Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University

With each new cohort of directors entering the field of alumni relations in agriculture, a pattern emerges. They often are not adequately prepared to assume the responsibilities of the position. There is a perception that attention to detail and event planning skills are sufficient qualifications to manage an alumni volunteer program successfully. Managing the people and activities involved with the programs in the ever-growing field of alumni relations requires much more than event planning know-how. Implementing impactful alumni engagement programs requires knowledge of leading and managing programs, budgets, and people, specifically volunteers. Alumni engagement involves extensive communication skills and, depending on the institution, knowledge of board organization procedures. As we all strive to advance agriculture, we must put in place qualified individuals to engage our alumni and stakeholders, specifically volunteers. Are there programs in place to provide training for the candidates selected? Are resources readily available that provide good practices for these individuals to follow as they build their alumni volunteer programs? Although there is a demand for more rigorous and sophisticated professional practice, there continues to be a gap between research and practice in the field of volunteer administration (Seel, 2013). Resources available for volunteer managers are often how-to manuals with practical suggestions and approaches (Fisher and Cole, 1993). Associations such as the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), the National Agricultural Alumni and Development Association (NAADA), and BoardSource® provide opportunities for networking with colleagues through conferences and online resources. Still, these are often costly and fragmented with regard to the presentation of content. The purpose of the study was to examine how alumni relations professionals are prepared to carry out their roles and responsibilities as administrators of alumni engagement programs and volunteers in colleges of agriculture at land-grant institutions. The study sought to describe good practices for support, training, communication, and volunteer management that can be utilized by new members of the field and seasoned veterans alike. Thirteen current alumni relations professionals in agriculture at land-grant institutions who are members of NAADA were interviewed. Job descriptions were reviewed prior to each interview. Interviews were transcribed by TranscribeMe, Inc., analyzed using a form of whole text analysis with open coding. Common codes were merged to develop the themes. Research Questions 1. How do alumni directors administer alumni engagement programs and associated volunteers? 2. What skills should alumni directors bring to their positions upon employment? 3. How do alumni directors identify individuals or groups to connect to in order to accomplish their goals? 4. How do alumni directors identify and implement communications strategies to make successful connections to use with individuals and/or groups? 5. How do alumni directors continue to improve their skills and knowledge to meet their job expectations related to administering alumni engagement programs and associated volunteers? Through a thematic analysis of the data, the following themes emerged: management of volunteer boards; management of general volunteers; perceptions of alumni directors; engagement with alumni, faculty, and students through events and programs; partnerships with university-level advancement and college leadership; communications tools; and professional development. Overall, the findings were not surprising other than lack of knowledge of volunteer management models or prior experience in volunteer management. Participants who had the support of leadership, who arrived to their positions with at least some background working with volunteers, and those who were willing to try new tactics to engage volunteers set an outstanding example of how success is possible in the role of an alumni director. Communications is a powerful tool for all alumni directors but can also be a significant challenge. Participants who expanded their definition of "volunteer" beyond alumni to include faculty, staff, and students appeared to have better-developed strategies to engage, empower, and lead individuals. Participants who partnered with colleagues in academic programs were better positioned to engage students in programming, find student volunteers and interns to assist in their efforts, and create and maintain stronger connections as they become young alumni. Seven key good practices can be elevated from the data: 1. Familiarize with volunteer management models to understand how and why people are motivated to volunteer and develop skillsets and tactics to recruit, train, retain, and recognize volunteers 2. Empower volunteers to develop their own mission and goals, strategize their plan of work, and lead the execution of their programs and organization 3. Expand the definition of "volunteer" 4. Build collaborative partnerships across the team, college and university 5. Develop innovative approaches and partnerships to engage students 6. Expand professional development resources 7. Advocate for yourself and your program After interviewing thirteen alumni relations professionals, it was clear that those land-grant institutions have passionate, volunteer-centric professionals who diligently work every day towards the mission and goals of the colleges they serve. But there is much work to be done to create an environment that is more supportive of them. Efforts should be made to help college and university leadership better understand the qualifications required for alumni relations positions, elevate alumni engagement and volunteers' impact, and provide more targeted professional development opportunities. / Master of Science in Life Sciences / Good practices of alumni relations professionals leading engagement programs and volunteers in colleges of agriculture at land-grant institutions contribute to the advancement of agriculture. The purpose of the study was to examine how alumni relations professionals are prepared to carry out their roles and responsibilities as administrators of alumni engagement programs and volunteers in colleges of agriculture at land-grant institutions. The study sought to describe good practices for support, training, communication, and volunteer. Thirteen current alumni relations professionals in agriculture at land-grant institutions who are members of the National Alumni and Development Association (NAADA) were interviewed. Research Questions: 1. How do alumni directors administer alumni engagement programs and associated volunteers? 2. What skills should alumni directors bring to their positions upon employment? 3. How do alumni directors identify individuals or groups to connect to in order to accomplish their goals? 4. How do alumni directors identify and implement communications strategies to make successful connections to use with individuals and/or groups? 5. How do alumni directors continue to improve their skills and knowledge to meet their job expectations related to administering alumni engagement programs and associated volunteers? Participants who had the support of leadership, who arrived to their positions with at least some background working with volunteers, and those who were willing to try new tactics to engage volunteers illustrated success in the position. Communications, while a powerful tool for all alumni directors, was often a significant challenge. Participants who expanded their definition of "volunteer" beyond alumni to include faculty, staff, and students appeared to have better-developed strategies to engage, empower, and lead individuals. Participants who partnered with colleagues in academic programs were better positioned to engage students in programming, find student volunteers and interns to assist in their efforts, and create and maintain stronger connections as they become young alumni. Seven key good practices identified: 1. Familiarize with volunteer management models to understand how and why people are motivated to volunteer and develop skillsets and tactics to recruit, train, retain, and recognize volunteers 2. Empower volunteers to develop their own mission and goals, strategize their plan of work, and lead the execution of their programs and organization 4. Build collaborative partnerships across the team, college and university 5. Develop innovative approaches and partnerships to engage students 6. Expand professional development resources 7. Advocate for yourself and your program Participants were passionate and volunteer-centric, diligently working every day towards the mission and goals of the colleges they serve. But there is much work to be done to create an environment that is more supportive of them. Efforts should be made to help college and university leadership better understand the qualifications required for alumni relations positions, elevate alumni engagement and volunteers' impact, and provide more targeted professional development opportunities.

