Some sessions may contain content that pertains to more than one session track. Please refer to the session description to learn about the overlap with:
Advancement Services (AS)
Development (DEV)
Marketing and Communications (MC)
Monday, January 23, 2012
Session I: 9:00 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.
The Alumni Engagement Task Force: Getting Information Directly From the Source
A couple of years ago, the Park School convened an alumni engagement task force to better understand why our alumni stay involved and how to best engage them in ways that are both meaningful and enjoyable. As a result, our alumni program was revamped and re-energized, meeting both the needs of our alumni body and the school. This session discusses the creation, execution and implementation of an alumni engagement task Force designed to help independent school alumni offices determine the best possible ways to engage their alumni. We will also discuss all facets of the task force process, starting with the selection of alumni volunteers and suggestions for how to run the meetings, and ending with the implementation of new ideas and ways to keep the task force relevant and useful in the future. (This session is designed for professionals in intermediate and advanced levels of their field.)
Eliza Drachman-Jones, Director of Alumni Relations, The Park School
Alumni Program Reviews: Can They Help Us Stay Relevant?
Staff and volunteers at McGill recently engaged in a three-year process to develop a strategic plan for the McGill Alumni Association.The process included an in-depth review of all alumni programs to ensure that they remain relevant to the needs of our graduates.This session will share some lessons learned by the staff as they worked with volunteers to develop a review procedure, conduct evaluations and produce recommendations. The use of surveys and analysis of demographic and philanthropic trends to inform decisions about long-term plans and deal with stakeholder sensitivities will be explored. The challenges and benefits of conducting reviews with volunteers will also be covered. (This session is designed for professionals in intermediate and advanced levels of their field.)
Temi Akinaina, Alumni Services Officer, McGill University
Leisha LeCouvie, Director, Parent and Affinity Programs, McGill University
Honora Shaughnessy, Senior Executive Director, Alumni Relations, McGill University
Calling Alumni to Service
Our job as alumni relations professionals is not just to provide services to our alumni, but also to call our alumni to service—enabling them to change lives in their own communities and around the world. Learn how the Association of Yale Alumni is harnessing alumni talent through innovative programs. During Yale’s Day of Service, alumni, families and friends around the globe participate in a day of “synchronized service,” though projects and community relationships are ongoing. Their Summer Institute of the Arts (New York and Los Angeles)–launched by the Yale Black Alumni Association–features volunteer-planned alumni summertime arts programs for middle school kids who would otherwise not have access to studies of music, dance, theater, painting, writing, etc. In another example, a variety of alumni shared interest groups in Los Angeles collaborated to plan a star-studded concert, from which proceeds were donated to a PS Arts School. (Related track: DEV)
Ilona Emmerth, Director for Major Cities, Yale University
Nicholas Lewis, Senior Director for Shared Interest Groups, Yale University
Reunions and Alumni Events: New Solutions to Old Challenges
As an event planner or program manager, have you ever found yourself in one of these situations? Your budget been slashed, but expectations remain high. Unruly volunteers are threatening to derail the event. You need to partner with your institution’s fundraisers and aren’t sure how to proceed. Attendance is dropping for beloved annual programs like homecoming or reunions. You need to go green, but still produce an elegant event. Affinity or shared interest programming is interfering with your class reunion events. In this session, we’ll present solutions to the persistent challenges that prevent us from being successful. Come learn how to achieve your event goals, regardless of the type of institution at which you work. Attendees will also have a chance to share the challenges they face and solutions they have found planning their own events. (Related tracks: DEV)
Peter Muise, Director, Reunions and Class Programs, MIT
Tom Williams, Senior Associate Director, Alumni Relations, Tufts University
Session II: 10:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Affinity, by George: The New Face of Alumni Relations
Participants will be led through a presentation and discussion on the growing phenomenon of engaging university alumni through affinity-based programming. This type of programming connects alumni to the university outside of the traditional class reunions or regional chapter models. Through alumni affinity programming, universities engage alumni based on their self-identification (social, cultural, ethnic, religious, etc.), workplace identity/chosen career, or student involvement. The session will include an overview on alumni affinity programming; informal connections to university development; steps for building an affinity program; and an opportunity to explore various models of affinity programs.
