The Palmer Alumnae Leadership Council conducted a needs assessment survey in 2012 regarding homecoming attendance and preferences. The results indicated that a majority of alumnae have attended homecoming in the past decade and show a strong interest in future events, particularly during reunions, while expressing a preference for email invitations over printed ones. Additionally, most respondents are unwilling to pay extra for brunch expenses but indicated a fair price range of $30-40 for attending such events.

1. Palmer Alumnae Leadership
Council
Needs Assessment Survey 2012
Palmer Society Active-Alumnae Relations
Homecoming Specific Questions
1

2. Background: Recent Homecoming Data
Anniversary
Anniversary
2000
6
28
34
2001
11
67
78
2002
12
24
36
2003
16
72
88
2004
27
42
69
2005
18
48
66
2008
25
20
45
2009
24
41
65
2010
24
53
77
2011
27
108
135
2012
26
64
90
locals
21
52
23
61
37
35
18
33
41
79
49
Under 10 years and Local
10
17
8
25
14
14
14
15
23
27
28
years since graduation
young alumnae (< 5 yrs)
5-10 YEARS
10-20 YEARS
20-30 YEARS
30 YEARS+
15
2
8
1
2
16
9
22
12
8
6
3
9
5
1
20
9
25
12
6
14
2
8
10
8
17
11
5
11
3
13
2
1
3
1
15
3
3
14
6
23
7
3
11
9
22
16
19
21
30
22
9
2
9
22
percentage locals
75%
78%
96%
85%
88%
73%
90%
80%
77%
73%
77%
percentage young alumnae
54%
24%
25%
28%
33%
35%
65%
37%
43%
20%
34%
Actives
Alumnae
total
2

3. Recent Homecoming Attendance
era
1940-1944
1945-1949
1950-1954
1955-1959
1960-1964
1965-1969
1970-1974
1975-1979
1980-1984
1985-1989
1990-1994
1995-1999
2000-2004
2005-2009
2010-2014
2000
1
1
1
3
5
2
13
2
2001
1
2
1
1
3
2
8
12
10
9
16
2
2002
2003
2004
2005
1
4
3
1
1
1
1
1
2
7
4
2
3
5
5
13
16
6
12
14
2008
2009
2010
1
1
1
1
2
6
5
3
4
6
10
3
1
7
4
3
2
11
9
9
1
3
4
8
4
1
5
10
3
6
11
3
1
4
8
3
2
1
7
16
7
2011
2012
1
3
3
2
2
21
13
10
4
15
14
18
7
3
14
1
7
1
7
15
11
3

4. Number of Times Attended Homecoming
Survey Participants
decade
1940-1944
1945-1949
1950-1954
1955-1959
1960-1964
1965-1969
1970-1974
1975-1979
1980-1984
1985-1989
1990-1994
1995-1999
2000-2004
2005-2009
2010-2014
0
1
1
5
1
4
2
2
3
2
1
3
3
7
Number of Times Attended – Documented 2000-2012*
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
1
4
1
1
1
1
3
2
3
2
4
3
9
1
1
2
1
2
1
1
2
5
2
2
1
1
1
3
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
2
1
2
4
1
2
2
1
*No data for 2005 & 2006
4

5. Reunion Information for 2013
half decade
Alumnae
Members with a Reunion
Respondents with a reunion
in 2013
1920-1924
1925-1929
1930-1934
1935-1939
1940-1944
1945-1949
1950-1954
1955-1959
1960-1964
1965-1969
1970-1974
1975-1979
1980-1984
1985-1989
1990-1994
1995-1999
2000-2004
2005-2009
2010-2014
total
1
0
1
9
19
29
50
50
53
73
56
63
46
40
39
39
26
45
35
674
0
0
0
4
5
8
11
12
8
14
12
13
10
7
10
7
8
7
2
138
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
2
2
1
4
0
2
2
4
4
2
0
25
22.7% of the respondents
Have a reunion this year
5

6. Homecoming Attendance: Survey Results
Have you ever attended Brunch as an
alumnae
96 out of 110 respondents answered this question
Have You Attended Homecoming?
Decade
No/Interes
ted, 17
Never/no
interest, 3
Yes, 76
1940-1944
1945-1949
1950-1954
1955-1959
1960-1964
1965-1969
1970-1974
1975-1979
1980-1984
1985-1989
1990-1994
1995-1999
2000-2004
2005-2009
2010-2014
Survey
TOTAL
Total
Never/no
Participation
ELIGIBLE Participants
interest
Rate
19
1
5.3%
0
29
1
3.4%
0
50
5
10.0%
1
50
3
6.0%
0
53
8
15.1%
0
73
3
4.1%
0
56
4
7.1%
1
63
10
15.9%
0
46
10
21.7%
0
40
9
22.5%
0
39
8
20.5%
1
39
11
28.2%
0
26
11
42.3%
0
45
14
31.1%
0
35
12
34.3%
0
No but
Interested
Yes
1
0
1
1
1
1
0
2
0
0
2
0
1
2
5
0
1
2
2
3
1
3
6
9
9
3
10
9
12
6
6

