We are currently in the process of establishing an Alumni Advisory Board. Our relationship with our alumni had long been overlooked and one year we decided to change that and make that relationship one of our top priorities.
The response has been enthusiastic. We have invited Grads from around the world, a few administrative office staff as well as our "volunteer" Alumni Directors and myself (Dean of the school) to be on the board. We are asking for a one year commitment and we hope to meet at least 1x a month via conference calls.
Next week we meet for the first time and I am very excited.
Jennifer,
You are absolutely right about using volunteers. You want people who 'want' to be there. I might suggest one other strategy and that is to think about who you 'want' on your team and then ask them and let them know why you are 'choosing' them. People like to be asked and they appreciate someone believing they would be a good addition to the team.
Just a thought.
June Gudeman
I like the suggestion of asking for volunteers, that way those on the Board are there because they want to be and are willing to put in the effort because they care about the results. I would seek volunteers and along with the Campus Directors plan a first meeting to gain ideas and intent from staff with steps to follow from there.
Linnet,
You may want to think about what departments you would like represented from your institution. I believe you'd find real value in having representation from some of your department heads/administration.
June Gudeman
We would invite our graduates or people that work in the field, this way they can advise us of the best way to keep our school updated.
Kathryn,
Great! Glad to hear you have some specific people in mind to add to your board!
June Gudeman
June,
That's a great suggestion. I am already thinking of a few people right now in those categories. :) Thanks for the tip.
Kathryn,
It sounds like you have some good direction for your situation and have thought through what it might look like for you to have an alumni program. I certainly agree that it is good to decide the 'direction' of your program before you begin. It might be helpful to include some of your graduates, staff, administration, even current students, to come together and help you with that process. This group might even turn out to be your future advisory board?
June Gudeman
At our training center, we have actually never set up a "formal" alumni association. And, after enrolling in this course, I can see how beneficial it is to both the students and our school.
Because we have a 'smaller' school, I would anticipate that I would take on the roll of the Alumni Department, which I would be honored to lead.
First, I would like to brainstorm and come up with the purpose of the Alumni Association and what we hope it to become. I would like to have a clear vision and set goals of the association prior to advertising for it.
Second, I would try to come up with a missions statement specifically for the Alumni Association and have it approved from the owner.
Once the first two steps are completed, I would probably market to companies that could potentially hire my students and see if they would be interested in being on the board.
Then, we would set up group meetings where we could get to know each other before we "get down to business".
I think that having a goal in place will make sure we stay on target.
Suellen,
It sounds like you've clearly thought through your process of including a variety of advisory board members. It's good to gather members from a variety of areas of interest. I'm curious why you'd want to include graduates who haven't graduated to offer advise on services to offer graduates?
June Gudeman
My first and most difficult step will be to get buy-in from the school owner. I want members from my instructors and other school management positions. I would look to include graduates and present students. I also see a need to include those students who did not graduate. Their input would be invaluable in determining what services could be offered that would have changed their minds about leaving the program. I would also include members from our extern sites and potential employers. This group is extremely aware of what further resources are required for graduates to remain employable and advance in the field.
Gail,
Who else do you plan to include on your advisory board?
June Gudeman
I like the idea of reaching out to employers and potential employers of our grads.
Lauren,
Certainly, you have a good 'feel' for who might be passionate about alumni and be able to provide the leadership contribution you're looking for. And truthfully, people like to be asked. If you approach some of these people you're considering and let them know that you believe they have what you're looking for, they will probably be willing to participate. You can open it up to staff/faculty to see who may have an interest that you didn't even consider. I would certainly invite some of your alumni to participate. Only THEY can really give you the graduate perspective. It sounds like you are well on your way to an advisory board!
June Gudeman
When I came across this section I immediately realized that I am going to need help. After looking through people to be represented on the board, I started thinking of specific people that I would really enjoy having their help. One of our placement coordinators is absolutely amazing and keeps her placement at 100% at all times. Her hard work and dedication is exactly what our advisory board needs. Another person I had in mind was one of our recruiters. He is always up for a challenge and helping anyone out whenever he can. I even have a few students in mind that would be beneficial for creating an advisory board. But I also have to understand that just because I have someone in mind does not mean that they want to participate. Either way, I will be happy to have anyone willing to help start our school’s first Alumni Association. My first step is going to be to outline my expectations for what I want to accomplish with an Alumni Association. Once I have that set up, I want to approach faculty and staff as a whole to see who would want to help in the creation of the association and what ideas we can share to get the program up and running. At that time I would also reach out to see what recommendations people had in engaging students to get involved. I would even like to circulate a survey to get student feedback on what they would want from this type of association. I am really looking to develop a program that enforces unity behind our ultimate goal of educational success. My main concern is having adequate time to devote myself to an Alumni Association considering I will also have other obligations with my current position. If I want this to work, I know there has to be dedication and preparation. How do I delegate my time to ensure that I am creating an Alumni Association that people want to be a part of?
Kelley,
I'm confused by your answer, could you clarify? You say your current advisory board includes former graduates, but you say you do not have alumni. Since former graduates are alumni, I'm not understanding.
You may want to diversify your alumni advisory board to include - graduates (alumni), current students, employers, representatives from your instructors or administration (placement, admissions, etc. )
June Gudeman
We currently have an advisory board of former graduates, instructors and employers. However, we do not have an alumni. My first step would to advise our current board that we are starting an alumni association because they may have current employees that were past students.
Coryne,
It sounds like a well thought out plan of action. I like your idea to include current students, those same students will be understand the value of involvement after graduation and very likely will want to be on your advisory board as an alumni. You may want to consider inviting some representatives of some key departments like admissions, student services, or career services.
June Gudeman
The steps that I would take to set up a advisory board would be to contact staff at the different campuses, tell them what we are doing and asking them to volunteer for the board. I would then ask them to contact current students and graduated students to ask them to volunteer for the board as well. I would let them all know that I value their input and suggestions and would very much like us all to build a successful Alumni, that would benefit us all.
Samantha,
It sounds like you have a good start already. I like the idea of using your alumni that are on your staff. What a perfect way to get started!
June Gudeman