Mark Forrest, Associate Director, Clubs & Groups, The George Washington University
Isaac Thweatt, Director of Alumni Outreach, American University
Alumni of Color: One Size Does Not Fit All
With each graduating class, our alumni body grows increasingly diverse, but involving members of the alumni of color community in the life of the university through traditional methods and programs can be a challenge. At Brown, we’ve found that alumni of color respond best to approaches and programming customized to mirror their community interests and values. What can alumni relations and development do to engage our alumni of color in meaningful and sustainable ways? How do we ensure that our strategies reflect a genuine understanding of the needs and perspectives of diverse communities? This session will explore Brown University’s innovative, community-based, grassroots approach to engaging alumni of color on both development and alumni relations initiatives. Hear how Brown approached the challenge of community building among alumni of color and launched a campaign within the campaign for alumni of color. (Related track: DEV)
Suzy Alba, Assistant Director of Affinity and Graduate Programs, Brown Annual Fund, Brown University
Myra Liwanag, Director of Regional & Multicultural Programs, Alumni Relations, Brown University
Being Global: Making the Case for International Alumni Relations
Being Global: Making the Case for International Alumni Relations (CASE, 2011) is the first book written on the important topic of why, when, and how to engage international alumni outside your home country. Gretchen Dobson introduces themes of “building readiness,” “measuring effectiveness,” “best practices in programming,” and “trends in the next decade” for working with alumni abroad. With a decade of global experience and over 60 interviews with independent schools, universities and business schools around the world, Dobson will provide a starting point for institutions wanting to expand alumni relations overseas as well as plenty of tips for more seasoned programs. This session will include a discussion about the themes and highlights of this book.
Gretchen Dobson, Senior Associate Director of Domestic and International Programs, Tufts University
Session III: 2:15 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Alumni Career Services: Developing a High Impact & Low Cost Online Programming Series
Alumni events are a powerful first step to cultivating engagement and giving, but attendance at in-person events is leveling or falling off, creating challenges for building alumni loyalty. However, alumni still place a high value on career advice and professional development-focused events. Now is the time for you to capitalize on this interest by expanding your online offerings through a webinar program. With low financial investment and high ROI, webinars are a great way that Georgetown Alumni Career Services harnesses the expertise of their alumni and engages alumni participants through professional development opportunities. Webinars are recordable and repurposable online, expanding the reach of each session beyond the live presentation. We will discuss the nuts and bolts of Georgetown’s 2010 CASE Gold Circle of Excellence award-winning webinar program.
Bridget Bowers Holmes, Director, Alumni Career Services, Georgetown University
Emily White, Assistant Director, Alumni Career Services, Georgetown University
Big Shop – Small Shop: You Say Potato, I Say…
Nazareth College and the University of Rhode Island are very different institutions with not much in common with regard to size, staff configurations, and alumni bases. But if you drill down a little further beyond the surface, they have much more in common (e.g., similar missions) than one might think. By attending this session, you will see how the alumni relations offices at both a small shop and big shop partner with other departments, including their development colleagues, to support the overall mission of their respective institutions. Hear specific examples of their successes and the different routes and methods that got them there. Learn ways to maximize your resources by partnering with existing departments and programs on campus. Please come ready to share your own successes as well.
Kerry Gotham, Director of Alumni Relations, Nazareth College
Sarah Howard Lobdell, Associate Director, Alumni Relations, University of Rhode Island
How I Learned to Stop Worrying about Metrics and Love the Data
In an educational context of budget cuts and doing-more-with-less, universities and colleges are looking more closely than ever at their alumni relations programs to make sure that they’re delivering value—both for the school and for the alumni themselves. But that’s not a bad thing. In fact, it can be very good! Join us to hear how two different Canadian universities have approached the question of how to really measure alumni engagement—and what we do with the data. Whether we’re reporting to deans or conducting data-driven program reviews, hard reliable data on alumni engagement can provide truly valuable insights into what’s working well—and what’s not worth doing.
James Allan, Senior Director, Alumni Relations, York University
Mark Sollis, Senior Director, Operations and Planning, University of British Columbia
The New World of Alumni Relations: We’ve Learned It But Do We Live It?
Generational dynamics, decreases in affinity revenue, rising tuition, social media and integrated advancement are topics discussed by every alumni professional. But are we—are you—actually running an alumni relations program that reflects the demands of the 21st century? Or, are you trying to paste new “stuff” onto a traditional alumni relations program—with no new resources, of course? Two experienced alumni relations professionals with nearly 50 years of experience between them will talk frankly about what’s real, what’s realistic and how we can all tell the difference.
Steven A. Hall, Vice President for Alumni Relations, Boston University
Lisa Lewis, Executive Director, Alumni Association, University of Connecticut
Session IV: 4:00 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.
