4.16.24 21st Century Movements for Black Lives.pptx
Life after graduation
1. Life after Graduation
Engaging Alumni in University
Development
Ioana Mureşan, Alumni Association
Cătălina Amihăiesi, Fund Raising Office
Babeş – Bolyai University, Danube Rectors’ Conference – Cluj, November 2010
2. Presentation Outline
Interest for alumni engagement &
current actions of public universities
Babeş – Bolyai Alumni:
• available resources
• objectives
• projects
• communication plan
Conclusions
3. National focus on graduate
employability
European funds used at national level
to measure graduates’ employability
through a national survey conducted by
the Executive Agency for Higher
Education and Research Funding
(UEFISCSU)
Current focus on employability only
4. Out of 50 Romanian public
universities...
35 have no special section for/about
graduates on their website
9 have some dedicated section, but no
relevant/updated content
4 have a dedicated section (including
membership) with more activities and news
2 have dedicated sections, updated and
relevant content for their graduates
Source: Authors’ own research, October 2010
5. Forget me not: alumni do come
back
informal alumni groups using social
media
occasional visits to faculties and
former teachers
alumni reunions (often without the
faculties’ contribution)
voluntary course evaluation &
feedback
6. What can alumni offer?
Time – volunteer for
faculty programmes
Talent – course
feedback, career
counselling
Treasure – donate
for faculty
programmes
employability
Time
Talent
Treasure
7. Myths &
excuses
no alumni culture
no giving culture
alumni too busy,
too far, not
interested
no money for
education
too expensive to
engage alumni
informal online
groups
willingness to give
reunions
student
organizations
alumni’s role in
course
evaluations and
curricula
improvement
Facts &
opportunities
8. Objectives
from 300 to 3000 members (1 year time)
awareness and internal support from
faculties – at least 3 alumni networks started
at faculty level
run a first fundraising campaign
helping faculties create alumni networks
develop projects that best suit our needs and
current resources, based on voluntary
implication, reciprocity and common
interests
alumni + students = long – term relationship
10. Alumni Mentoring
matching a student and a graduate to
achieve some of the student’s
professional objectives
pilot edition – involved one faculty and
12 mentor-mentee pairs over a three
– month period with good results
current edition: dedicated domain,
web platform, partners
11. Webinars
5 online seminars
5 alumni speakers
Over 80 student & young alumni
participants
General themes that engage a large
number of graduates
Graduates from all over the world can
easily contribute
12. Communication plan
Easy reachable for UBB graduates from
all around the world – user friendly
website
Relevant basic resources available for
immediate use – contact
information&structure, news about
faculties, other graduates
Go where our graduates are (Facebook,
LinkedIn)
13. Communication plan (2)
http://alumni.ubbcluj.ro – open source
CMS & open source apps
Facebook & LinkedIn groups – more than
2800 members, average number of 30
new members/week
E-newsletters (faculty driven)
14. Alumni activities & clubs
Don’t assume – test!
Start from current faculty activities
around the university
Help alumni find what best suits them, at
no extra costs for the university
Provide every graduate with an online
activity calendar at his/her disposal
May start from lecture clubs and end up
having hiking clubs
15. Conclusions
Never take anything for granted – test!
Use every resource at hand (open
licenses, open communities,
reciprocity)
Creatively engage alumni resources to
improve current university services
and develop new ones – start small,
with on-hand resources