The kids are all right: as the number of young alumni grows, alumni offices must get creative to keep recent grads engaged.ENCOURAGING YOUNG ALUMNI TO STAY INVOLVED at Wartburg College Wartburg College is a nationally recognized selective four-year liberal arts college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located in Waverly, Iowa. Wartburg also operates a satellite campus in Denver, Colorado, referred to as Wartburg West. (Iowa) has presented a thorny thorn·y adj. thorn·i·er, thorn·i·est 1. Full of or covered with thorns. 2. Spiny. 3. Painfully controversial; vexatious: a thorny situation; thorny issues. challenge for Todd Coleman. Coleman, the school's director of alumni and parent programs, would love to see recent graduates take advantage of all the school has to offer them, but many of the approaches used for older alums aren't relevant to the younger generation. "They don't want to sit down for long dinners and listen to speeches. They don't want propaganda thrown at them, and they don't have the time to take off for golf outings or other events," he says. On the other hand, young alumni have been eager for any assistance they can find as they get their fledgling careers off the ground, notes Coleman--and that's where Wartburg has taken advantage of opportunities. The college began hosting alumni events in companies where a large number of Wartburg graduates work. Wartburg sent out invitations, bought attendees lunch, and encouraged the alumni to mingle with each other. Young alums in particular showed up in droves, looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. a chance to make an impression with company higher-ups. They left with a good feeling about the school as well as visual reminders of their Wartburg allegiance: souvenirs such as coffee mugs or mouse pads A fabric-covered rubber pad roughly 9" square that provides a smooth surface for rolling a mouse. There are also mouse pads that provide a better surface; for example, 3M makes the Precise Mousing Surface, an ultra-thin mouse pad that is engineered to reduce friction. for their desks. "A lot of young alums have never been in the same room as a vice president or CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of a company, who might be an alum alum (ăl`əm), any one of a series of isomorphous double salts that are hydrated sulfates of a univalent cation (e.g., potassium, sodium, ammonium, cesium, or thallium) and a trivalent cation (e.g. ," says Coleman. "And since we're not asking people to give up free time at night or on the weekend to come to an event, we find that we have a much higher percentage of people coming." The gatherings do double duty: A Wartburg representative will be on hand to point out any matching gift programs that the company might have, which is often news to young alumni. This might not result in immediate donations, but many alumni tuck that knowledge away for later. Engaging young alumni is a tricky balance of providing the right opportunities and relevant perks perk 1 v. perked, perk·ing, perks v.intr. 1. To stick up or jut out: dogs' ears that perk. 2. To carry oneself in a lively and jaunty manner. without demanding too much time--or money--in return. They might be passionate about their alma mater ma·ter n. Chiefly British Mother. [Latin m  ter; see m , but
as they start their lives after college, other activities often take
priority.
Still, making the connection with young alumni is essential, says Sandy Nichols, director of Alumni Relations and the Wooster Fund at The College of Wooster (Ohio). "In anywhere from five to 35 years, these alumni will be our board of trustees board of trustees Politics The posse of thugs who oversee an institution's administration. See Board of directors. and they'll be parents of students looking at colleges," she says. "We need to connect with young alumni now, or they will connect with other things. We want to make sure that we're an active part of their future long after they leave the college, because it benefits us and it benefits them." Following are some ways institutions can reach out to young alumni: Give Them a Group Faced with a host of postgraduation challenges--from new jobs to new social circles--young alumni are often eager to return to familiar friends and settings. So it's no surprise that young alumni happy hours are common at many schools. At the University of St. Thomas University of St. Thomas can refer to:
assemblage, gathering - a group of persons together in one place wine tasting n → degustación f de vinos events," Stephens adds. Alumni offices and associations are engaging another segment of the young alumni population by appealing to graduates with a strong social conscience. A nationwide "Scots in Service" program at Wooster, for one, attracted hundreds of alumni in 24 cities last year to take part in volunteer activities at soup kitchens, clothing banks, and parks. Nichols says it's a particularly attractive activity to cash-strapped young alumni who want to stay involved in the college. The majority of participants and volunteer leaders graduated within the past decade. "A high percentage of Wooster grads go to graduate school or work at nonprofit organizations Nonprofit Organization An association that is given tax-free status. Donations to a non-profit organization are often tax deductible as well. Notes: Examples of non-profit organizations are