The Alumni Connection: Fostering Links in Alumni Enterprising Communities
The Cornell Entrepreneur Network (CEN) is Cornell University’s platinum business networking program. This staff-driven program engages, cultivates, identifies, and stewards key prospects and donors of the university by featuring them as speakers or hosts and inviting them to events. CEN produces 30-40 top-shelf events yearly throughout the country for all Cornell entrepreneurs in the alumni, parents, and friends communities. The events feature alumni that are world-class industry leaders on various current business topics. CEN also offers online webinars and social networking designed to help alumni develop business relationships with each other while reconnecting with Cornell. This session will offer strategies and best practices on how to develop and implement programs that offer value to alumni in their careers and personal lives, highlight specific successes, share technology tools, offer marketing advice, and show how success is measured. (Related track: DEV)
Magdalena Kalinka, Director, Cornell Entrepreneur Network, Cornell University
Timothy Mahar, Senior Director of Affinity and Regional Programs, Cornell University
Alumni Relations and Development: A Happy Marriage
Successes in alumni relations activities often translate into success in development functions. Successful development operations provide opportunities for enhanced alumni relations. Working together is a win-win. Unfortunately, many advancement shops lament the poor relationship between their alumni relations and development operations. This can be frustrating for the staff, confusing for the constituents, and inefficient for the institution. This session will explore the interrelationship between these two vital advancement offices. The presenters will cover various topics including: a cohesive approach to unit-based development and alumni relations; turning alumni introductions into qualifications; partnering on regional programming; and, alumni awards as part of the donor cultivation cycle. Learn how to break down barriers between separate development and alumni relations operations and come together as a collective unit designed to support the institution and its many constituencies. (Related track: DEV)
Lisa Cauda, Vice President, Development and Alumni Relations, Rochester Institute of Technology
Kelly Redder, Assistant Vice President for Alumni Relations, Rochester Institute of Technology
Customizing to Your Constituency: Building a Young Alumni Reunion Program
At Tufts University, the alumni relations team developed strong collaborations in working with young alumni volunteers to create customized programming that leads to strong engagement and giving. One significant example of this phenomenon is the Tufts Young Alumni Reunion Festival, which debuted in June 2011 with strong attendance, positive feedback, and outstanding donor response. Tufts staff will share their formula for success including their social media strategy, messaging that focused on “re-living your college experience” messaging, and how they appealed to preferences of millenials. Along with stories of achievement, these presenters will discuss the ongoing challenges that they face in creating a sustainable model for this festival and questions about how to incorporate it into a larger engagement strategy for recent graduates. (Related tracks: DEV, MC)
Jonathan Kaplan, Associate Director, Campus Constituency Programs, Alumni Relations, Tufts University
Samantha Snitow, Assistant Director, Young Alumni and Student Programming, Tufts University
Developing Affinity & Marketing Partnerships
Historically alumni organizations have partnered with third party organizations to offer a commercial service or product in exchange for a royalty or fee. In recent years, significant change in the marketplace has impacted the future of these programs. This session will help participants answer the following questions: What are the institutional issues to be considered when creating business relationships? What changes have occurred in the credit card marketplace? What should be considered in the use of funds generated from these programs? What type of review process can be employed to insure that we select the right partner? What are the red flags? What does the future hold? (Related track: DEV)
Gary Olsen, Associate Vice President, Alumni Relations, Villanova University
Kyle Winters, Executive Director, Corporate and Foundation Relations, University of Toronto
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Session V: 8:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m.
Annual Fund and Alumni Relations – To Split or Not To Split?
We all strive for the perfect relationship but should development and alumni relations enter a committed, exclusive relationship or are they more of a fatal attraction? Courting alumni and friends to make a healthy commitment to our organizations is an important aspect of our jobs but is it best done independently or interdependently? Is marrying annual fund and alumni relations under one manager ‘for better’ or ‘for worse’? Join two advancement professionals as they discuss the pros and cons of combining these areas in a session that will use specific, “real life” examples to demonstrate the two sides of the relationship. (Related track: DEV)
Lisa Woodcock, Associate Director, Annual Fund, University of Guelph
Jeff Schoenherr, Executive Director of Development and Alumni Relations, Harvard Law School
Engaging Across the Decades through Alumni Career Programs
Over the past two years, Brown’s alumni career programs have grown significantly to better serve and engage alumni. Starting from a random collection of offerings, we’ve developed a comprehensive, deliberate and dynamic suite of tools and programs. The outcome has been very positive for Brown alumni in every career stage, every industry and every region of the globe. Join this discussion to learn firsthand what we have done, lessons learned along the way and the response from the alumni themselves.
