The majority of South African public schools are not performing well considering the overall learner success rates in specifically so called disadvantaged schools. Many factors contribute to this situation, however, all education stakeholders contribute in some way to the success or failure of schools. In this regard alumni of disadvantaged schools in South Africa have not played an active role in supporting their alma maters. This research sought to identify the various roles alumni can play in the development of disadvantaged schools. As innovative strategies to the public education crisis in South Africa are required, one such strategy is to involve a neglected stakeholder group such as alumni to share their skills and resources towards improving the different aspects of school development. There are very few examples of functioning alumni associations at previously disadvantaged schools in the Eastern Cape. Sharing information on a study of two selected schools with already established alumni associations could be of value to other schools in the establishment of their own alumni associations in order to support school improvement and development initiatives. Therefore, based on the findings of this study and from evidence in literature, the researcher concludes that alumni associations can play a meaningful role in developing and transforming disadvantaged schools in a young and developing democracy as in the case of South Africa. This study looked at, amongst other aspects, at the roles and contributions that alumni may play in the development of their alma maters and finally offer guidelines in the establishment of alumni associations.

Those who enter into graduate study bring with them a diverse array of needs and interests. Graduate programmes are called upon to meet these needs and in endeavoring to do so,institutions providing training must look at the increasing diversity of the field. One way to do this is to determine what graduates of professional training do as practicing adult educators. This study was designed to answer some of the questions regarding the impact of a degree for men and women in adult education on their career paths, job mobility, income levels, and so on. In this study, current patterns in career development of adult educators and trends in the field of adult education were profiled by surveying 1960 through 1988 graduates of the Adult Education Programme at the University of British Columbia. The study examined occupational placement of graduates and the factors determining their mobility. As well, the relationship between training and work activities was explored. Further, graduates described their learning needs which were examined in terms of their work activities. The nature and degree of their participation in continuing professional education were examined. In addition, the reasons for initial enrollment in the programme were investigated. One of the major facets of the study was to discover the differences, if any, between men and women in many areas of career development. The following general research questions were pursued: 1) What reasons do graduates give for their participation in the adult education programme? 2) Do men and women share a similar education and occupation profile? 3) In what way has self-assessed occupational prestige changed over time? 4) Do graduates of the five Adult Education Programmes (Diploma, M.Ed., M.Sc., M.A., and Ed.D.) perform different occupational functions in their present work? 5) What factors influence occupational mobility? and 6) Are there relationships between present occupational activities, self-perceived quality of training in specified occupational activities and self-reported need to continue learning in these activities? Respondents (approximately half of all graduates) were typically female (59.2%), age 39 on graduation. She had worked four and a half years in adult education prior to entry in the programme and was motivated to participate in the programme to increase her chances of professional advancement. She took less than three years to complete her degree and has held three jobs since graduation. She works full-time in a position where administration or management is the primary function and considers her opportunities for occupational mobility as average or high. She earns $46,000 per year (1988). In general, respondents cited reasons related to professional advancement as their motivation for participation in the programme. Women and men tended to be similar in their educational and occupational profile, which was unanticipated in examining previous research. However, a significant discrepancy was found in the annual income earned by women and men working in adult education positions. This discrepancy was not evident between men and women working outside of the field. Generally, self-assessed occupational prestige increased over time, though the biggest jump was seen in the period since graduation. Graduates of the five departmental programmes weighed similarly, though not identically, the amount of time spent in fourteen specified occupational activities. Very few occupational, educational, or demographic factors seemed to influence occupational mobility, except age at graduation. There seemed to be a weak relationship between occupational functions performed by graduates at the time of the survey, their assessment of the programme in preparing them to perform these functions, and the self-reported need to continue their education in these specified functions. / Education, Faculty of / Educational Studies (EDST), Department of / Graduate

Helping through acts of philanthropy is a cultural norm in the United States. People of all generations give to a variety of causes, including their alma maters. Research shows that millennials had positive experiences at their institutions and want to stay engaged. However, they are more likely to donate to their favorite cause than their alma mater. This study investigates what motivates the millennial generation to give to their undergraduate alma mater. Building on existing work targeted at giving, it asks: To what extent does personal experience affect millennials giving to their alma mater before graduation, during the process of graduation, and after graduation? Based on the review of literature on generational giving, and the theory of planned behavior, a survey was distributed targeting millennials who met the following two criteria: 1) born between 1980–2000, and 2) graduated with an undergraduate degree between 2005 and 2015. A secondary analysis of data was employed to correlate the findings from the close-ended survey and examine the giving trends among millennials and how those trends vary among the other three giving generations: mature/silents, baby boomers, and Generation X. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2020. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

This study examined the characteristics and predictors of Millennial alumni who donated financially to their alma mater and those who did not by reviewing data from the Alumni Attitude Survey (AAS). The data set was composed of 2,108 Millennial respondents and 1,110 as Generation X respondents. This study can help university foundation and alumni association staff members to determine why their donors, specifically Millennial alumni, give to their institution and how to be more effective in requesting for a financial donation from them. Generating consistent support from alumni and other donors is an economic necessity for postsecondary institutions. As current students graduate, institutions need to know how they can entice these alumni to provide financial support. This dissertation fills the gap in the literature by providing new research on the effect Millennial student involvement has on the likelihood they will become donors to their alma mater. This dissertation used Astin's (1984) involvement theory as a foundation for the research. The connection that alumni have with their alma maters and the outcome of donations after graduation may stem from the connections that these alumni established while involved in activities as undergraduates. Astin's involvement theory provides some insights into identifying the experiences that help to inspire alumni to donate financially and helps institutions identify and devise new ways of using these experiences to help increase donations. The positive emotional experiences from undergraduate involvement may be motivation to donate to one's alma mater. This study identified the involvement characteristics of undergraduate Millennial alumni donors, the differences between these donors and nondonors, and predictors of undergraduate Millennial alumni donor behavior. This study focused on the potential relationship between involvement and student satisfaction and subsequently, found statistically significant variables that influenced Millennial alumni to donate to their alma mater. Specifically, Millennial alumni who were involved in organizations that relate to peer involvement; such as fraternity/sorority involvement, participation in intramural athletics, community service, residence halls participation, and the alma mater providing or encouraging relationships with other students, encouraging the attendance at athletic events, providing student leadership opportunities and providing opportunities to interact with alumni relate to one donating to their alma mater. These variables were statistically significant, but they were also practically significant, meaning that the findings do make a difference in helping to identify factors that lead to Millennial alumni to donate to their alma mater. The findings in this dissertation reiterate the importance of student engagement on the campus. An institution's faculty and staff involvement with undergraduates, specifically those staff who work directly with student organizations, are vital for student engagement that lead to graduation and future donations as an alumnus.

As English expands across the world, quality English teachers are increasingly needed. However, reports that even well-trained TESOL professionals have a hard time obtaining stable employment are prevalent. This study sought to provide some solid evidence about employment trends in TESOL. It is based on a survey administered to alumni who graduated between the years of 1973 and 2008 from Brigham Young University's TESOL program. The results indicate that graduates spend about half of their career time in TESOL-related employment. Most are involved in teaching, but jobs in administration, materials development,or testing are more likely to be full-time and offer benefits. Graduates spend little time in EFL positions, but these jobs are the most likely to be full-time and offer benefits. A surprising amount of time was spent unemployed by choice, and the majority of graduates report salary satisfaction, indicating that perhaps the field attracts those who are not looking for stable, full-time employment. These findings are useful for those anticipating a career in TESOL and for teacher educators. They likewise add a valuable contribution to the small body of literature focused on TESOL employment.

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