charities, hospitals and schools. after they graduate, so this is a way for young alumni to stay involved and give back without having to make a big financial commitment," she says. "And that's a really big draw for a lot of people." Wooster sends a member of the executive staff to each city to give a brief update about college events, and each participant goes home with a T-shirt designed specifically for that year's service project. Bring Them Together Virtually For schools with large numbers of alumni scattered Scattered Used for listed equity securities. Unconcentrated buy or sell interest. around the globe, electronic networking can be a boon Boon A general term that refers to a benefit or improvement for investors. This can include such things as increased dividends, a stock market rally and stock buybacks. Notes: , particularly for young alumni, who are already tech-savvy. Wartburg's Coleman says his college is using the social networking See social networking site. social networking - social network program in-Circle--similar to sites like Facebook and MySpace---to connect alumni with the college. Alumni office staff have asked faculty members to set up virtual spaces in which professors can link up with former students; areas are also available for particular groups--such as alumni who were members of a championship sports team--to swap messages, share pictures, and post blogs. Though the program is just getting off the ground, Coleman sees plenty of potential. "The key is to keep on marketing it and make it a place that alumni want to go on a regular basis," he says. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Michelle Reed, vice president of marketing at SunGard Higher Education higher education Study beyond the level of secondary education. Institutions of higher education include not only colleges and universities but also professional schools in such fields as law, theology, medicine, business, music, and art. , web-based programs can also include online directories, information on alumni chapters and events, class web-pages, and alumni networking. A host of systems--from vendors such as Affinity Circles, Blackbaud, Campus Management, Convio, Datatel, GoalQuest, Harris Connect, Intelliworks, Jenzabar, Oracle, SunGard, and Talisma--offer services for schools that want to connect to their young alumni through sophisticated, customized communications and web-based communities. Some of the systems can be implemented with students as well, so by the time they graduate they will already know a great deal about how to stay connected. "Savvy Savvy® Gynecology A contraceptive vaginal gel that ↓ transmission of STDs–eg, HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea. See Contraceptive. institutions are leveraging the appeal and familiarity of their institutional portal to stay connected with young alumni," Reed says. "Upon graduation, alumni are presented with a host of new personalized per·son·al·ize tr.v. per·son·al·ized, per·son·al·iz·ing, per·son·al·iz·es 1. To take (a general remark or characterization) in a personal manner. 2. To attribute human or personal qualities to; personify. and pertinent resources, but they can access them from the same familiar portal they accessed throughout their collegiate col·le·giate adj. 1. Of, relating to, or held to resemble a college. 2. Of, for, or typical of college students. 3. Of or relating to a collegiate church. years." Provide Great Perks Young alums may be eager to get out on their own after graduation, but that doesn't mean they wouldn't mind a little help along the way. Assistance with everything from health and renters' insurance to student loan consolidation can provide relief for graduates trying to make good decisions with a bewildering be·wil·der tr.v. be·wil·dered, be·wil·der·ing, be·wil·ders 1. To confuse or befuddle, especially with numerous conflicting situations, objects, or statements. See Synonyms at puzzle. 2. array of choices. Catherine Serrin Niekro, vice president for marketing and communications at the University of Michigan Alumni There are more than 425,000 living alumni of the University of Michigan. Famous alumni include the first American to perform a space walk, the "father" of the iPod, the founders of Sun Microsystems and Google, the father of information theory, and the voice of Darth Vader. Association, says that between 300 and 500 young alums--up to 10 percent of a graduating class--take advantage of GradMed, the short-term health insurance offered through the association to any graduate of the university. "The rates and the coverage are good, but the main benefit is the simplicity of it," she says. "It's an easy application, and coverage is nearly immediate. For college grads who have just come off of their parents' insurance, it's really helpful." Through the association, alumni can also purchase renter's insurance and home insurance. And association members can get discounts on everything from movie tickets to car rentals as well. With today's students burdened with more debt than ever, loan consolidation can be another prized perk perk 1 v. perked, perk·ing, perks v.intr. 1. To stick up or jut out: dogs' ears that perk. 2. To carry oneself in a lively and jaunty manner. . "Students [and young alumni] get inundated in·un·date tr.v. in·un·dat·ed, in·un·dat·ing, in·un·dates 1. To cover with water, especially floodwaters. 