The document outlines plans by Babes-Bolyai University in Romania to better engage alumni. It discusses establishing an alumni association with the objectives of growing membership to 3,000 within a year, launching a fundraising campaign, and helping faculties create their own alumni networks. Key projects include an alumni mentoring program pairing students and graduates, webinars featuring alumni speakers, and an online communication plan to engage alumni through the university website and social media platforms. The goals are to use volunteer alumni time, talent, and donations to improve programs and develop new opportunities for students and graduates.

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

9. Projects
alumni mentoring
webinars
alumni activities and clubs
communication plan (offline and
online)

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