Consistent reductions in state and federal financial support for America’s public colleges and universities have resulted in an increased institutional reliance upon non- traditional revenue sources. Budgetary shortfalls precipitated by the loss of appropriations led many institutions to seek out alternative sources of revenue. While many of these strategies have proven to be controversial with institutional stakeholders (e.g., annual tuition rate increases), one appears to be both popular and effective: alumni giving. Colleges and universities rely heavily upon alumni to enhance the institution by subsidizing operational costs; this is especially crucial in times of great financial stress. In order to ensure strong, lifelong relationships between alumni donors and their alma maters, institutions must consistently evaluate the methods through which alumni giving is solicited. It is not enough to merely expect alumni to become philanthropically engaged upon graduation; institutions must create a culture of giving amongst its student body. The study explored how colleges and universities may foster increased alumni participation in institutional philanthropy. By gauging the perceptions of young alumni, institutions will be able to determine if existing efforts are effective in encouraging future alumni giving. Grounded in altruistic (i.e., prosocial), social exchange, student development, and donor motivation theories, this study utilized a quantitative survey methodology to uncover prevailing alumni perceptions toward contemporary institutional philanthropic efforts. Study participants were asked to reflect upon their undergraduate experiences and the relationships they maintain with their alma mater after graduation. The study found that specific variables (e.g., alumni association membership, gender, financial contributions, engagement in alumni activities, satisfaction with the undergraduate experience, and institutional connectivity post-graduation) were statistically significant in predicting membership within three distinct donor groups. After all data were collected and analyzed, recommendations were made to assist institutions in developing programs that are most likely to encourage active alumni participation and create a culture of giving amongst student bodies. / text