2. with a lot of information about consolidation from many different companies," says Mandy Franklin, director of Affinity Marketing at Nelnet, which works with more than 120 alumni associations An alumni association is an association of graduates (alumni) or, more broadly, of former students. In the United Kingdom and the United States, alumni of universities, colleges, schools (especially independent schools), fraternities, and sororities often form groups with alumni to offer student loan consolidation packages. Franklin notes that going through an alumni association for loan consolidation can provide peace of mind, since the association has presumably pre·sum·a·ble adj. That can be presumed or taken for granted; reasonable as a supposition: presumable causes of the disaster. researched the company to find out if it's reputable. But is it wise for colleges and universities to market a product that might just remind alumni how much they owe the school? Franklin frames that possible concern another way: "The goal is [for schools to help their young alumni] to make this debt--and ultimately their lives--more manageable." Help Them Navigate the Rat Race A decade ago, landing a job right out of college could be as easy as sending out a few resumes. These days, prospects are a bit less rosy ros·y adj. ros·i·er, ros·i·est 1. a. Having the characteristic pink or red color of a rose. b. Flushed with a healthy glow: rosy cheeks. 2. . Young alumni tend to value advice and events that help jumpstart their careers. Niekro says one of the University of Michigan alumni association's most popular young alumni offerings is a mentorship program that allows recent grads to talk to experienced alumni working in particular fields. "The alums can talk to them by email, by phone, or in person, and they can find out how the alum got to their current position and what their workday is like," she says. The association also offers a job board, self-assessment tests, and connections to employers eager to work with Michigan alumni. For Wartburg, in-person networking is the primary benefit for alumni, but as the college rolls out its web-based alumni programs, Coleman expects online networking to become increasingly important for young alumni. "Part of the attraction of the site for young alums is that there will be some older alums on the site," he says. "From a networking standpoint, if [young alumni are] looking for a mentor or for advice about something, this is a much more efficient, effective way for us to connect young and older alumni." Wooster alumni in cities around the country, meanwhile, can attend happy hours with other alums and exchange business cards and advice. And more personal assistance is available just by asking: "If a young alum is moving to San Francisco San Francisco (săn frănsĭs`kō), city (1990 pop. 723,959), coextensive with San Francisco co., W Calif., on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which are connected by the strait known as the Golden and wants a list of people who work in banking, we'll provide that information," Nichols says. "We really want them to get connected with each other." Give Them Programming Empowerment St. Thomas' Stephens says that it would be easy to sit at her desk and dream up programs she thinks young alumni might like--but that would also be missing the point. "We want to be able to give young alumni exactly what they're looking for, whether it's more career resources, social events, or service opportunities," she says. "We want them to have a say in what's going on What's Going On is a record by American soul singer Marvin Gaye. Released on May 21, 1971 (see 1971 in music), What's Going On reflected the beginning of a new trend in soul music. ." To that end, St. Thomas' Young Alumni Council helps set the agenda for alumni engagement. About 30 council members convene CONVENE, civil law. This is a technical term, signifying to bring an action. regularly to help shape activities for St. Thomas' young alumni. "We try to give [the council] a lot of ownership in the programs and events, from coming up with ideas to seeing them all the way through to completion," says Stephens. Though many of the events are self-funded, the university will also kick in cash to help subsidize sub·si·dize tr.v. sub·si·dized, sub·si·diz·ing, sub·si·diz·es 1. To assist or support with a subsidy. 2. To secure the assistance of by granting a subsidy. some events. Members of Seattle Pacific University's Young Alumni Council have a more extensive role: Not only do they help plan events for their peers, they also plan events to raise money for student scholarships. "The scholarship is something that's fairly new," explains Laila Sharpe, the school's associate director of alumni and parent relations. "Adding that element of giving has made a difference--I think it's given them a sense of purpose," she says. Both Stephens and Sharpe say the councils have had long-term payoffs, since many council members have gone on to help the schools in other ways, from volunteering to serving on the board of trustees. "The council members are really ambassadors for the college," says Stephens. In the end, says Niekro, there is no single solution to the challenges of alumni engagement--rather, the combination of programs and services help alumni of a particular institution feel connected to their alma maters. "It's not just health insurance or just a job board or just a mentor relationship that's going to be important to an individual alum, but [rather] the sum of all those programs," says Niekro. "Those individual things add up to become a really valuable relationship." Who Are These People? Millennials--those born between 1980 and 2000--are just beginning their journey as college alumni, but understanding the way U.S. culture U.S. culture has two main meanings:
