This internship focused on improving alumni reunions at the university. The intern conducted research on reunions at other institutions, updated reunions webpages and communication plans, developed new services for reunion organizers, and improved the data management system for tracking reunions. The goals were to better engage alumni and harness their support through activities like fundraising, research, and supporting current students. The internship helped develop project planning, research, communication, and digital skills.

1. Alumni Reunions
Internship
Vanya Semerdjieva
MA (Hons) Literature in a World
Context

2. Alumni Reunions
• Alumni-led gatherings based on a specific interest (e.g. class
anniversaries, club and society memberships, roommates from
halls or just a specially selected group of friends)
• Vary in size, format, location, etc. and require different levels of
support from the University
• Alumni are engaged with University but we need to harness this
engagement too, so we could promote research, fundraising
and supporting the student community

3. Communication
Class Giving
AR Service for Reunion Organisers
Data Management System
Reunions Webpage
Goal Achieved

4. Research
• Benchmarking research:
19 academic institutions in
the UK and Ireland;
published in DT internal
weekly newsletter
• Internal (University staff)
and external (alumni)
research

5. Communication
Internal communication
plan
 Academic engagement (raise
awareness of benefits for them)
 College/School staff newsletter
articles on reunions, StaffNet
External communication
plan
 Alumni engagement (motivate
alumni to contact AR) –
Communications timeline
 Targeted emails, reunions social
media

6. Class Giving
•Worked with fundraising team of DT (engage team with alumni reunions)
•Organiser = Fundraiser; targeted project
•Developed a reunion/class giving webpage with case studies from previous
donors and fundraisers, and tips for peer-to-peer fundraising (received
OpenText CMS Training)

7. AR Services for Reunion Organisers
• AR need other ways to engage alumni as contact
details are easily accessible today
•Reviewed current services offered by AR and got
feedback from alumni:
Survey among current and future reunion organisers
Development of new services with regard to alumni feedback
 Included 7 new types of service to the existing 13

8. Data Management System
• Main problems:
 Inconsistent approach
 Overcomplicated data
sharing process
• Outcome:
Maximise use of Raiser’s Edge
database software
Developed (for AR team) a
procedural manual, Reunions log
and checklist, and a 12-month
procedure to managing Reunion
programme

9. Reunions Webpage
• Developed and updated the ‘Past Reunions’
page with case studies and link to reunion
archives
• ‘Why become a reunion
organiser’ section to motivate
alumni
• ‘How to Organise an Alumni
Reunion’ guide  from PDF to
web-based and interactive
• Added a ‘Reunion Giving’
page for class gifts

10. Graduate AttributesAcademic excellence
• project planning
• research
• promotion skills
• OpenText CMS; Raiser’s Edge; MailChimp
Critical thinking and effective
communication
• new tools for AR; new fundraising
approaches; new services for RO
• meetings; correspondence; writing
for the web and newsletters
Learning and
personal
development
• strong at research
and data analysis
• concentrating on
one task at a time
may be
challenging
Active citizenship
• fundraising focus
• understanding of work in a professional
environment