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University

Industries have changed over the years and the necessary skills required for a person to obtain a position in industry have become more challenging. This study examined alumni perceptions regarding the Industrial Technology program at Mississippi State University and expanded on the literature that is currently available as there is limited information and literature regarding the perception of how alumni view the transferability of knowledge and skills gained in Industrial Technology programs to industry. Information on alumni perception‟s of their skills and knowledge gained would add pertinent facts to the limited research that is currently being published. There were 35 alumni participants, ranging in age from 23 to 41. The study used several questions to guide the study of alumni perceptions of the Industrial Technology program at Mississippi State University. What are the alumni perceptions of the transferability of the skills acquired from their Industrial Technology program to industry? What are alumni perceptions of the support services provided in the Industrial Technology program? Does a relationship exist between alumni perceptions of the Industrial Technology program and various demographic characteristics? Do differences exist between alumni who have gained employment in the field of Industrial Technology and those who did not gain employment in Industrial Technology related jobs? The research design was a survey that was a questionnaire adapted from Latif and Sutton‟s (2001) questionnaire as well as Zargari and Hayes‟ (2001) questionnaires. Descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, simple frequency distribution and percentages were used to analyze data and to interpret the perceptions of the alumni. Overall, the alumni perceptions of the program were positive and their perceptions also showed that the program met their need to obtain and maintain employment. Over 80% of the alumni perceived that the support services met their needs through advisement, instruction and facilities. Based on the results of this research, alumni have been very useful in identifying the perceptions of the Industrial Technology program at Mississippi State University.

Das Magazin, das künftig einmal im Jahr erscheinen soll, ist ein wichtiger Teil unseres Alumni-Programms, mit dem wir Sie als Ehemalige regelmäßig über das Geschehen an Ihrer Universität informieren wollen.

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In dieser Ausgabe des Alumni-Magazins nehmen wir das Thema Lebenslanges Lernen auf und möchten Ihnen das darauf bezogene umfassende Angebot der Universität Leipzig näher bringen. Die Alma mater bietet mit verschiedenen Formaten unterschiedlichen Zielgruppen die Chance zum lebensbegleitenden Lernen.

Musik und Universitätsbetrieb sind bis heute eng miteinander verbunden. In der mittlerweile dritten Ausgabe des Alumni-Magazins greifen wir daher das Thema "Musiktradition an der Universität Leipzig" auf, ermöglichen einen kleinen Einblick in die große Tradition und die vielfältige Gegenwart von 601 Jahren Musik an der Universität und geben Ihnen Tipps, wo Sie Unimusik erleben können. Neben historischen Betrachtungen zeichnen wir ein Bild der Universitätsmusik anno 2010, welche Studierenden und Lehrenden zahlreiche Möglichkeiten des musikalischen Engagements bietet. Auch die Alumni, die wir für diese Ausgabe porträtiert haben, können sich ein Leben ohne Musik nicht vorstellen. Manche konnten ihre Leidenschaft sogar mit dem Beruf verbinden – stellvertretend für Viele haben wir einige von ihnen für das Magazin porträtiert.

In der nunmehr vierten Ausgabe des Alumni-Magazins nehmen wir das Thema "Internationalität" auf und berichten in Auszügen über das vielfältige Aktivitätenspektrum der Universität in diesem Bereich, angefangen vom TANDEM-Projekt des Sprachenzentrums über eine Willkommensinitiative für ausländische Studierende bis hin zum Internationalen Trainerkurs der Sportwissenschaftlichen Fakultät. Trotz aller unübersehbaren Erfolge gibt es aber auch eine Reihe von Problemen und Herausforderungen, mit denen sich die Universität im weiteren Prozess der Internationalisierung auseinandersetzen muss – auch darüber lesen Sie in diesem Magazin. Darüber hinaus finden Sie zahlreiche Porträts unserer weltweit verstreuten und international agierenden Alumni sowie ein Doppelinterview mit dem Prorektor für Bildung und Internationales Claus Altmayer und dem Amerikanistik-Professor Crister Garrett, in dem sich beide über den fortschreitenden Internationalisierungsprozess der Alma mater austauschen.