* They're busy. They've led overscheduled lives since they were kids, and that hasn't changed in adulthood. "So many alumni are overengaged with things already that we don't see them wanting to get involved in just a cocktail party," says Sandy Nichols from The College of Wooster (Ohio). * They're happy to serve. Many of them have been volunteering their time since high school or even earlier, so they're used to giving their time to the people and organizations that matter to them. * They'll combine business and pleasure. They watched entrepreneurs during the dot-com boom See dot-com bubble. work hard while getting perks like free meals and massages, all on the clock. "They like things that are collaborative, that are fun, that are social, and that are networking all at the same time," says Brian Kish of Salve Regina University Salve Regina University is a university in Newport, Rhode Island. Founded by the Sisters of Mercy, the university is a co-ed, private, non-profit institution chartered by the State of Rhode Island in 1934. (R.I.). * They want to succeed ASAP (chat) asap - As soon as possible. . This is a high-achieving generation that's used to getting lightning-quick results. That tenet TENET. Which he holds. There are two ways of stating the tenure in an action of waste. The averment is either in the tenet and the tenuit; it has a reference to the time of the waste done, and not to the time of bringing the action. 2. applies to their careers too. There's not much of a sense of "paying your dues" with this generation, and it may be part of the reason that many colleges have seen young alumni more interested in career services offerings in recent years. * They're connected. Many of them can barely remember a time when they weren't connected to the internet, and they'll continue to do much of their socializing and networking online. Engaged Alumni to Donors: One School's Story Swelling class sizes in colleges and universities across the nation mean that young alums are becoming a disproportionately large part of many institutions' alumni constituencies. This growth has been especially acute at Salve Regina University (R.I.), a young but thriving school located in Newport, a popular tourist destination A tourist destination is a city, town or other area the economy of which is dependent to a significant extent on the revenues accruing from tourism. It may contain one or more tourist attractions or visitor attractions and possibly some "tourist traps". . Nearly half of its alumni have graduated within the past 15 years. That balance has proved challenging to people like Brian Kish, the school's director of development and constituent relations. Not only must he try to keep young alumni engaged with the school, he must also find innovative ways to get them to give money. "The way that most universities raise money is based upon a model that is focused on older generations," he says. "The idea that I can send someone an envelope and they'll send it back to me isn't going to work with [the] younger generation." Instead, Kish and his colleagues came up with an idea that was social, fun, and relevant to new alumni: organizing an event at a popular student restaurant located right on a beach. The $35 per person price tag, which included food, drinks, and a $20 donation to the university's annual fund, was significant without being too steep. "When we sent out a message to a small group to see if we could get volunteers, we instantly had 60 young alums sign up," Kish says. He says the school had never seen that kind of interest in an event or volunteer group. While he says that the university has tried raising money from young alumni through phone calls, mail, and e-mail, the event-based fundraising struck a chord. "It gives them a reason to come back to Newport, and it shows them that you can still be engaged with the school and it can be fun." The timing is perfect: The event takes place the week before the end of the school's fiscal year; the proceeds give a healthy boost to the bottom line. Resources Affinity Circles, www.affinitycircles.com Blackbaud, www.blackbaud.com Campus Management, www.campusmanagement.com Convio, www.convio.com Datatel, www.datatel.com GoalQuest, www.goalquest.com GradMed, www.gradmed.com Harris Connect, www.harrisconnect.com Intelliworks, www.intelliworks.com Jenzabar, www.jenzabar.net Nelnet, www.nelnet.com Oracle, www.oracle.com/industries/education SunGard Higher Education, www.sungardhe.com Talisma, http://education.talisma.com Erin Peterson is a Minneapolis-based freelance writer and a former editor in the Office of Publications at Carleton College Carleton College Private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minn., founded in 1866. It offers a variety of undergraduate majors. Small classes and opportunities to participate in faculty research projects attract a select student body, most from out of state. in Northfield, Minn. |
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