Donna Curry, Career Program Manager, Alumni Relations, Brown University
Eve Ornstedt, Director of Career & Admission Programs, Alumni Relations, Brown University
Heather Wilkerson, Career Program Manager, Alumni Relations, Brown University
Extreme Alumni Board Makeovers: Positioning Your Board for the Future
In these challenging economic times it is necessary to move alumni board members to a higher level of productivity—to be more than just an “advisory board.” What can an institution do when its board is unproductive, ineffective and resistant to change? Learn how two colleges rebuilt and re-energized their alumni boards. St. Thomas Aquinas College will share how they transformed their board with an intensive one-day retreat involving faculty, students, parents, trustees and alumni board members that resulted in four distinct areas of focus and greater alignment with the objectives of the college. Anna Maria College will share their experience replacing an outmoded board with one that is active and leading important initiatives in programming, engagement and fundraising. Topics to be covered include: gracefully phasing out existing Board members, identifying ideal new volunteers, developing and implementing performance expectations and engaging Board members in meaningful work.
Joanne Favata, Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Affairs, St. Thomas Aquinas College
Eric Gustafson, Director of Advancement, Anna Maria College
Investing in Alumni Admissions Volunteers: Shaping the Future and Building Connections
Engaging alumni in meaningful ways is paramount in today’s highly communicative university marketplace. With the media coverage of the high stakes play for admissions, alumni are eager to promote their alma maters by raising awareness of the institution and by connecting with future generations of students. Today, alumni programs are responding by organizing legions of enthusiastic volunteers. To accomplish their task, partnering with admissions colleagues to facilitate volunteer recruitment opportunities is key. And such an investment of time and resources is proving to have a win-win effect. When alumni positively contribute to the institution’s future, they feel more connected to the university community. Building effective alumni admissions programs varies by institution and is guided by mission, goals, and culture. Join us to discuss best practices and challenges in engaging alumni volunteers via recruitment and enrollment activities.
Laura A. Legg, Associate Director of Alumni Admissions Volunteers, American University
Raina S. Lenney, Assistant Vice President of Alumni Relations, American University
Session VI: 10:00 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.
Creating a Win-Win Experience for You and Your Volunteers
Volunteers are key to the success of our institutions, regardless of the size of our organizations, yet many advancement practitioners lack formal training in volunteer management. The key to volunteer success is building positive relationships with volunteers over time and matching their skills to the needs of the institution. This session will provide practical discussion and hands-on tools for volunteer managers who are new to the profession or simply feel that they still do not understand how to work with volunteers after years in the profession. Participants will leave the session with a better understanding of the role they play in shaping successful volunteer experiences for their alumni. (Related track: DEV)
Megan Mercier, Associate Director, Alumni Affairs & College Events, Skidmore College
How to Go From Being a “Doer” to a “Planner”: Making Planning Work for You
In this session, we will discuss why annual planning so important; how you can realistically carve out time to comprehensively plan; and how you can keep the plan relevant throughout the year. We also want to talk about the other side of planning—evaluating the plan at the end of the year. This also ties into employee performance reviews and planning. Organized planners are welcome, but this session is really for those who are too busy to plan, thrive on going from one project to another, or are constantly putting out fires. (This session is designed for professionals in intermediate and advanced levels of their field; related tracks: AS, DEV, MC)
Debbie Metcalfe, Director of Alumni Relations, Harvard Medical School
Cynthia B. Cayer, Director of Institutional Advancement, Central Connecticut State University
School Spirit and Traditions, a Foundation for Student Engagement
In just over five years Seton Hall’s Student Alumni Association has implemented dozens of unique events, assisted with donor relations, re-engaged distant alumni, revived campus traditions, laid the groundwork for a new student philanthropy program, and involved thousands of students and alumni in their initiatives. All of the organization’s work centers on school spirit and campus traditions, both of which had been seen as lacking by many students. Discuss how the group got its start, what went right, what went wrong and how it turned into one of the university’s most dynamic student organizations (and one of the alumni relations office’s top priorities). Whether you want to start a student advancement program, engage future alumni leaders, revitalize a stagnant group or just increase your department’s outreach to current students through campus spirit and traditions, this session is for you. (Related track: DEV)
Rich Allen, Assistant Director of The Seton Hall Fund, Seton Hall University
Dan Nugent, Director of Alumni Engagement, Seton Hall University
