June Gudeman

Susan, Great ideas Susan! You are right on in your thoughts to provide career services that would benefit your graduates. It is the number one reason our alumni come back to us. Probably the second service that our grads are looking for and appreciate are opportunities to network. I like your ideas. June Gudeman

Susan, I like your ideass on this. Particularly, the importance of immediate involvement and a listening culture. Probably the only other thing I would add or comment on is that, although it is good to ask for volunteers, there are probably some individuals (staff and/or alumni) that you know would be a great asset to the team. I would encourage you to pursue and invite those individuals to participate. People like to to asked, particularly if the person asking for their involvement can explain the 'value' they would add to the team. Just a thought. June Gudeman

Debra, I certainly agree with all of your statements. It's interesting you're able to use the same mission statement for your school as for your alumni. Most school's mission statements do not include anything related to "after graduation". Glad to hear it! June Gudeman

Jody, It sounds like you've thought through the issues you're going to face and already have some great solutions. June Gudeman

Jody, It sounds like you have some good ideas for your first event. I believe the challenge is always to come up with ideas that will be a 'draw' to your graduates. Involving alumni on your planning committee or team will help you with coming up with ideas that would make them want to come and participate. Everyone is SO busy, it has to be something they 'want' to attend. June Gudeman

Jody, I would agree that keeping your site 'active' and 'fresh' is a constant challenge and requires time and energy. I'm not sure that one way is better than another. We currently have one person dedicated to updating our site, but I'm sure a couple people could coordinate the task. June Gudeman

Jody, Typically, attempting to articulate the direction you want to head with your alumni and collaborating it with your institution's mission statement gives you a clear and accurate statement. June Gudeman

Laurie, I just responded to your questions in the previous question. I can appreciate what you've already done to set a tone of appreciation for your graduates. I see no issue with charging member fees in your case. June Gudeman

Laurie, It sounds like you have a good group of people around you to discuss and think through the value and direction of where you want to head. I agree it is important to keep your alumni connected to your school. My guess is even when you get to the point where you are able to put together a dedicated alumni site, you'll still want to link it off your main site. June Gudeman