This article proposes a framework for strategically integrating peer learning to support the success of undergraduates and build targeted skills at each stage of their journey through university, which is regarded here as one that commences prior to enrolment, encompasses three years of undergraduate study, graduation and the alumni years. The…

Start-ups founded by university students and graduates play a substantial role in bringing new knowledge to the market and in employment creation, a role that appears to be even more important than that played by the typical technology transfer activities carried out by universities. We use a population-based approach to explore entrepreneurship…

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…

We describe the context for and implementation of a departmental alumni network. More than a database compiling facts about graduates, this network provides students with information and inspiration. It also offers a wonderful opportunity to support lifelong learning through the development of collaborative relationships between alumni and faculty…

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…

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…

There is a crisis in American civic education. Survey after survey shows that recent college graduates are alarmingly ignorant of America's history and heritage. They cannot identify the term lengths of members of Congress, the substance of the First Amendment, or the origin of the separation of powers. They do not know the Father of the…

Early college entrance is a form of acceleration, or the process of advancing students in academic programs faster than their same-aged peers. Many early entrants have demonstrated academic ability to achieve at high levels but they exhibit tremendous variety in their age, specific abilities, social and emotional maturity, family support, and…

The world changed in 2008. The financial crisis brought with it a deepening sense of insecurity, and the desire to be connected to a network increased. Throughout the summer and fall of 2008, events were unfolding with alarming rapidity. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Alumni Association wanted to respond to this change in the…

For college fund raisers, one bright spot in the economic doldrums is that it is easier to talk with potential donors about their deaths. As donors worry about outliving their assets, fund raisers find success--and often bigger donations--in asking them for bequests. Many college fund raisers have raised the subject of bequests more actively with…

The value of a college education, long held in the United States as a ticket to prosperity and a sound investment, is increasingly being called into question. Rising tuition, mounting student debt loads, and dim employment prospects--topped off by incessant news coverage and opinion pieces about the three--are causing many to ask whether college…

The authors draw on two surveys conducted in 2009-10 with graduates from the BA in Professional Writing at Penn State Berks, a branch campus of Penn State University. The surveys led the authors to understand a set of common attributes among our alumni (what they call a "rhetoric of professionalism") while at the same time problematizing…

Even in the best financial times, the relationship between the development office and the alumni association can be uneasy. While some alumni leaders would never try to calculate an event's success in funds raised, others find that their most important and successful events happen with development goals in mind. There may never be a consensus…

Not all social-networking tools are created equal. Knowing where alumni are and what they're doing online is key when deciding what social networks to use. Knowing how to address and employ social networking can change the way institutions engage alumni. Social media help institutions connect with alumni; these tools help build, sustain, and even…