7. I plan on attending the Annual Homecoming brunch:
Every year possible
7
4
18
Palmer Anniversary
years
40
Class reunion
28
Pledge Class reunion
Decade
1940-1944
Whenever a
sister can
Every year make it for a Palmer
WC Anniv.
possible
reunion Anniv. years
years
0
0
0
0
Pledge
Class
reunion
0
Class
reunion
0
Only when
at Wardman
House
0
Never
0
1945-1949
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1950-1954
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
1955-1959
1
0
1
2
0
3
0
0
1960-1964
1
1
1
1
0
1
0
0
1965-1969
0
1
1
0
0
1
0
1
1970-1974
37
0
0
1
1
1
1
1975-1979
3
2
2
2
4
5
0
0
1980-1984
5
1
4
0
2
2
0
0
1985-1989
3
2
3
2
6
5
0
0
1990-1994
1
2
2
1
1
2
0
1
Never
32
1
Whittier College
Anniversary years
38
1
Whenever a sister can
make it for a reunion
1995-1999
3
6
8
2
6
5
1
0
2000-2004
4
2
5
2
2
2
0
0
2005-2009
9
6
6
3
5
4
1
1
2010-2014
8
3
4
3
5
5
1
1
TOTAL
39
27
37
18
32
37
4
7
Only when at
Wardman House
7

8. I am willing to pay more for brunch if it means all members
(>650) receive a printed invite every single year.*
Response
Attended
Homecoming
Yes
No
Yes
12%
No
88%
Yes
9
3
No
62
11
Decade
1940-1944
1945-1949
1950-1954
1955-1959
1960-1964
1965-1969
1970-1974
1975-1979
1980-1984
1985-1989
1990-1994
1995-1999
2000-2004
2005-2009
2010-2014
No
0
1
1
2
1
2
2
7
6
7
5
9
9
12
9
Yes
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
1
3
1
0
0
0
2
1
Specific Questions:
I am willing to pay more for brunch if it means all
members (>650) receive a printed invite every single year
(please note, 25% of the cost of a brunch ticket currently
goes to mailing costs at this level)
8

9. I prefer to receive my invite via e-mail, through a service like
Pingg:
Decade
Yes, Sign me
up!
88%
No, I prefer
good old
fashioned
paper
12%
1940-1944
1945-1949
1950-1954
1955-1959
1960-1964
1965-1969
1970-1974
1975-1979
1980-1984
1985-1989
1990-1994
1995-1999
2000-2004
2005-2009
2010-2014
TOTAL
Yes, Sign me up!
0
1
2
2
1
2
2
7
7
8
5
10
8
10
7
72
No, I prefer good
old fashioned
paper
1
0
0
1
1
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
3
2
10
9

10. How much is it fair to pay for brunch anywhere?
Assume that price would be comparable to amenities
provided at the event.
Decade
1940-1944
1945-1949
1950-1954
1955-1959
1960-1964
1965-1969
1970-1974
1975-1979
1980-1984
1985-1989
1990-1994
1995-1999
2000-2004
2005-2009
2010-2014
TOTAL
>$50
$40-$50
$30-$40
0
10
20
30
40
50
$30-$40
0
0
1
2
0
0
2
4
7
6
4
8
7
11
7
59
$40-$50
0
0
1
1
1
2
1
3
2
1
2
3
6
7
6
36
>$50
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
1
1
4
60
10

11. I would pay more to attend a brunch off
campus.
Decade
0
0
1945-1949
0
1
1950-1954
2
0
1955-1959
1
1
1960-1964
1
0
1965-1969
1
1
1970-1974
Yes
49%
No
1940-1944
No
51%
Yes
1
2
1975-1979
6
2
1980-1984
4
4
1985-1989
3
4
1990-1994
3
2
1995-1999
4
6
2000-2004
5
5
2005-2009
5
9
2010-2014
5
5
TOTAL
41
42
11

12. How far off campus are you willing to go for Homecoming
Brunch?
35
Decade
32
30
25
24
22
20
15
10
11
5
0
Only as far as
Uptown Whittier
1-5 miles
5-10 miles
10-15 miles
1940-1944
1945-1949
1950-1954
1955-1959
1960-1964
1965-1969
1970-1974
1975-1979
1980-1984
1985-1989
1990-1994
1995-1999
2000-2004
2005-2009
2010-2014
TOTAL
Only as far
as Uptown
Whittier
0
0
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
4
8
3
25
1-5 miles
0
0
0
2
0
0
1
3
3
1
3
5
3
5
8
34
5-10 miles 10-15 miles
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
4
1
3
2
2
1
1
2
3
1
2
3
2
1
2
11
22
12

13. It is fair to charge more for the event after a specific
date? Especially if we provide an online payment option.
No
24%
Yes
76%
Decade
1940-1944
1945-1949
1950-1954
1955-1959
1960-1964
1965-1969
1970-1974
1975-1979
1980-1984
1985-1989
1990-1994
1995-1999
2000-2004
2005-2009
2010-2014
TOTAL
Yes
0
0
1
2
0
2
3
5
5
5
5
10
9
9
6
62
No
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
2
4
1
0
0
1
5
4
19
13

14. Homecoming Summary
• Most of the respondents have attended a brunch; over 60% of the respondents
attended within the last decade
• Most alumnae intend to attend homecoming brunch in the future and whenever
possible but especially for reunions and anniversaries
• Eighty-eight percent of respondents are not willing to pay additional homecoming
brunch costs to cover the expense of receiving a printed invite. Homecoming
invitations currently account for 25 percent of the cost of homecoming brunch
• Respondents welcome an email invite option
• Attendees wish to pay in the $30-40 to attend brunch. Online payment in highly
desirable
• Most would like to stay very close to campus if not on campus for the event.
Respondents are split on whether it is worth more to have an event off campus
14