already ties to the university region than trying to…

The author examined the relationship between alumni giving and membership in a dues-based alumni association. The researcher used the chi-square test of association to analyze population data derived from the database of a public doctoral-granting research university in the South. The study unveiled a relationship between membership and giving,…

On September 24, 2010, a group of about 20 women from across Europe have gathered at the University Women's Club. All eyes are on a large screen projecting streaming video from the Mount Holyoke College website. Photos of the Massachusetts campus flash by as the sound of an a capella group singing "Bread and Roses" fills the room. Soon,…

At some institutions, it may feel as though faculty live on one island and advancement staff on another. The islands form part of an archipelago, and they exchange ambassadors and send emissaries occasionally, but interactions are limited. It may even seem as though the two groups speak different languages, deal in different currencies, and abide…

This article is the third in an occasional series on how colleges have tackled some of the basic challenges of internationalizing their campuses. Tufts University has long been an internationally focused institution. Yet in one area it has, until recently, been sorely lacking. Like many universities, Tufts made little attempt to connect with…

Integration of alumni relations and development is vital to institutions. In this article, the author talks about integration and focuses on the functions of alumni relations and fundraising, and the symbiotic relationship between them. He suggests that the best alumni relations officers understand the direct relationship of their work to resource…

Alumni relations programs are a foundational component to institutional advancement and are often the unit that regularly communicates news and information about the institution to its alumni. Alumni relations professionals can strategically position a higher education institution among its alumni by including and emphasizing information that is…

The purpose of this study was to gain a stronger understanding of the characteristics that influence membership levels at dues-based alumni associations serving public universities. Prior studies have demonstrated that alumni association members are more likely to give to their institutions; and their gifts, on average, are larger than those of…

This research explores the role of "advancement-enabling" technologies in helping institutions meet the challenges of engaging constituents and attracting private support. It includes data on the use of technology, the barriers to effective use of technology, and strategies for effective deployment of technology. First conducted in 2010,…